Teleconferencing cme programs to rural physicians: the university of calgary teleconference program.

Continuing medical education (CME) provides practising family physicians with the cornerstone of maintenance and improvement of skills. In rural areas the problems of isolation and distance are a barrier to continuing medical education. Provision of CME programs by audio-teleconferencing is an attempt to overcome these problems. This article describes the teleconference program of The University of Calgary, how it has developed over the five years of its existence, and its impact on rural physicians.