Free Continuing Medical Education: Stay Updated and Earn CME Credit

Medical research is very active. Every year in the US, more students earn doctoral degrees in life sciences than in any other field. Since the medical field evolves rapidly, lifelong learning is an integral part of medical professions. Continuing medical education (CME) simply formalizes this necessity.

Understanding Continuing Medical Education (CME)

It consists of activities, including courses and webinars, that allow healthcare professionals to keep up with development in their fields. These activities lead to certificates and carry continuing medical education credit (CME credit) in proportion with the activities’ length and depth. In many places around the world, healthcare professionals must earn CME credit on an ongoing basis to demonstrate their continued competency. While primarily geared toward healthcare professionals, fortunately, these activities are often accessible to everyone, even those of use that don’t work in healthcare.

Comprehensive Lists of Medical Specialties

We have provided the broadest range of free physician CME for over a decade. From hematology and oncology to psychiatric medicine and primary care, start exploring one of the industry’s most comprehensive lists of over 30 medical specialties today. You can select a specialty and find accredited free CMEs you need to meet requirements.

Available specialties include:

• Asthma & Allergies
• Cardiology
• Dermatology
• Emergency Medicine
• Endocrinology
• Infectious Disease
• Hematology/Oncology
• Neurology
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Ophthalmology
• Pediatrics
• Pharmacy
• Physician Assistant
• Primary Care
• Psychiatric Medicine
• Radiology
• Rare Disease
• Surgery

Top Institutions and Educational Platforms

To support continuing medical education (CME), many universities — including top institutions like Stanford, Yale, and Penn — offer free medical online courses and webinars. These include free certificates of completion and often also a transcript. Each course is meticulously designed by leading experts to offer evidence-based information and practical insights that you can apply in your clinical practice.

Additionally, universities typically rely on third-party platforms to organize their online CME activities and issue certificates. A couple of platforms seem to be particularly popular:

Key Educational Resources

Discover AAFP’s comprehensive range of free Continuing Medical Education (CME) products designed to enhance your medical knowledge and skills. Our curriculum ensures you receive well-rounded education tailored to your practice setting. Whether you're looking to fulfill your CME requirements or fill knowledge gaps, our free CME products provide valuable resources that support your professional growth and enhance patient care.

You can also find over 600 medical online courses and webinars with free certificates and CME credit from top med schools. We recommend you take careful note of any dates mentioned on course pages. For example, many have an end date, after which the certificate and CME credit are no longer available. Register for an account today and take the next step in your professional development.