Visiting clinicians in the medical center: Innovative CME for community practitioners
Abstract
In this article, we describe the development, organization, costs, and evaluation of an innovative continuing medical education program based on the concept of the community practitioner visiting the medical center as combined learner and teacher—the visiting clinician. The concept involved individualized planning of a series of visits to the hospital where the clinician participated in self-selected clinical experiences and also spent time as a teacher of students and residents. Over several years, evaluation showed that these visiting clinicians reported acquisition of new skills and knowledge but, most importantly, a confirmation of the quality of their own work in community practice. This program offers a mechanism for an effective and long-term educational bridge between the teaching hospital and community practitioners.