Compulsory continuing medical education (CME) was implemented w.e.f. 1 January 2003. All fully and conditionally registered doctors who wish to renew their practising certificates (PCs) after 1 Jan 2005 are required to meet the compulsory CME requirements before their PCs can be renewed.

CME Qualifying Period
The CME qualifying period for doctors holding 2-year PCs expiring in 2006 is the preceding 2 calendar years. For those with 1-year PCs expiring in 2006, it is the preceding 1 calendar year.

Below is a simplified table on the CME qualifying period based on the year of expiry of a doctor's practising certificate:

Compulsory CME Requirements
All fully and conditionally registered doctors who are renewing their 2-year practising certificates (PCs) must obtain a minimum total of 50 CME points within the CME qualifying period (the preceding 2 years), of which 20% or 10 points shall be core points before their PCs can be renewed.

Similary, doctors holding a 1-year PC must obtain a minimum total of 25 points within the CME qualifying period (the preceding 1 year), of which 5 must be core points before their PCs can be renewed.

Doctors who meet the CME Points Requirement
Doctors are eligible to renew their PCs at $300 (for 1-year PC) or $600 (for 2-year PC)

If doctors did not renew their PCs when they expired, and subsequently apply for a new PC within a year of expiry, the validity period of the new PC issued will be less than 12 months (for 1-year PC) or less than 24 months (for 2-year PC), to coincide with the original date of expiry date of the PC had it not lapsed. This would mean a 'Shorter' PC validity period and there will be no proration of fees.

Doctors who did not meet the CME Points Requirement
Doctors cannot renew  their PCs when they expire. They will only be allowed to make up their shortfall of points after the expiry date of their PCs. This means that these doctors would have to:

(i)   Cease practice when their PCs expire;
(ii)   Make-up the shortfall of points; AND
(iii)  Apply for a new PC.

Doctors are required to accumulate their shortfall of CME points within a 1-year time-frame.

The validity period of the new PCs issued to these doctors will be less than 12 months (for 1-year PC) or less than 24 months (for 2-year PC), to coincide with the original expiry date of the PC had it not lapsed. This would mean a 'shorter' PC validity period and there will be no proration of fees.

All doctors are advised to inform the Council if they are residing overseas for significant periods. This not only ensures that SMC's circulars and correspondences reaches you but also facilitates our process to exempt doctors from Council elections held while you are overseas. The following documents together with your preferred mailing address should be included to be exempted from elections:
       (A)   Letter of appointment, employment and/or contract from relevant authority
              (if working overseas);
       (B)   Letter from the relevant body / institution (if studying abroad);
       (C)   Photocopies of relevant indicative pages in your passport, or e-tickets or 
              aircraft boarding pass for those not under Categories (A) or (B).

The Council has decided to lower the CME requirements for doctors who are not actively practising medicine because they have retired or are doing full-time administrative work, etc. The requirement for doctors on lower CME points are:  
         a)   They cannot treat patients;
         b)   They cannot practise or prescribe medicine for a fee;
         c)   They cannot practise as a locum;
         d)   They can only write simple prescriptions for their family members; and
         e)   They must keep proper medical records on the treatment / prescriptions
               rendered to their family members.

Doctors who wish to apply for lower compulsory CME requirements must sign the Declaration Form and return it to the SMC. Once approved, these doctors will have their compulsory CME requirements lowered to:
         a)   10 points per year for those holding a 1-year PC; 20 points in 2 years for
               those holding a 2-year PC; and
         b)   There will be no core points requirement or cap on points earned within a
               CME category.

Doctors on lower CME requirement who wish to resume active practice must fulfil the following criteria 6 months prior to returning to active practice:
         a)   At least 12 CME points from Category 1 activities (Cat 1A, 1B, 1C); or
         b)   At least 12 CME points from more than one CME category, of which 6
               CME points must be from Category 1 activities.

Please click here to download the Declaration Form.

Doctors are advised to check their personal CME Report regularly to monitor their CME points status for their current qualifying period. They could do so by logging into their CME account via the SMC Online System.

Doctors are encouraged to attend CME events well before the end of their CME qualifying period as CME providers are usually given 3 weeks to submit doctors' attendance electronically.

For more information on compulsory CME, please refer to the section FAQs on 'Continuing Medical Education' .