Every two years, Texas physicians renewing their medical licenses face a familiar checklist when it comes to completing CME. For Corpus Christi pediatrician Matthew Garcia, MD, checking off that requisite is easy: He browses the Texas Medical Association’s Education Center, a resource he called one of the “selling points” of TMA membership.
I’m able to complete almost everything I need to renew my license without having to search multiple websites,” Dr. Garcia said. “The process is very straightforward and simple, and I’m just so appreciative of that.”
Texas physicians face constant changes in medicine, from emerging clinical evidence and new technologies to evolving regulatory requirements. Every two years, those demands intersect with another professional responsibility: medical license renewal. Under Texas Medical Board (TMB) licensure requirements, Texas physicians must complete 48 hours of CME every renewal, including at least two hours of ethics education, along with any state-mandated training that applies to their practice.
A 24/7 online resource, the TMA Education Center provides courses designed to help physicians meet those requirements while staying current on clinical and regulatory developments. That includes a range of CME modules, from webinars to on-demand podcasts.
Traditional CME courses are only one piece of what the Education Center provides. Designed as a central hub for physicians, the online platform also brings together leadership development presentations, nonaccredited podcasts, and tailored programming essential to a successful medical career.
“The Education Center’s goal is to alleviate physicians’ burden whether they’re looking for required education or professional development,” said director Cheryl Krhovjak. “We’re a round-the-clock resource for members.”
Inside the Education Center
Physicians can access the Education Center through TMA’s website. Once signed in, members can browse educational opportunities by topic, search for specific courses, register for webinars, download resources, track completed education, and view their CME transcript.
Each of the center’s CME courses – all free to members thanks to support from the TMA Insurance Trust – is carefully selected through a rigorous vetting process informed by physician input and expertise. (See “Beyond the Credit Hours,” page 12.)
According to Ms. Krhovjak, the Education Center supports two related goals: helping physicians maintain their medical licensure and improving their practice performance. The course catalog reflects the reality that modern physicians must be clinicians, business operators, leaders, communicators, and compliance experts, all at once.
With that in mind, many of the center’s courses address operational challenges physicians face every day, such as navigating insurance requirements, improving workplace culture, reducing burnout, and adapting to emerging technologies. Courses are organized around 12 topics, including physician wellness and ethics. (See “Expand Your Expertise,” page 11.)
Beyond self-paced learning, TMA also delivers CME-eligible sessions directly to physicians through two key outreach programs:
- The Ambassador Program, which connects physician groups with TMA leaders and staff who provide in-person or virtual presentations on topics ranging from legislative updates and regulatory issues to augmented intelligence; and
- The Wellness First Program, which promotes physician wellness through education targeting burnout and resilience. Wellness First sessions can be delivered virtually or in person.
Both programs connect local physicians and county medical societies with TMA staff and leaders, and presentations qualify for one hour of ethics CME credit. TMA also delivers early-career education to medical students and residents through presentations that residency program coordinators may request. (See “Full Playbook,” page 34.)
The Education Center also helps physicians comply with new state CME reporting requirements. Beginning Sept. 1, physicians renewing their license must report completed CME through CE Broker, TMB’s electronic tracking system – and TMA has developed resources to help members navigate the new mandate, alongside tools to track their completed CME. (See “Banking Your CME,” page 30.)
Among the center’s featured courses are many of the state-required training programs, including human trafficking prevention education and information on clinicians’ requirements for prescribing and monitoring controlled substances. They are courses Odessa allergist and immunologist Vivek Rao, MD, a self-described “frequent flier” of the Education Center, has accessed regularly over the years to renew his license.
“Whenever my license comes up for renewal, the first place I look for CME is TMA. Through its Education Center, I always find what I need – and one of the best parts is it’s free,” said Dr. Rao, a member of TMA’s Council on Legislation.
The center spans subjects tailored to physicians in independent practice – such as staff training and practice management – as well as topics for those in employed settings, including contract negotiations and professional development.
The curriculum is developed and updated based on input from physicians, including leadership from TMA boards, councils, and committees and through policy generated by the TMA House of Delegates, as well as from association staff in response to members’ evolving needs.
“Education through TMA is one of the most underutilized benefits that the organization offers its members,” Dr. Rao said. “It frequently catches me off guard how often the Education Center evolves. If I get busy and don’t check it for a couple of months, by the time I come back I am often pleasantly surprised to see new offerings useful for my practice.”
Physicians don’t always have an hour to sit through a traditional CME course. Sometimes they need a 20-minute podcast on the drive home, a downloadable reference guide to read between appointments, or publications they can access on their own time.
To meet those needs, the Education Center features downloadable PDFs covering topics from medical records to mindfulness to closing or selling a medical practice. The center also houses TMA’s Policies and Procedures Lite guide, a comprehensive resource with more than 450 pages of customizable policies, procedures, tools, letters, and forms on practice management that physicians can access at any time.
For Austin internist Anna Buteau, MD, staying current on emerging medical topics sometimes means pressing play on one of TMA’s podcasts: Let Doctors Be Doctors, TMA Health Beat, and Practice Well.
The podcasts explore topics ranging from practice management and regulatory updates to physician well-being. Practice Well in particular features some episodes eligible for CME credit; when an episode qualifies, TMA features it under the CME To Go tab within the Education Center.
“Podcasts are a great evolution of delivering CME and other content, especially for busy physicians,” said Dr. Buteau, a member of TMA’s Council on Health Care Quality.
The Education Center also features self-paced courses tied to TMA professional development programs that members can complete on their own schedules.
For example, the free, 18-month Lifelong Leadership Program provides advanced training to any TMA member wanting to expand their leadership skills. The program combines in-person and on-demand courses centered on one of three concentrations: organized medicine, practice leadership, or advocacy. Each concentration uses a mix of in-person sessions at TMA events, on-demand learning from the Education Center, and attendance at meetings and events.
“We have deliberately expanded our leadership and professional growth CME category for physicians in all practice settings,” Ms. Krhovjak told Texas Medicine. “It doesn’t matter if a physician wants to become CEO or they’re wanting to learn how to ask for a raise – we have the resources for them.”
Meanwhile, the free TMA Social Media Influencer Academy helps physicians use social media at their own pace to combat medical misinformation and strengthen patient trust. Although the program doesn’t award CME credit, its curriculum is hosted in the Education Center.
The academy is designed to act as a resource for physicians interested in developing a professional presence on social media. Content includes short modules and information on building a brand, including subject matter, audience, and mission. Each of the program’s 11 chapters take about 4 to 17 minutes to complete, and physicians can move at whatever pace suits their practice.
Dr. Rao, who completed the program this year, said the academy “does a great job” laying out information physicians need to know – a hallmark, he says, of all TMA’s resources.
“One of my favorite parts of being a TMA member is having the confidence that if there’s something physicians need to know, TMA will let us know,” he said.