What the work involves
CME faculty may present, write content or help plan accredited education for other clinicians. Accredited providers set rules for who may influence the content and what faculty may say.
Who the work may fit
This work fits physicians with teaching experience who can present balanced evidence. It is different from industry-sponsored promotional speaking.
Questions before you say yes
- Who is the accredited provider and who funds the activity?
- What conflicts of interest must I disclose?
- What content rules apply to my presentation?
- Can I mention products or services I sell or benefit from?
- What are the honorarium and expense terms?
Your first step
Ask the provider for its faculty instructions, disclosure form and content-review process before you prepare slides.
What can go wrong
Confusing CME with promotional speaking. If a company shapes the content or you promote a product, the activity may not meet accredited standards.
How to get started, step by step
Turn the idea into a specific next action. These are preparation steps, not approval to perform a role.
- Confirm the provider is accredited and who is funding the activity.
- Complete the disclosure form for your relevant financial relationships.
- Ask how content is reviewed for balance and evidence.
- Do not promote or sell products or services that serve your interests during the activity.
- Agree on honorarium, travel and cancellation terms in writing.
Where to look and who to ask
Use search terms and contacts that fit this work. Check the actual source and current requirements; these suggestions are not verified openings or Saile inventory.
- Ask your specialty society or hospital CME office about faculty opportunities.
- Read the ACCME standards that accredited providers follow.
- Ask providers how they select and brief faculty.
JAMA Career Center — professional search resource, not an opening endorsement
Scheduling and payment realities
Conference dates are fixed. Ask about cancellation and travel before you commit.
Keep gross pay and taxes separate
For federal employment taxes, the IRS considers control and the relationship, not only the contract label. Self-employed individuals generally pay income and self-employment tax and may need estimated payments. Keep payment and expense records and ask a tax professional about your actual arrangement; this guide does not calculate take-home pay.
IRS: Independent contractor or employee
IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
Before you say yes: a final checklist
Do not let an unanswered question become an assumed term.
- Is the provider accredited?
- Have I disclosed relevant relationships?
- Is my content free of promotion?
- Are terms in writing?
- Is my employer aware of the outside work?
Work types to compare
Telemedicine
Compare visit type, patient states, schedule and clinical support.
Locum tenens
Compare assignment duties, onboarding, travel and written terms.
Per diem / PRN
Compare minimum commitments, offered shifts and cancellation rules.
Consulting / project work
Compare eligibility, deliverables, conflicts and review deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
How much does this work pay?
This guide does not quote a market rate or promise earnings. Compare a verified written offer, including all required work and expenses.
Does Saile have this work available now?
Check the Saile app for current openings. This educational guide does not claim that a particular role or project is available.
Can I do this alongside my main job?
Check outside-work approval, conflicts, confidentiality and scheduling obligations before accepting.
What should I get in writing?
The work, deliverables, schedule, payment terms, coverage responsibilities, cancellation terms and the steps required before starting.
What should I do next?
Request a sample task without unnecessary patient information, a review policy and an escalation path. Read confidentiality and liability terms before taking access to records.
What the primary sources say
ACCME Standard 2 says accredited continuing education must protect learners from commercial bias and marketing. The provider must make decisions about planning, faculty selection, delivery and evaluation without influence or involvement from the owners and employees of an ineligible company. Accredited education must be free of marketing or sales of products or services, and faculty must not actively promote or sell products or services that serve their professional or financial interests during accredited education. If a company is steering the content or the faculty choice, ask the provider how that fits the standard.