Thoughts on the state of Continuing Medical Education (CME) in Cameroon
In a recent twitter chat hosted by The Clinical Research Education Networking and Consultancy (@CRENConline), Dr. Dzekem (@DzekemB) made the following remarks on CME in Cameroon.
- “Let us be very clear with one thing, the practice of medicine in Cameroon, in my opinion, is weak. People graduate from medical school and that is about it for them. There are no follow up exams/training (CME) to renew the license to practice. Medicine changes every day so should our education and practice.
- I was in an international forum and I was asked the expiration date of my Cameroon medical license and I had none. I (and any other doctor in CMR) could essentially practice forever without any form of re-evaluation and re-examination of my skills. That is worrisome
- We practice in an environment where your senior colleague is believed to be “better” than you. This could be true as experience matters but without any form of updated medical knowledge experience is usually based on outdated knowledge.
- The so-called “seniors” who trained in the 1970s and have not updated their knowledge are a big obstacle to evidence-based medicine especially in Cameroon and other lower-income countries.
- I do not know if the word “Policy” is a formality for us but I strongly call on the Cameroon Medical Council or a well-established college of physicians to implement a strict policy that guides CME, to implement a limit for the validity of the license to practice and to establish a clear method of renewal through license exams or CME credits. This will not only put a “check” on the quality of doctors and practitioners we have out there but will provide a fertile ground for CME and the practice of evidence-based medicine”
Follow @DzekemB on twitter for more…