The plain-language reference for medical conferences & CME.
A plain-language reference for clinicians and trainees navigating congresses, continuing medical education, and accreditation. Every page explains how something works in general and points you to the official organizer or accrediting body for the specifics.
Know how it works — then confirm the specifics
Plain-language, not jargon
What CME credit is, how accreditation works, and what a keynote, plenary or breakout actually means — explained in general terms anyone can follow.
Sourced, never fabricated
We describe how things work and cite official bodies. We never invent credit hours, accreditation status, dates, venues, or faculty for any named event.
Points you to the source
Every page sends you to the official organizer or accrediting body for the exact dates, credit, and requirements — the only place they're authoritative.
Start with these reference pages
How to Evaluate an Online CME Course
A trustworthy online CME course names its accredited provider, states its credit and expiry clearly, and keeps education separate from any commercial pitch.
Read the reference → GuideHow to Get the Most Out of a Congress
A little planning before, during, and after a congress turns a firehose of sessions into a handful of changes you actually take back to practice.
Read the reference → GuideHow CME Credit Works
CME credit is a standardized unit that documents accredited learning you complete to stay current and meet licensure or certification requirements.
Read the reference → GuideHow CME Accreditation Works (ACCME & AMA PRA)
Accreditation is the quality-assurance layer that lets an organization design CME and certify recognized credit, kept independent of commercial influence.
Read the reference → GuideHow to Choose a Medical Conference
The best conference for you is the one whose program, credit, and format match your specific learning goals and constraints — not the biggest name.
Read the reference → GuideVirtual vs In-Person Conferences
Virtual meetings win on cost and access; in-person meetings win on focus and connection — and hybrid tries to split the difference.
Read the reference → ConceptMaintenance of Certification (MOC)
Maintenance of Certification is the ongoing program specialty boards use to keep a physician's board certification current after the initial exam.
Read the reference → ConceptWhat Is CME?
Continuing medical education is the structured, lifelong learning clinicians do after formal training to keep their knowledge and skills current.
Read the reference → ConceptAMA PRA Category 1 Credit
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is the most widely recognized unit of formal, accredited CME for physicians in the United States.
Read the reference →Browse by kind of page
Or browse by topic
CME & Credit
How continuing medical education works — earning, tracking, and claiming credit, and the difference between formats.
Accreditation & Standards
The bodies and rules that decide what counts as accredited CME and what a credit actually certifies.
Choosing & Attending
Deciding which conferences and courses are worth your time, and getting the most out of them once you go.
Conference Structure
How scientific meetings are organized — session types, presentation formats, and the people who run them.
Specialty Landscape
Where the major professional societies and their continuing-education activities sit within each specialty.
Career & Certification
How continuing education connects to licensure, board certification, and staying current in practice.
General understanding, then the official source
Learn the shape of it
Read a plain-language explainer of how CME, accreditation, or a congress is structured — the durable parts that don't change every year.
Check what applies to you
See what a guide recommends for your situation — picking a conference, vetting an online course, or understanding what a credit certifies.
Confirm with the official body
Follow the cited link to the organizer or accrediting body for the exact dates, credit hours, and requirements before you rely on them.
About this reference
ClinicalKey Note is independent information and reference only — it is not medical advice, and it is not clinical, diagnostic, or prescriptive guidance. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any medical society, congress, course provider, product, or platform (including any similarly named product). We describe how CME, accreditation, and conferences work in general terms; we never fabricate credit hours, accreditation status, dates, venues, faculty, or attendance figures for any named event. Always confirm dates, accreditation, and CME credit directly with the official organizer or accrediting body before you rely on them.
Make sense of the calendar
From "what is CME?" to choosing a congress worth your time — start with a reference page and confirm the specifics at the source.
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