In India’s fast-evolving healthcare ecosystem, Continuing Medical Education (CME) has traditionally been perceived as a series of disjointed, one-off events focused on knowledge dissemination. However, this episodic model fails to meet the dynamic learning needs of a diverse medical workforce. With growing clinical complexity, the emergence of new therapies, and increasing regulatory oversight, a shift toward an integrated, lifelong learning approach in CME is both urgent and inevitable [1].

India’s CME landscape remains fragmented, often lacking systematic frameworks for needs assessment, content relevance, or outcomes evaluation. For example, CME initiatives for MD Biochemistry professionals in India reveal critical deficiencies, such as limited faculty exposure to Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), poor alignment with learner needs, and insufficient use of evaluation metrics, including pre- and post-testing. This reflects a broader absence of structured, learner-centric instructional design—an area where models like Kern’s six-step framework have demonstrated measurable gains in both knowledge and confidence [1].

A major pitfall of traditional CME is its tendency to prioritize scale over specificity. Digital CME programs often attract global audiences, yet only a small fraction meaningfully engage with the content. Studies show that participation rates in a single activity may fall below 1%, and most learners already hold pre-formed opinions or require multiple exposures to the same topic to consider behavioural change. Even when engaged, only 20–50% of participants complete feedback or assessment tools, making it difficult to measure impact [2].

Furthermore, high inclusivity in CME introduces wide heterogeneity in participants’ backgrounds, experiences, and professional roles. This makes the standardized assessment of outcomes, especially higher-level outcomes such as clinical performance or patient health, extremely challenging. Data also indicate that up to 80% of participants may have attended a similar activity before, while one-third still seek more information before applying changes to practice [2].

India’s CME format remains largely didactic and teacher-centric, often failing to incorporate active learning or feedback loops. This format, rooted in traditional conference-style teaching, is increasingly misaligned with the complexity of today’s clinical practice and the demands of interprofessional collaboration. The effectiveness of this model is limited, particularly in its ability to change real-world clinical behaviours or improve patient outcomes. Instead, more effective CME should be embedded in real-time practice environments, supported by workplace learning and performance-based assessment systems [3].

Healthcare marketing agencies in India are well-positioned to catalyse this shift from episodic CME to continuous professional development. By leveraging behavioral science, digital technology, and performance data, these agencies can co-create CME modules that address not only knowledge gaps but also actual practice gaps. This may include simulation-based learning, case-based discussions, post-event mentoring, and modular e-learning strategies, which have been shown to improve engagement and long-term knowledge retention [1,2].

Cultural Shift in Academic Medicine

• Reform in CME requires a cultural shift in academic medicine [3].
• Faculty must shift from content deliverers to clinician-learner facilitators [3].
• Faculty should be equipped with expertise in evidence-based medicine, informatics, and feedback-based teaching [3,4].

Institutional Support through Educational Homes [4]

• Institutions should support this shift by offering “educational homes.”
• Educational homes should extend lifelong learning beyond undergraduate and postgraduate education.
• These homes can feature learning portfolios, data dashboards, and decision-support tools.

Rethinking CME Evaluation [2]

• CME evaluation metrics need reform.
• Current feedback surveys fail to capture long-term behavioral change.
• New evaluation approaches should include clinical data, peer feedback, and patient outcomes.
• Without such measures, CME risks becoming a box-ticking exercise rather than a tool for clinical excellence.

In conclusion, rethinking continuous medical education in India involves transitioning from isolated, attendance-based events to a comprehensive, contextual, and continuous model of medical education. This requires the coordinated effort of educators, regulators, healthcare marketers, and clinicians to build systems that support real-world learning, clinical relevance, and professional growth.

References

1. Govindarajan S, Rajaragupathy S. Empowering Continuing Medical Education (CME) in India: leveraging Kern’s instructional design model. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24:1223. doi:10.1186/s12909-024-06212-5.
2. Schaefer R, Stein J, Niven L, et al. Rethinking the impact of single continuing educational activities: navigating complexity through insights from real-world evaluation and contemporary literature. J CME. 2025;14(1):2498292. doi:10.1080/28338073.2025.2498292.
3. Davis DA, Prescott J, Fordis CM, et al. Rethinking CME: an imperative for academic medicine and faculty development. Acad Med. 2011;86(4):468–473. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e31820dfacf.

Siddiqui ZS. Lifelong learning in medical education: from CME to CPD. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2003;13(2):115–117. PMID:12635796.