FAQs
Who is required to undertake continuous education?
According to Art. 9 of the Continuous Education Regulations (FBO), As the holder of a Swiss or recognized foreign specialist title (including “general practitioners”), you are required to undertake continuous education for as long as you practice medicine in Switzerland. Doctors who are primarily engaged in postgraduate education to obtain a specialist title or specialized in hematology are not required to participate in continuous education; this also applies to trainees who already hold a postgraduate title.
How many credits do I have to earn each year?
The Continuous Education Regulations (Art. 4 para. 2) recommend 10 days of continuous education per year (= 80 hours). A total of 50 credits (= 50 hours) must be earned. 30 hours are considered self-study and do not need to be documented.
Where do I record my credits?
You can record your accumulated credits centrally on the SIWF online portal. There you can access your credits at any time and, at the end of the three-year continuous education period, check whether you have accumulated enough credits to renew your continuous education diploma. The continuous education diploma must be renewed every three years.
Will I lose my specialist title if I do not complete continuous education?
No, continuous education is a professional obligation, and failure to comply with it may result in a reprimand or a fine of up to CHF 20’000 from the cantonal health authorities. It is not possible to revoke a specialist title (see Art. 43 MedBG).
I am taking up a research position in the USA for two years. Am I required to undertake continuous education during this time?
No, you are not required to undertake continuous education during this time. The continuous education requirement only applies to doctors who practise medicine in Switzerland (Art. 9 FBO). The continuous education requirement only resumes after your return to Switzerland. You can then either start a new three-year continuous education period or claim a two-year reduction in your continuous education obligation for your stay abroad. Stays abroad lasting less than four months are not sufficient to reduce the continuous education obligation.
What happens if I do not obtain a continuous education diploma or do not renew my continuous education diploma?
Obtaining the continuous education diploma is not a legal requirement. The decisive factor is that you complete the prescribed amount of continuous education. Your specialist title remains unaffected. However, without a continuous education diploma, you will have to accept the following disadvantages:
In the event of an inspection, you must convince the competent cantonal supervisory authorities that your continuous education meets the usual standards. The same applies to any liability proceedings.
Without an entry for a continuous education diploma or confirmation of continuous education in the register www.doctorfmh.ch, you would have to confirm the special continuous education for TARMED grandfathered services in the database (www.myfmh.ch) and document it with appropriate records.
How can I apply for my continuous education diploma in hematology and what are the fees?
Once the three-year continuous education period has expired, you can print out your diploma yourself on the SIWF online portal, provided you have earned the required 150 credits. The continuous education diploma should be renewed every three years. Your diploma will be automatically published on the www.doctorfmh.ch platform, which eliminates the need for individual proof to health authorities and cost bearers.
For members of the SSH, the fee for the continuous education diploma is included in the membership fee. Non-members pay a fee of CHF 300 for the acquisition or renewal of their diploma.
Further important information on the continuous education diploma can be found in the section Frequently asked questions about continuous education or in Swiss Medical Journal: Why do I need a continuous education diploma?
I hold two titles: specialist in general internal medicine and hematology. Do I have to obtain the continuous education diploma for both specialist titles?
No. You can limit yourself to the continuous education program that best suits your current professional activity. It is of course possible to obtain both continuous education diplomas. This can be done without much additional effort, as the core continuous education of one continuous education program automatically counts as extended continuous education for the other. Once you have completed the subject-specific core continuous education courses for both specializations without any overlap, you are entitled to both continuous education diplomas.
I work part-time (50%). Do I still have to complete the entire continuous education program?
Yes. Working part-time does not entitle you to a reduction in your continuous education requirements. Continuous education serves to ensure quality and maintain your medical competence, which must be fully guaranteed even when working part-time.
I have interrupted my medical practice due to four months of maternity leave. Do I need to earn fewer credits for the continuous education diploma?
Yes. Interruptions in medical practice totalling four months or more within the three-year continuous education period will result in a proportional reduction in the required credits. The same applies to stays abroad or other interruptions in medical practice in Switzerland.
I am resuming my medical practice after a four-year break. Do I have to catch up on the continuous education I missed during that time?
No. If you are not practicing medicine, you are not required to participate in continuous education. Once you resume your medical practice, the continuous education requirement will resume.
I was unable to complete the required continuous education within the three-year period. Can I make it up later?
It is not possible to catch up on continuous education in the following year or transfer it to the next continuous education period. However, you can print out a diploma valid for the next three years from the continuous education platform at any time once you have achieved the required number of credits (without grounds for reduction = 150 credits).
I obtained my specialist title in hematology this year. When does my continuous education obligation begin?
Your continuous education obligation begins in the year following the year in which you were awarded your title. In your case, this is 1 January of next year.