Sponsored by the
UMDNJ-Center for Continuing and Outreach Education

PRIM~E
Professional Renewal
In Medicine [through] Ethics

Course Information

Professional Renewal In Medicine (through) Ethics is a boundaries course in professional ethics for physicians who are having conflicts with their licensing boards and are required to take refresher education in professional ethics. The course deals with specific ethical boundary violations involving a physician's competence, integrity, and accountability. It is sponsored by the UMDNJ-Center for Continuing and Outreach Education, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), and awards 20 hours of Category 1 Continuing Medical Education Credit towards the Physician's Recognition Award of the American Medical Association.

In 1982, the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners encouraged Dr. Russell McIntyre, a professional medical educator trained in medical ethics at Harvard Medical School, to offer tutorial courses for physicians who were under disciplinary action by the Board because of ethical--or moral--breaches in professional conduct. For several years, these tutorial courses were sponsored by the UMDNJ-Office of Continuing Medical Education. Then in 1992, under the guidance of William Weiss, M.D., Medical Director for the New Jersey Board, a seven-session curriculum was designed which met specific training objectives of the Board and insured that each enrollee in the course participated in a quality-controlled educational experience.

Objectives:
Upon completion of this educational intervention, participants should be able to:
1. Enhance their commitment to professional values;
2. Discuss the ethical and legal foundations for the professional practice of medicine in the U.S.;
3. Explain the role of licensing boards and disciplines as a responsibility of professions to protect the public; and,
4. Develop an understanding of how individual breaches of professional standards of accountability serve to implicate the entire profession and deminish the public’s respect.

Accreditation:
The UMDNJ-Center for Continuing and Outreach Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The UMDNJ-Center for Continuing and Outreach Education designates this educational activity for a maximum of 20 hours in Category 1 credit towards the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity. This credit will be awarded following the successful completion of this intensive weekend educational experience.

Written Assignments:
Three written assignments must be submitted for completion of the course. Two of these assignments are to be completed before the course begins. The first, a very simple "letter of recommendation" for a candidate for admission to medical school, is an attempt to identify the desired chacteristics of "the good doctor." This will be used during the first session of the course on Friday evening. The second assignment involves a simple statement--from the perspective of the Board or referring agency--as to why the attendee has been required (or strongly suggested) to take a refresher course in professional ethics and boundaries. In addition, each participant will be required to write a final essay (3-5 pages, typewritten, double-spaced) which relates the substance of the PRIM~E... course to the particular circumstances that led to the participation in this program. In the essay, the participant should refer to specific readings and classroom discussions that related directly--or indirectly--to the particular infraction(s) that brought the participant before their licensing board. The essay should reflect critical reasoning and ethical introspection into what was learned from participating in this educational intervention. This essay is required for certification of successful completion of the PRIM~E... course. The final assignment must be completed and mailed--within two weeks--to the course director.

At the completion of the program, each enrollees participation will be assessed by the course director. This assessment will be made on the basis of attendance, participation and completion of all assignments, including the course director's commentary on the final essay. This assessment, along with a copy of the final essay, will be sent to the appropriate licensing board or referring agency.

Disclosure:
The "Disclosure Policy" of UMDNJ requires that faculty participating in a CME activity disclose to the audience any relationship with a pharmaceutical or equipment company that might pose a potential, apparent, or real conflict-of-interest with regard to their contribution to the program. The Course Director of this program certifies that no such conflict exists in offering the PRIM~E... course.