Health professionals must maintain up-to-date continuing medical education credits in order to keep active board certification and licensure. Before the advent of the digital age, in order to do so, professionals had to arrange their schedules to attend conferences and seminars. Nowadays e-learning has facilitated the process of obtaining continuing education credits.

E-learning makes use of the internet and digital resources such as DVDs or other software programs. Many board certification programs now offer downloadable materials and webinars as training courses. Webinars are seminars that are conducted over the internet. E-learning continues to provide interaction via online chats or discussion boards.

For health professionals who prefer to earn their continuing education credits on their own schedule, at their own pace, or in their own home or office, e-learning is certainly an enticing option. E-learning is not for everyone, though, as it does require some familiarity with technology. People who learn best in a social setting might also find that e-learning is not for them.

About John Kriak, PharmD:

John Kriak obtained his doctorate degree in pharmacy from Duquesne University in 1996. Dr. Kriak is the President and CEO of CAMMCO, LLC, a consulting company in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, that develops support and educational tools for physicians and other allied health professionals.

By John Kriak, Pharm.D.

The United States Medical Licensing Examination offers states a standardized means by which to evaluate candidates for medical licensure. The many medical jurisdictions within the United States operate under individual guidelines and regulations for granting licenses. The test results are provided to these organizations for assistance in granting candidates their initial license in medicine. The Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States and the National Board of Medical Examiners sponsor the test. 

The test is given in three steps. The first is science-focused to ensure that the candidate has sufficient knowledge of principles pertaining to a medical practice. The second step evaluates the candidate’s ability to apply medical and scientific knowledge to supervised medical care. In the test’s third step, the candidate’s skills are assessed with regard to unsupervised medical care. This stage emphasizes patient management skills and working in an ambulatory environment. 

John Kriak, Pharm.D., has worked for Kaplan Education since 1995 to provide a wide range of educational services pertaining to the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

John Kriak works at Dannemiller, a leader in ongoing medical education, where he currently serves as a member of their educational board of directors. Dr. Kriak has years of experience creating educational resources and programs for doctors, pharmacists, and other health care professionals.

The Surgery Rehearsal Platform is a new application of old technology. Based on flight simulators that have been used to train pilots for decades, the new system is designed to help surgeons prepare for complex procedures. The platform uses data from imaging scans of real patients to present doctors with realistic simulations so that they are not “flying blind” when they begin surgery.

Up to now, surgeons have had to rely on flat, two-dimensional images such as CT scans to see what was happening inside their patients, and then to perform the difficult task to translating those images into a three-dimensional mental image. By incorporating those scans into the simulator, doctors can have a visual representation that is not only more accurate, but which can be manipulated and explored from all angles. This provides tremendous benefits in planning a surgery before the first incision is made. The simulator can even provide tactile feedback.

The Surgery Rehearsal Platform is currently undergoing testing at UCLA and the Case Medical Center in Cleveland. Current plans are to release it publicly this fall.

John Kriak, a Medical Education Consultant and President and CEO of a clinical consulting firm in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, works to ensure the quality of pharmacy education programs. Here, he offers a brief overview of the field.

Pharmacists work with physicians and patients to safely and effectively distribute medications. They must be able to explain the uses, dosages, and possible side effects so that patients understand their prescriptions. They must also ensure that patients receive the correct dosages and monitor for potential interactions with other drugs. Pharmacists may work in retail locations or in care centers such as clinics and hospitals.

Positions available for pharmacists are expected to increase over the next 10 years by approximately 25 percent. As of 2010, there were 274,900 jobs for pharmacists in the United States, with nearly 70,000 new positions expected by 2020. All graduates of pharmacy schools in the US will likely earn a Doctor of Pharmacy, or Pharm.D., degree.

As a professional in the field of medical education and testing and the President and CEO of a clinical consulting firm in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, John Kriak has interfaced extensively with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (A.C.C.M.E.). Here, he presents a brief introduction to the organization and its purpose.

The A.C.C.M.E. works to establish standards for the continuing education of physicians. Through review and evaluation of educational institutions, the organization recognizes those institutions that provide quality, care-enhancing education. An accredited institution will by definition provide relevant, practical, up-to-date coursework that helps physicians practice more effectively. The A.C.C.M.E. periodically reviews its methods to ensure that accredited institutions meet both industry and patient needs.

The A.C.C.M.E. offers a 12 to 18 month initial accreditation process, which providers may then follow with the 15-month re-accreditation process. A provider who has completed this process may then pursue the four-year process toward accreditation or the six-year process that leads to Accreditation with Commendation, the A.C.C.M.E.’s highest recognition.

Diabetes occurs in people who have high levels of sugar in their blood. A sugar called glucose, which the body uses as fuel, enters the bloodstream and is delivered to muscle, fat, and liver cells by way of insulin, its transport mechanism. However, when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or the muscle, fat, and liver cells refuse insulin, diabetes can occur.

The disease comes in three types. Type 1 usually occurs during childhood and requires daily injections of insulin because the body produces insufficient amounts. Type 2, the more common type, often strikes silently. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not realize they have the disease. Finally, gestational diabetes occurs in women during pregnancy, and these people are prone to developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

How can a person combat diabetes? You can control their condition by putting together a strict diet and exercise regimen. Work with health care providers to establish a diet that does not elevate or lower blood sugar too dramatically. Try to eat at the same times every day and take in a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Finally, exercising regularly is critical for controlling the condition. You should talk with a doctor to come up with an exercise program suitable for specific weights and blood sugar levels you need to maintain and then carry out the program regularly.

About the Author
An educator and fitness aficionado, John Kriak currently works for Kaplan, Inc., as an Educational Content Developer and Teaching Assistant. Previously, John Kriak served as Director of Pharmacy Programs for Dannemiller, a company dedicated to health and medicine.

As a medical and pharmaceutical education and consulting professional, Johnstown, Pennsylvania resident John Kriak understands how information can help individuals ward off the potentially devastating effects of Type 2 diabetes. There are a number of ways patients can help prevent the onset of this disease.

-Become physically active: Regular exercise helps prevent the weight gain that can lead to the onset of Type 2 diabetes and helps keep your blood sugar within acceptable limits. It can also help you lose unhealthy excess weight.

-Monitor your diet: Pay attention to the foods you consume. Whole grains and fiber-rich foods like beans, fruits, and vegetables have proven excellent at helping to prevent diabetes.

-See your doctor: Diabetes is asymptomatic in its early stages, so you may not know you have it until it is too late. Your doctor can perform tests to see if you are prediabetic and help you to develop an effective treatment plan.