Frequently Asked Questions

On this page, you can find the answers to the questions most frequently asked by our customers. If you are unable to find the answer you are seeking, please contact us via email or phone to ask. We are glad to help you in any way we can.

Table of Contents

Question:

How can I find out about the latest courses offered by UW CME?

Answer:

As new courses are created, we list them on our website on the main courses page. If you’d like to receive course brochures automatically for each new course, simply add your name to our mailing list. Brochures will be sent to your address as soon as they are available.

Question:

I’m interested in attending a UW CME course. How can I find out more about it?

Answer:

All the information about our courses may be found in the course brochure. When the brochure for a UW CME course is available, it is posted to our courses page. If a course brochure is not yet available, you may email a request for the brochure to cme@u.washington.edu or you can join our mailing list and receive a copy of each brochure as soon as it is published.

Question:

How do I download the course brochure for a UW CME course?

Answer:

Links to the course brochure are provided on our courses page. Simply find the course you are interested in and click on the 'download brochure' link next to the course name. A file will be dowloaded to your computer. This file is in the Adobe portable document format (pdf), and a reader is required to open and view the brochure. If you have trouble viewing the brochure, please make sure you have installed the freely-available Adobe Acrobat Reader or another program for viewing pdf files.

If a course brochure is not yet available, you can email a request to UW CME by clicking on the 'email brochure request' link.

Question:

I’d like to earn some Category 1 CME credit quickly. Can I take an online course from UW CME?

Answer:

UW CME offers a wide variety of online CME Courses on our website. More are added regularly. The courses may be found on our online courses page. There is no charge for viewing a course. Receiving category 1 CME credit costs around $10-$15, and payment may be made online using MasterCard or Visa.

Question:

How can I confirm that I have been registered for a UW CME activity?

Answer:

The Office of Continuing Medical Education strives to provide timely registration confirmation via mail. For almost all live CME courses, course participants should expect to receive written registration confirmation within two weeks. The registration confirmation letter also serves as your receipt detailing the amount paid and method of payment used to register for the course. If you have not received written confirmation in a timely manner, please contact the Office of Continuing Medical Education at 206-543-1050 or via e-mail at cme@u.washington.edu

Question:

I need to cancel my registration. What do I do?

Answer:

If you must cancel, the Office of Continuing Medical Education must receive written notification of your cancellation. You may mail or fax (206-221-4525) your notification to our office. A $50 processing fee (or as stated in the course brochure) will be deducted from refund requests received before the day of the course. No refunds will be issued following the date of the course. The Office of Continuing Medical Education reserves the right to cancel any course due to unforeseen reasons that prevent the University from holding the course. In the event of cancellation or postponement, the Office of Continuing Medical Education will notify each registrant by telephone followed by written notification and will issue a full refund. The University of Washington is not responsible for any other related travel expenses.

Question:

I would like to come to only one part of the CME course. Do you have a reduced fee available that would allow me to pay for only the CME activities I am actually able to attend?

Answer:

Unfortunately the Office of Continuing Medical Education is not able to provide a reduced fee for attending only certain portions of CME courses. Course registrants must pay the entire course fee as detailed on the course registration form and at the conclusion of the course then claim only those credits he/she spent in the activity.

Question:

I am a UW employee and would like to pay for my attendance using a UW budget. How do I do that?

Answer:

UW CME accepts UW budget numbers as payment for CME activities. Please contact your department budget approval authority for approval. You will need to include the budget number, budget name, department and budget contact person on your registration form.

Question:

I just found out that I can attend one of your courses but it starts tomorrow. Do you accept walk-up registrations?

Answer:

Yes, we are able to accept walk-up registrations contingent upon availability of space. However, we strongly recommend contacting the CME Registrar at 206-543-9496 to confirm course registration availability.

Question:

My employer will be paying my CME course registration. Should I send in my registration form in advance of this payment arriving to reserve my seat in the course?

Answer:

Unfortunately the Office of Continuing Medical Education is unable to "save" a place for anyone until course payment has been received. We do accept credit card and check payments, and most employers will reimburse employees who register for the course when time does not permit the employer to pay the course registration directly.

Question:

What type of CME credits are available for the live CME activities you offer?

Answer:

The University of Washington School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The UW School of Medicine offers category 1 credits toward the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician’s Recognition Award.

Question:

I am a nurse and need nursing contact hours. Do your CME activities offer those?

Answer:

The Office of Continuing Medical Education only offers AMA category 1 credits. Unless specifically indicated in the course brochure, nursing contact hours are not offered. Please check with your nursing organization regarding reciprocity.
For offerings specifically designed for nurses, contact Continuing Nursing Education at the University of Washington School of Nursing, 206-543-1047, uwcne.org.

Question:

I will be coming to the conference a little late or will need to leave a little early. How many credits will I receive?

Answer:

When arriving the CME course to sign in, you will receive a registration packet that will contain a CME credit verification form. At the conclusion of the CME course, you will complete this form and indicate the actual number of hours you spent in the CME activity. Your attendance certificate will reflect the actual hours attended.

Question:

How long after attending a CME course should it take for me to receive my attendance certificate detailing my CME credit hours?

Answer:

CME participants should expect to receive their attendance certificate in the mail within two weeks upon course completion. Please contact the CME Registrar at 206-543-9496 if you have not received your certificate within two weeks or to report any errors that may need to be corrected.

Question:

I previously attended a UW School of Medicine CME course and am unable to find my attendance certificate. Are you able to provide me with a replacement certificate?

Answer:

We would be happy to send you a copy of your certificate. Please call the Registrar at 206-543-9496 to request a replacement.

Question:

Do you have a mailing list I can join to find out about upcoming CME courses?

Answer:

We maintain an active mailing list of individuals interested in receiving mailings for upcoming CME activities. By adding your name to our database, you will be sure to receive a brochure from us in the mail for each new course. The personal information you provide us is only used to send you the latest course information and will not be used for any other purpose without your consent. See our mailing list.

Question:

How can I provide feedback on future CME course content I would like to see offered?

Answer:

UWCME is interested in learning about continuing medical education needs. Please take a moment to complete our needs assessment survey. Your feedback will be used to assist the Office of Continuing Medical Education with planning future CME courses.