Panel Addresses Challenges Facing Older Physicians

As physicians approach retirement age they are likely to face a unique set of challenges, including those associated with the cognitive decline that comes with aging and the need to maintain clinical competency, licensure, and certification. At the Interim Meeting of the AMA this week in Honolulu, a panel on "Assessing Clinical Competency in Senior Physicians," sponsored by the AMA’s Senior Physicians Group, addressed legal, regulatory, and other issues associated with these challenges.

Psychiatrist Barbara Schneidman, M.D., M.P.H., who spoke at the panel, told Psychiatric News that physicians can prepare for these challenges, and she  emphasized the importance of continuous self-assessment of clinical skills and keeping up with requirements for continuing medical education. “I think it’s important to find out what the requirements are in your state…and to participate in maintenance of certification, even if you already have a lifetime certification, as a way of keeping up with your clinical skills and being clinically active if there is a question that comes up [about competency] from your hospital, your practice, or your state licensing board."

To see a video in which Schneidman discusses the panel presentation and offers tips for aging physicians regarding maintaining clinical competency, click here.

(Image: Stuart Jenner/shutterstock.com)