The demand for high-quality, flexible continuing medical education (CME) has never been greater. Physicians and advanced practice providers are busier than ever, yet licensure and board requirements mean education isn’t optional. Online CME fills this gap by delivering expert knowledge on-demand, in ways that fit into clinicians’ lives.

If you’re a mid-career physician or other healthcare professional, you’re sitting on a wealth of knowledge that could become the foundation for a CME course. Maybe you’ve developed a unique skill set, built a successful niche practice, or solved problems your peers constantly ask you about. Turning that expertise into an online CME course isn’t just a way to share knowledge—it can also enhance your professional reputation, open doors for consulting, or generate revenue on the side.

This guide will walk you through the process: from defining your course idea, to building and accrediting it, to marketing and monetizing it.

Why Create An Online CME Course

Creating a CME course is more than an academic exercise. It’s an opportunity to:

Build your reputation as a thought leader. A CME course positions you as an expert in your area, raising your profile within your specialty and beyond.
Generate leads for your practice or business. If you run a subspecialty clinic, a coaching program, or a consulting business, CME can introduce you to new professional networks.
Address training gaps. Maybe you’ve noticed a recurring blind spot in residency training or in clinical practice. CME allows you to fill that gap for others.
Earn additional revenue. Whether you price your course for individual purchase or partner with organizations, a well-designed CME course can become a steady revenue stream.

Pay it forward. Many physicians launch CME initiatives simply because they wish they’d had access to such training earlier in their careers.

Examples of Accredited Courses

High Rock Partners created a CME course on becoming an expert witness—helping peers while also reinforcing their own visibility in the field.

Annie Gallie, MD built a life-coaching business that grew into a structured program with CME credit.

The FemInEM Team launched free CME programs to fill critical gaps in reproductive health training for women in emergency medicine.

Step 1: Define Your Expertise and Unique Value

The first step is figuring out what, exactly, your course should cover. Not every niche lends itself to a course, and not every course idea will resonate with learners.

Ask yourself:

What questions do colleagues often ask me? If people are already turning to you for advice, that’s a clue.
What skills or insights have made the biggest difference in my practice? Sometimes what seems routine to you is novel to others.
Where are the gaps? Is there a lack of structured training in your subspecialty, or in soft skills like communication, leadership, or practice management?
Would someone pay for this? Your expertise should solve a real problem—something that helps learners do their jobs better, more efficiently, or more safely.

Defining your USP (unique selling proposition) early will help you not only build the right content but also market it effectively.

How the Above Courses Made Their CME Unique

High Rock Partners specialize in helping clinicians become expert witnesses by providing targeted training and connecting participants to leaders in the field.

Annie Gallie, MD offers a flexible CME-accredited program designed to reduce charting burden—one of the most common pain points for physicians.

The FemInEM Team delivers CME focused on reproductive health for women in emergency medicine, addressing a critical educational gap in the specialty.

Step 2: Build a Course Outline

Once you have your topic, it’s time to shape it into a course. A strong course should be structured, interactive, and practical.

Key elements to consider:

Format: Will your course be video-based, text-based, or a mix? Many successful CME courses combine recorded lectures with written resources.
Interactivity: Quizzes, polls, or case-based discussions keep learners engaged and help meet CME requirements.
Supporting materials: Workbooks, slide decks, or downloadable guides can add value and help learners apply what they’ve learned.
Community and coaching: Some courses include discussion boards or optional 1:1 coaching sessions to deepen engagement.
Length and pacing: Short, modular lessons often work best online, especially for busy clinicians.

Think of your outline as a roadmap: by the end, learners should be able to clearly articulate what they’ve gained and how they’ll use it in practice.

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Step 3: Choose the Right Learning Platform

Your content needs a home. That’s where a learning management system (LMS) comes in.

When evaluating platforms, consider:

Ease of use: Both for you (uploading, tracking, editing) and for learners (simple login, mobile access).
Accreditation compatibility: The platform must be able to handle CME requirements like tracking learner progress and issuing certificates.
Features: Video hosting, quizzes, automated certificates, and discussion boards are common needs.
Cost: Some platforms charge monthly fees, others take a cut of revenue.
Scalability: Start small, but make sure your platform can grow with you.

Popular LMS options include Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi, though many CME providers work with dedicated partners who manage the back-end compliance and accreditation for you (like us!).

Interested in offering CE Credits for your Educational Activities?

Pinnacle offers Joint Provider services to non-accredited hospitals, private practices, medical societies and education partners in order to offer CE credits.

Learn more about accrediting your content

Step 4: Create Your Course Content

This is where your expertise shines. But remember: teaching online is different from giving a lecture at a conference.

Tips for creating effective content:

Keep it short and focused. Break complex topics into digestible modules.
Use storytelling and cases. Clinicians learn best from real-world examples.
Invest in quality production. Clear audio, good lighting, and crisp visuals matter more than fancy effects.
Stay learner-centered. Frame content around what learners will be able to do differently after your course.

Don’t overlook logistics: you may need to rent studio space, hire a videographer, or simply invest in a good microphone and webcam.

Our experience: When working with clinicians in building their first online course, we’ve found that the biggest breakthroughs come from simplifying—shorter modules, clearer stories, and clean production. Most experts try to overteach; the courses that resonate are the ones that stay focused, practical, and designed around what the learner will do differently afterward.

Step 5: Get Your Course Accredited

Here’s the crucial step: CME accreditation. Without it, your course is just education; with it, it becomes valuable professional development that clinicians need for licensure and maintenance of certification.

Options for accreditation:

Do it yourself. Some organizations become accredited providers, but this is a long and resource-intensive process.
Partner with an accredited provider. The faster route is joint providership—partnering with an already accredited organization like Pinnacle that can extend CME credit to your course.

This is where Learn at Pinnacle can help. Through joint providership, Pinnacle works with you to make sure your course meets your accrediting body’s standards, handles the compliance paperwork, and ensures your learners can confidently claim CME credit. This lets you focus on bringing your knowledge to your peers, while we handle the behind the scenes task.

For a deeper dive, see Pinnacle’s CME Accreditation Guide where we explain all about how CME accreditation works and what you need to do to get accredited.

Step 6: Monetize and Market Your Course

Now you’ve made your course, the next step is how do you share your course with the world? Creating a course is only half the battle. To make it successful, you’ll need to think about how people will find it, and how you’ll generate revenue.

Monetization models:

Direct sales to individuals. Learners pay a fee to enroll.
Bulk sales to institutions. Hospitals, practices, or societies may buy licenses for multiple learners.
Free course with upsell. Offer free CME to build your audience, then market consulting, speaking, or advanced training.
Subscription or membership. Bundle your course into an ongoing learning community.

Marketing strategies:

Leverage your network. Email lists, LinkedIn, professional societies, and conferences are natural starting points.
Content marketing. Blog posts, podcasts, or webinars can establish your expertise and funnel learners into your course.
Partnerships. Collaborate with societies, advocacy groups, or existing CME providers to expand your reach.
Testimonials. Early learners can become powerful advocates.

Remember, your first learners are often your best marketers. Deliver real value, and word of mouth will follow.

Bringing It All Together

Turning your expertise into a CME course is a project that requires planning, but it’s absolutely within reach for mid-career physicians. Start with what you know best, structure it in a learner-centered way, choose the right platform, and partner for accreditation.

From there, marketing and monetization can transform your course into a sustainable offering—whether as a side venture, a professional brand-builder, or the seed of a larger educational initiative.

The opportunities are growing. Demand for flexible, relevant CME is only going up, and the clinicians who step forward now will shape the future of medical education.

Ready to Get Started?

Explore how Pinnacle can support your course development and CME accreditation:

How to Turn Your Expertise into an Online CME Course