CPD vs CME in Saudi Arabia: What Is the Difference?

CPD vs CME in Saudi Arabia: two terms, one requirement

You will hear both words, sometimes in the same conversation. Your hospital may talk about a CPD plan, a colleague may ask how many CME hours you have left, and Mumaris Plus shows a CPD record. They all point to the same thing: the continuing education hours SCFHS asks you to complete in each two-year registration period.

Where do the words come from?

Internationally, CME began as a term for the learning that keeps physicians up to date. CPD is the broader idea of professional growth across all health professions, covering clinical knowledge and the skills around it, such as communication, quality and leadership. Because SCFHS registers far more than physicians, a profession-neutral word like CPD fits its record. For you, the practical meaning is the same: accredited hours that count toward renewal.

Three checks that matter more than the label

A "CPD workshop" that is accredited and posted counts. A "CME webinar" that is neither does not.

Questions to ask any provider

1. Is this specific activity accredited, and by whom?
2. How many hours does it carry?
3. Who posts the hours to Mumaris Plus, and how long does it take?
4. How do I get my certificate?

Mulhim's answers: every course is SCFHS accredited and Mulhim is fully accredited; each course carries 5 CME hours; Mulhim posts your hours within 24 to 48 business hours; and you download every certificate from your dashboard.

Which mix-ups cost people hours?

The two words cause more confusion than they should. These are the misunderstandings we hear most from practitioners who contact us.

• "I need CME hours and CPD hours separately." There is one target per period. A registered nurse needs 40 hours in total, not 40 of each.
• "A course called CPD will not count for a doctor." The label does not decide. If the activity is accredited and posted, it counts toward a physician's 60 the same way.
• "My certificate says CME, so I am covered." Renewal reads the CPD record in Mumaris Plus. A certificate with no matching entry in the record has not counted yet.

How do you read your CPD record?

Open Mumaris Plus and go to your CPD record. Two things matter there: the total of posted hours, and the list of activities behind it. Compare the total with your target (20, 40 or 60). Then compare the list with what you actually attended.

A worked example. A lab specialist with a 40-hour target sees 25 posted hours. She attended an accredited workshop worth 5 hours last month, and it is not on the list. She contacts the provider first. When the hours still do not appear, she raises a Tawasul ticket with the provider name, the activity approval number and the activity date. Once it posts she has 30, and two Mulhim courses of 5 hours each close the last 10.

If the screens in Mumaris Plus are new to you, this walkthrough on checking your CPD hours and activity status shows where each figure sits.

Your targets in CPD hours

Technicians need 20 hours, non-physician specialists and pharmacists 40, and physicians and dentists 60, per two-year period. The full guide by category explains each one. Each Mulhim bundle gives 6 months of access.

Source: SCFHS Mumaris Plus frequently asked questions. Always confirm your own target in your Mumaris Plus account. Medically reviewed by Dr. Abdullah Alsaiari, Medical Editorial Board Member.