Accreditation Information  

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

STS designates these activities for varying amounts of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in each activity.

 

Credit Transfer to the ABS and ABTS

When you complete an evaluation and claim CME credit for an STS activity, you agree to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons reporting your credit completion information to the ACCME Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS).  

Transfer of data meets the credit reporting requirements of the American Board of Surgery (ABS) and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS).  

All claimed credits will be transferred to ABS and ABTS within 30 days of claiming credit.  

Contact STS Education with any questions.

 

Claiming Credit for STS Conferences

After you attend an STS conference virtually or in-person, you will be sent instructions on where to claim credit.

Claiming credit for attending the STS Annual Meeting is done on the meeting website:

  • Visit the evaluation and credit site by April 30, 2025, to claim credit for in-person activities at the 2025 STS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Credits earned and logged on the meeting site will not be transferred to the STS Learning Center; however, they will be sent to ABS and ABTS within 30 days.

 

Claiming Credit through the STS Learning Center

After you submit the overall evaluation for an activity, you will be directed to claim credit using the following steps.

  1. Confirm the type of credit*: You may select multiple types when eligible.  
  2. Confirm the credit amount: The activity will automatically total earned credits based on completion.  
    WARNING: You can only claim credit for an activity once. Navigate away from the credit claim page before Step 3 if you intend to earn further credit.  
  3. Click the Submit button.  
  4. Click Download Certificate button to download the PDF.  

 

About the Credit Types on the STS Learning Center

  • AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™: Select this to claim a CME certificate for this activity.
  • Participation: Select this to claim a participation certificate (hours) for the activity. Applicable for non-physicians.
  • ABS Accredited CME: Select this to report your CME credits to the American Board of Surgery.
  • ABTS Accredited CME: Select this to report your CME credits to the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

If your ABS or ABTS Board ID is not listed correctly on your STS Learning Center profile, your credits will not be automatically transferred to the boards.

 

Need help accessing the STS Learning Center?

Use your STS login credentials to complete STS activities and earn credits through the STS Learning Center.

  • If you are unsure of your login credentials:
    • Visit the STS Portal.
    • Click the Get Started button.
    • Enter your email address. (The system will tell you if you have an existing profile using the email address you entered.)
    • If not, use the Profile Setup button to create a new account.  
    • To reset your password, click Continue to receive an email with instructions.  
  • If you do not have STS login credentials, contact Member Services.

 

CME Records from Past Activities

If you are seeking certificates from past STS activities for maintenance of certification, contact STS Education specifying the timeframe and/or activities for which you are seeking earned CME.

 

CME through The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

The STS Education team manages Manuscript Reviewer CME. If you are seeking certificates from this activity, contact STS Education.

Elsevier manages Online Journal CME through The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Questions regarding Online Journal CME certificates should be directed to Elsevier: +1 (800) 654-2452 (Toll Free US & Canada); Tel: +1 (314) 447-8871 (Outside US & Canada).