AME seminar program in the United States: genesis, goals, and cost-benefit reflections.

The practicing physician's requirement for continuing postgraduate medical education is generally accepted and has generated a number of postgraduate education programs. In 1960, the FAA inaugurated a seminar program to serve the special educational needs of its approximately 7,500 designated Aviation Medical Examiners. These doctors, the majority of whom are civilian physicians representing almost every specialty, are charged with issuing or withholding the pilot's medical license to fly. Under the administration of coauthor Harris, the AME Seminar Program undergoes modification and change as improvements are suggested by accrued experience. Evaluation of data acquired from a variety of sources indicates that the AME does, in fact, need refresher training in civil aviation medicine. In helping fulfill that need, the AME Seminar Program is working effectively.