ow in its 23rd edition, ASA’s Self-Education and Evaluation (SEE) program remains a “best buy” in continuing medical education (CME). Subscribers to the SEE program can earn as many as 60 category 1 credits each year by completing 200 self-paced questions. SEE is offered in paper and electronic versions at a cost of $220 annually for ASA members ($800 for nonmembers), with discounts available for residents and academic groups. The SEE program as a whole had more than 9,000 subscribers in 2005 and generated more revenue for ASA than any other activity except the Annual Meeting. With CME a hot topic in all specialties and an important component of the Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology program of ASA and the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), the SEE program is only going to get more popular!

Both the Anesthesiology Continuing Education (ACE) and SEE use a question-and-answer format to educate the reader. Unlike ACE, the SEE program is focused on emerging knowledge, the “cutting edge” of anesthesia practice. Last year, topics included novel pressor and inotropic agents, new techniques for chronic pain treatment, sedation standards in the intensive care unit, efficient operating room management and the pros and cons of music therapy.

Each SEE item is based on an article in the current anesthesiology literature selected from a review of more than 50 journals each month, with an emphasis on original human studies of interest to practicing anesthesiologists. SEE questions are generated by one of 30 volunteer question writers, each of whom is an experienced anesthesiologist. Even more importantly, each question is followed by a short discussion of the scientific conclusions of the cited article, referenced to one or more standard anesthesiology textbooks or two authoritative electronic sources. These discussions are the real key to the success of SEE, explaining the right and wrong answers to the question and highlighting the important new knowledge.

Submitted questions and discussions are reviewed and refined by the SEE Editorial Board. The editors also are practicing anesthesiologists selected for their writing skills and their subspecialty expertise. Members of the board currently include recognized national experts in statistics and epidemiology, neuroanesthesia, regional and ambulatory anesthesia, trauma, critical care, obstetrics, pediatrics, anesthesia education, pharmacology, pain management, cardiac anesthesia and business management. The editors ensure that the methodology and conclusions of each cited study are valid and appropriate and that the questions and discussions are well written and practical.

SEE is published twice each year, in two sets of 100 questions each. Each question is referenced to keywords for type and topic and to the taxonomy of the ABA-ASA In-Training Examination. Subscribers receive the questions and answers/discussions in separate books, and can choose to take the SEE as a test of knowledge or as a review of current topics, with up to a year to complete each edition. Answer sheets are transmitted electronically or by mail to ASA headquarters, and CME credits are awarded in accordance with the number of questions answered. All scoring is confidential. You can sign up for the SEE program on the ASA Web site.

With maintenance of certification now a requirement for anesthesiologists, the ACE and SEE programs are two of the best ways to stay current in our profession. Why not subscribe today at www.ASAhq.org?

Richard P. Dutton, M.D., M.B.A., is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Director of Trauma Anesthesiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore, Maryland.