Models for continuing professional education.

Three models for continuing professional education (CPE) are described: an education model, which reflects the mainstream of CPE practice and focuses on educational objectives, teaching methods, organization of educational experiences, and assessment; a social change model, which considers the total environment in which CPE occurs; and a problem-based model, which focuses on the professional context and order of complexity of professional problems. Each model is described, and its strengths and drawbacks as applied to continuing medical education are discussed.