The responsibility of organized medicine in the area of continuing education was the focus of this conference. Papers presented at the conference and summaries of workshop discussion groups comprise this document. The papers are: The Purpose of the Conference; Maintenance of Physician Competence; Motivation for Continuing Medical Education; Peer Review and Evaluation as Educational Tools; Regionalization and Continuing Medical Education; Continuing Medical Education--Issues and Answers; Developing and Teaching Faculty at Community Hospitals; Self-Assessment and the Professional Society; The Postgraduate Medical Institute Program in Continuing Medical Education; the MIST Program; Clinical Traineeships; and The Physical Profile Program for Continuing Medical Education. The workshops were on motivation, evaluation, organization and methods, financing, and the role of the State medical association in continuing medical education. A list of participants is provided. (DB)