Background: Continuing Education is one of the most effective methods to empower the employees for challenges they face on their jobs. Dramatic advances in medicine, rapid cultural and social changes, increasing cost of health care, development of diagnostic technology and a transition in the pattern of diseases, highlight the necessity of Continuing Education in all Medical groups. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs in Shahr-Kord Medical University from 1996-2001. Methods: This cross-sectional study is based on the questionnaires available in Continuing Education Office, which were filled by the participants in CME programs. Results: In the past five years, 44 CME programs were conducted in this university (18 planned program programs, 13 seminars, 6 conferences, 5 workshops, and 2 symposiums). Symposiums and workshops were the most appreciated programs. Of 3357 participants, 1712 (50.9%) filled the questionnaire. Of these participants, 73% believed that CME programs have strengthened their previous knowledge, 64% noted that the contents of these programs were consistent with their job needs and 61% believed that CME programs have encouraged professional self-study. Despite the improvement of Shahr-Kord Medical University ranking among 8 peer universities, the participants’ satisfaction had a declining trend. Conclusion: Providing up-to-date scientific and practical information and considering adult learning theory, especially performing need assessment before conducting Educational programs, will improve the quality of CME programs.

Background: One of the main reasons of inefficiency in traditional Medical Education is the application of disease oriented Educational system in Continuing Medical Education, instead of a symptom-oriented approach.Purpose: To determine the most common and important symptoms and complaints among Iranian nation according to the viewpoints of general parishioners.Method: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire consisting of demographic data and 153 scaled-questions about body systems and organs, which were designed based on Likert style. A pilot study was performed. Of 26217 GPs all over the country, 5000 physicians were selected by stage randomized sampling method. Of this number, 1714 GPs answered and returned the questionnaire.Result: Demographic data, the relative number of male and female GPs, and relative and absolute distribution of GPs were described and analyzed using Chi square test. The difference of GPs' opinions about the most common symptoms were analyzed according to the physicians' gender, duration of practice and their province of practice; there were significant differences found in some systems.Conclusion: It seems that Continuing Medical Education programs should be planned based on a modem evidence based approach and according to the society's and practicing physicians' needs in order to achieve a community oriented Medical Education system.