Continuing Education
2002-2003 Catalog
Established in 1952 to provide continuing medical education through the medical school, the Office of Continuing Education is responsible for coordinating credit-designated medical-education activities. The office also has responsibility for conducting continuing education programming for Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School and Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Under the direction of the assistant dean for professional education, the full-time staff includes a director and program coordinators who are experienced educational designers and coordinators. In addition, two advisory committees, one composed of UT Southwestern faculty and the other of alumni and area practicing physicians, assure the quality and relevance of the programming.
In carrying out its mission to physicians and health-care professionals, the Office of Continuing Education not only develops lectures, symposiums, Grand Rounds and communications materials with the various departments within UT Southwestern but also develops similar activities with affiliated hospitals and jointly sponsors programs with regional hospitals, professional medical societies and health organizations.
Refresher symposiums are offered to health professionals in preparation for several board examinations. Individual mini-fellowships can be designed for specific needs. Such programs are designed to supplement experience with new skills and to provide updated information for medical practice.
The UT Southwestern Office of Continuing Education is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Activities sponsored by the Office of Continuing Education provide AMA/PRA Category 1 credit, and various other kinds of credit are obtained from other specialty societies such as the American Academy of Family Physicians. Permanent attendance records are retained in the Office of Continuing Education.
Serving as a central source of information for continuing education in the health sciences, the Office of Continuing Education publishes a bi-monthly listing of educational activities for health professionals in the North Texas area. A calendar of continuing education events is also available via the Internet and an electronic bulletin board free of charge to those who wish to access it via personal computer.
UT Southwestern faculty serve as speakers for most continuing education programs and are available to speak for community continuing education activities. A list of topics and speakers is available through the Office of Continuing Education, and arrangements for speakers can be made through the assistant dean for professional education.
The Office of Continuing Education serves as a valuable resource for local, regional and national medical and health professionals to keep abreast of exploding scientific knowledge, to enhance and improve their care of patients, and to help maintain licensure and professional certification requirements. Students and resident physicians are encouraged to attend continuing medical education courses with appropriate approvals and registration.
For information regarding continuing medical education offerings, please call the UT Southwestern Medical Center Clinical Referral Network at 800-688-8678 or the Office of Continuing Education at 214-648-2166.