I'd like to start a business offering continuing education credits. I
want to know what the market is like in the allied health and
psychotherapy professions for this type of business (size, growth,
etc.). What's the most common way that people get their CEUs? What
percentage get them online? And what's the average cost of a CEU?

My wife has been employed as a specialist in continuing education in
Jacksonville, Florida for 5 years, so we understand one way the
education is delivered. She is an employee of the State of Florida.
She ran the Jacksonville facility by her self for a year and now works
part time for the other specalist in Jacksonville, who formally did
CME = continuing medical education for the Department of Dentistry at
Shans Hospital in Gainsville, Florida. The later appears to have no
resemblence to a private corporation, while the Shans of Jacksoonville
was more or less a private Corporation until about 4 years ago. For
most purposes (including CME) Jacksonville is a satellite of the
Gainsville facility. Wisely Gainsville does not micro manage
Jacksonville CME, perhaps because we out perform Gainsville in most
respects. I can say that, but it would be bad PR for my wife to say
that. I would guess my wife and her boss handle 90% of the CME in the
Jacksonville area for key medical disiplines such as Department of
medicine, Pediattrics, cardiology, and nurology, while she has no part
in CME for several other medical disaplines. My guess is the mix is
different in other Florida communities. and quite different in other
states. At our level we are not aware of any medling by the Feds or
the AMA. In therory the departments sponcering each conference do the
organizing and conducting of each conference, with my wife and her
boss making sure certian standards are met and documents to avoid
conflict of interest are prepared. The latter does not appear to be a
problem, but there are numerios grey areas which stay grey by keeping
them out in the open instead of allowing them to go to the dark side.
For a government buracracy CME is an outstanding success here in
Jacksonville. The sponcering departments seem eagar to pay CME to do
much of the detail work, rather than do it themselves, which my wife
encourages while her boss is working a 60 hour week volunteering to do
more of the details often without payment. That's about all I can tell
you, but I will post more comment if my wife is willing to blab on
this subject.   Neil

My husband has a big mouth.  All States have different requirements
for CME.  CEUs are offered by the College of Nursing in Florida.  In
Florida the AMA is the licensing agency for CMEs.  I assume they are
the agency for physicians who come under the AMA in all States.  The
College of Family Physicians have their own licensing agency as well
as the College of Dentistry.  You will have to find out what is
required for your State.  Florida requires a certain number of credits
per year which usually include some special training such as HIV/AIDs,
bioterrorism, domestic violence, etc.  There is a long application to
complete and a hefty fee.  Hope this was helpful.  Neil's wife