Live activity planned as a series with multiple, ongoing sessions, e.g., offered weekly, monthly, or quarterly. A regularly scheduled series (RSS) is primarily planned by and presented to the accredited organization’s professional staff and generally targets the same audience over the whole series. Examples include grand rounds, tumor boards, and morbidity and mortality conferences.
Are you planning an RSS and seeking guidance? You are at the right place. CPL appreciates your commitment to improving medical practice and medical education through the planning, design and execution of your series of learning events. The forms and resources on this web page are provided to guide you through the planning process so that your RSS leads to closing your identified gaps, meeting your learners’ needs, and achieving the expectations for an accredited CME activity.
The Coordinator CME Toolbox includes a timeline and a list of definition of roles. The timeline provided is for any new activities applying to UNM CPL for the FIRST time. It is not a timeline for those activities that have been previously approved by UNM CPL.
The Application Form should be completed by the Coordinator (the administrative staff person assigned to an activity from the sponsoring department). The actual form is completed in Smartsheet, however, UNM CPL encourages you to first complete the fillable-PDF worksheet that is available for download below. If you need assistance, please contact HSC-CPL@salud.unm.edu.
Application Part I (Basic Information) for RSS (fillable PDF)
Application Form (external link)
The individual responsible for an activity is required to sign the Education Planning Faculty Disclosure Form, prior to approval. Each activity will receive a unique Disclosure Form link, which can be shared with the activity's speakers.
If you have questions about what you need to disclose, or who must complete a Disclosure Form, please review the RSS FAQs for additional guidance.
The Education Planning Form (EPF) should be completed by the faculty member(s) responsible for defining the gap, needs, objectives, competencies addressed, activity formats, learner assessment, and program evaluation for the activity. The actual form is completed in Smartsheet after the Application Form has been submitted to UNM CPL. However, UNM CPL encourages you to first complete the fillable-PDF worksheet file that is available for download below. Tips and Examples are provided for guidance.
EPF Part II Worksheet (fillable PDF)
EPF Outline (PDF)
Planning Your CME Activity for Learning Impact (video 3:41)
Links to videos, PDFs and other materials
Addressing Professional Practice Gaps video (2:38)
Knowledge, competence, and performance PDF
Closing professional practice gaps video (2:29)
Using Competencies to Guide Your CME Activity Planning PDF
STAR Model of learning objectives PDF in Box
Creating & Aligning Learning Objectives video (9:32)
Learning Formats PDF
Learning Assessment Methods PDF
Moore’s Pyramid and Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Levels PDF in Box
UNM CPL is eager to answer your questions about the RSS Application process. Do you want to know why we require certain documents, or why we ask all those questions? Allow us the opportunity to answer those lingering questions by attending a 1-hour Q&A Sessions.
Please join us and feel welcome to use the Tips and Examples document we’ve created to assist you in completing the revised Education Planning Form (EPF).
We look forward to seeing you!
Contact HSC-CPL@salud.unm.edu to request dates/times of upcoming Q&A sessions.
Workshops are provided for faculty planners to assist with completion of the Education Planning Form; Coordinators may wish to attend with faculty planners. Bring your EPF worksheet with you, perhaps partially filled out, and facilitators will guide you to complete the form during the workshop. Part 1 workshop sessions emphasize the first half of the form: gaps, needs, competencies, learning objectives. Part 2 workshop sessions emphasize completing the remainder of the form: learning formats, assessment, evaluation.
Contact HSC-CPL@salud.unm.edu to request dates/times of upcoming workshops.
What are the steps needed to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM for our RSS Program?
Step #1 Contact hsc-cpl@salud.unm.edu to discuss this program with the CPL Associate Dean
Step #2 Submit the Application and Education Planning Form, signed by the Planning Faculty Submit a copy of your Announcement Template, which includes the disclosure and accreditation statement Submit a copy of the Learning & Feedback form, which you can add additional questions to Have your faculty planner sign a Disclosure Form
Step #3 Application reviewed by CPL. Once all documents are received and accepted, an email approval will be sent to you.
Step #4 Smartsheet registration links, and other forms will be emailed for this activity. A Smartsheet training with the Coordinator will take place.
My speaker’s disclosure form indicates “In the past 24-months I have had financial relationships with ineligible companies". What do I need to do?
At least 14 days prior to the event - The Faculty Planner will discuss the conflict with the speaker to resolve any possible conflict. (i.e. if the speaker is including a name brand in his/her presentation, they must include two additional brands in their presentation.)
Education Planning Faculty will email CPL at hsc-cpl@salud.unm.edu with findings of this discussion, providing specific information about each possible COI and upload the email correspondence into Smartsheet. At least 7 days prior to the activity, the Faculty Planner and CPL reviews the speaker’s presentation slides and handout material for possible logos or other conflicts. The day of the activity, the Faculty Planner will complete an Onsite Evaluation of the Presentation Form for the speaker. This form will be uploaded into Smartsheet. CPL will document the process and retain the files.
Why do I have to create an announcement for each activity, and why must it be posted near the registration area or emailed out to invited attendees?
ACCME requires that we disclose any relevant financial relationship(s) that the planner and/or presenter may have to the attendees, including the absence of such conflicts. In addition, the accreditation statement must be included on all printed materials. These announcements must be posted near the registration area or emailed out so that all attendees are aware of any relevant financial relationships that speakers may have.
How do we request a transcript?
Transcripts are emailed upon request. Attendees email us at hsc-cpl@salud.unm.edu with the subject line of “Transcript”.Do you have a best-practice timeline for our activity?
A physician just received a certificate from another office for an event they attended; do I send those to you to keep track of?
No. We only maintain records for the activities that are approved by CPL. The certificates he/she receives from other events will need to be maintained by the individual.
What information do I need to disclose on my COI Disclosure?
Can commercial support employees plan or instruct in CME activities?
No. Commercial support employees may not participate in the planning of CME activities.
Is there a fee for accreditation?
UNM RSS activities are accredited for free. Accreditation fees for other activity types may be assessed. Contact our office for rate and fee information.
Mailing Address
Office for Continuous Professional Learning
MSC09 5370 1 UNM
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Phone: 505.272.3942
Fax: 505.272.8604
Physical Address
Medical Building Two
2501 Frontier Ave NE #201
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Email: HSC-CPL@salud.unm.edu
