CME credits in ophthalmology: how they work and how to earn them

Credits are the accounting system of continuing medical education. Most ophthalmologists need them, most have at some point been unsure exactly which ones count, and almost everyone has discovered too late that a course they completed carried no accreditation at all.

Here is how the systems actually work, what the different labels mean, and how to check a claim before you spend the money.

What a credit actually represents

A CME or CPD credit is, in principle, a unit of certified learning time — roughly one hour of accredited educational activity. What makes it a credit rather than simply an hour is that an independent body has reviewed the activity: its scientific content, its teaching method, its assessment and, critically, its independence from commercial interests.

That last point is why accreditation matters. The review is not a rubber stamp on the hours; it is an assessment of whether the content is education or promotion.

The main systems you will encounter

United States

Activities are accredited by providers recognised by the ACCME, and credits are usually designated as AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. State licensure requirements and specialty board requirements are set separately, so the credits you need depend on where you are licensed and which board you certify with.

Europe

The UEMS operates the European Accreditation Council for CME (EACCME), which accredits international activities and provides a route for credits earned in one European country to be recognised in another. National systems continue to run alongside it.

Spain

Activities aimed at Spanish physicians are commonly accredited either through the regional commissions of continuing education or through SEAFORMEC–SMPAC, the Spanish Medical Professional Accreditation Council for CPD/CME, whose credits are expressed as CPE-DPC.

Presential and non-presential credits are not interchangeable

Accreditation certificates distinguish between credits earned in person and credits earned at a distance, and they are often awarded in different quantities for the same activity. A purely online course will typically carry non-presential credits only.

This matters because some requirements specify a minimum of one type. Before assuming an online course covers an obligation, check which kind of credit it awards — the certificate will say so explicitly.

How to verify an accreditation claim in under a minute

A genuine accreditation always comes with four things. If a course page shows a credit figure but not these, the claim is unverifiable:

• The accrediting body, named — not just a logo.
• A registration number for that specific activity.
• A validity period. Accreditation is granted for a defined window; credits are earned only if you complete the activity inside it.
• The credit type and quantity, stating presential and non-presential separately.

As a worked example, the keratopigmentation course on Ophthalmology Radar is accredited by SEAFORMEC–SMPAC under registration number 0342D/07/2026, carries 7 non-presential CPE-DPC credits and no presential credits, and is accredited for the period 1 September 2026 to 1 February 2027. Every one of those four elements is stated on the course page, which is exactly what you should expect to find.

Practical ways to accumulate credits

1. Accredited online courses. The most time-efficient route, and the easiest to fit around clinical work.
2. Congress attendance. Most major meetings are accredited; the certificate usually arrives after you complete an attendance record, so do not skip that step.
3. Journal-based CME. Several ophthalmology journals accredit article-plus-assessment activities.
4. Teaching and publishing. Some systems award credits for educational activity you deliver, not only for what you attend. Worth checking against your own requirements.

A certificate without an accrediting body, a number and a date is a receipt, not an accreditation.

Keep your own record

Accrediting bodies and providers are not a filing system. Download every certificate when you finish an activity, store it somewhere you will find it years later, and note the credit type alongside the quantity. Reconstructing a five-year record from memory and old inboxes is a genuinely unpleasant way to spend a weekend.