Life long learning and physician revalidation in Europe

It is increasingly accepted that the completion of undergraduate medical education is only the first step in a process of life long learning for physicians. At its simplest, life long learning involves participation in continuing medical education (CME), designed to keep physicians up-to-date on clinical developments and medical knowledge. The broader concept of continuing professional development (CPD) includes CME along with the development of personal, social and managerial skills. More demanding methods incorporate other tools such as peer review, external evaluation and practice inspection. The outcome of these processes may be recertification or relicensure, although this is rarely the case in Europe.