[darrin]

The required continuing education is pretty limited. It may cover new treatment strategies, drugs, etc. but not cutting-edge research unless the physician seeks that out. In emergency medicine (where I have some friends), continuing education doesn't include new procedures. Some of my friends have had much more senior docs ask to be taught a new procedure or technique that didn't exist when they were in residency. Many older docs don't seek out new knowledge (no one is forcing them to), and end up just doing what they've always done. The continuing education system does exist, but it's far from perfect.