CME available for writing test questions

AMA's Council on Medical Education recognizes the research by test creators.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. July 14, 2003.

Chicago -- As part of the AMA's effort to expand continuing medical education options, the Council on Medical Education approved test-question writing for credit, culminating a two-year study of the issue.

The AMA's Physician Recognition Award credit system now will grant 10 credits to those who write questions for national-level medical exams.

Final language has yet to be approved, but the PRA category 1 credits will be available to those who write test questions for the National Board of Medical Examiners, the American Board of Medical Specialties and national medical specialty societies.

The activity is immediately available for recognition.

"This is for the high-stakes questions, the fancy dancing, not the off-the-shelf tests," explained Charles Willis, director of PRA standards and policy for the AMA, who presented the new criteria at the AMA's Annual Meeting last month.

The central issue the council had to consider was whether those writing the questions were drafting them based on their current knowledge or if the activity actually drove them to do research and deepen their understanding of the topic.

The council decided that the physicians, while highly knowledgeable about their specialties, had to go beyond the knowledge they used in daily practice and research a scope of information that was new to them.

To be eligible for the test-writing credit:

• The task must be done through an accredited provider.