Voluntary formal accreditation of institutions and organizations offering programs of continuing medical education, approved by the AMA House of Delegates in 1964 and implemented in 1966, now has become well established. More than 750 institutions have met the basic AMA standards and have been formally accredited. As an extension of the national accreditation program, many state medical associations have established mechanisms for accrediting institutions and organizations within their borders, which offer continuing medical education programs of local focus and scope. Currently, 48 states have accreditation programs operating under the auspices of the AMA Council on Medical Education. Others are expected to follow suit. Strongly motivating this activity of the state medical associations has been the desire of physicians to demonstrate that much, if not all, of their efforts for self-renewal can be accomplished at the local level. The mere increase in the number of continuing education programs for the profession,