Physicians of my age (advanced) have no problem appreciating how irrelevant much of what we learned in medical school has become. Much of the established dogma I learned by the time of my graduation from medical school in 1974 would land me in court in a malpractice suit if I practised it in 2003. As I was finishing my specialty training in the late 1970s, the first evidence of the benefit of aspirin in vascular disease was just becoming available, but we used 325mg four times a day, an excessive dose by today's standards. Human insulins were not available, and the armamentarium of oral hypoglycemics was very limited.
How did my venerable colleagues and I keep up to date? The first two steps in maintaining competence have always been paramount, and will remain so. We learn from our patients first and our colleagues second. However, while essential, this is not sufficient, and hence the reason for meetings, rounds and journals. Continuing Medical Education (CME) has always been the raison d'être for Geriatrics & Aging. Unlike traditional peer-reviewed journals that present new information, we try to present reviews of important topics in a manner that is accessible and immediately useful for the average practitioner who has older patients. We have been in the business of knowledge translation even before it became the "in" buzzword. Our balanced approach, and our ability to attract specialist contributors of the highest calibre, have made Geriatrics & Aging a trusted method for physicians to upgrade their knowledge about clinical geriatrics.
I am therefore very pleased to announce that Geriatrics & Aging will be "stepping it up a notch" starting with this month's issue. We will be partnering with the University of Toronto to provide formally accredited CME activities available online. Further information on how to participate in these unique online programs is available on page 21.
For our first venture in this field, we have selected an important and increasingly frequent disorder, Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). The current epidemic of DM2 is being driven by the aging of the population and the increasing trend towards obesity in our society, and thus was felt to be a perfect subject for this new venture in CME. The specific topic we have selected is "Screening and Management of Diabetic Microvascular Complications in Older Adults", by Drs. Amish Parikh and I. George Fantus. As is characteristic of our articles, co-author I. George Fantus is also a leading figure in diabetes research and education in Canada.
While I am extremely proud of the quality of articles and strength of the editorial staff that characterize Geriatrics & Aging, I am also aware that the true strength of any CME journal lies in its readership. We are thankful that our journal has been so widely read and so well received. The best way for us to ensure that we remain useful to you, our readers, is to hear back from you. Let us know what you think of our first foray into formal accreditation, and give us your ideas on new and innovative ways to develop CME, whether via this journal, online or through other formats.
Enjoy this issue.
