Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The exotic choice of staying home: Why CME rules have to change

David M. Mitchell, MD, PhD
Physician
December 30, 2015
35 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

San Diego, Tucson, Orlando, and Dallas. Those are a few of the modest destinations to which I have traveled, as a hospitalist, to attend CME conferences, using the pre-tax CME benefit from my employer, including paid days off.

As a young professional, my yearly CME trips gave me a mildly magical sense of privilege: “Really? They’re going to pay for all of this?” Browsing through various CME conference options and dreaming of where I could go next was rather fun.

Admittedly, I sometimes coveted exotic destinations such as Maui, Costa Rica, Paris, or a Caribbean cruise. Ultimately, however, I eventually chose conferences that required only modest travel and ones that conserved a reasonable balance between practical professional development and (as a Northerner) an escape to a warm and sunny climate.

Then one year, I reached a boldness beyond my typical capacity, and I requested CME that was excessively exotic. I met a brick wall of resistance.

Briefly, our hospitalist group was short-staffed that year, and because of that, I had put off making any CME travel plans until the year was almost over. I didn’t want to give up my allocated CME days, but by then, there really wasn’t a relevant conference that would fit in between my remaining shift assignments.

So, to maximize flexibility for me and the group’s work schedule, I proposed to skip travel, purchase audio files of 50 hours of CME talks, and work on them at home, taking off any five days that would be best for the schedule. It seemed like a rational proposal to me, for the following reasons:

First, the audio files that I purchased were recordings of recent, accredited CME conference talks (like the ones I usually traveled to attend). Second, in order to receive a CME certificate for each of these lectures, I was required to take a pre-test and post-test and submit my responses electronically (never required at any conference I had attended). Third, I was able to choose 50 lectures (from hundreds of options) that were most relevant to my practice (rather than being stuck with limited choices at a conference, or missing one interesting lecture due to overlap with another interesting lecture). Fourth, it was very cost-effective and eco-friendly: no travel, lodging, or dining costs — pure education. Fifth, it saved time: no wasted days traveling to and from a conference location. Sixth, I could listen to the lectures more than once, or rewind to re-listen to parts that weren’t clear the first time through, or even share the lectures with interested colleagues or students. Seventh, I could listen to the lectures with flexibility: While driving, exercising, or washing dishes, and I could take breaks when it was best for me.

To my surprise, my exotic proposal was flatly declined: “That’s not what CME days are for,” I was told. “We could be audited.” Although I thought that particular employer was uniquely irrational, I later encountered the same rejection by another employer.

Really? My employer will pay for a 5-day trip to Maui, to attend (or miss) lectures for a few days, stay at a nice hotel, and dine out; but will not allow me to take those days off for home study, even though the latter option is clearly more cost-effective, time-efficient, flexible and can be monitored. Where has common sense gone?

So, what could be the argument so strongly in favor of actual attendance at a live conference? As a PhD student, I had attended international research conferences at which graduate students and principal investigators presented fresh data, shared ideas, and networked. I could definitely see the value in that rich, on-site interaction, but from what I’ve seen at CME conferences, information flow there is a one-way street. That is, doctors sit, listen, check the evaluation boxes, then leave. Sure, there is socializing and renewal of old friendships, perhaps, but for the large majority of physicians, attendance is not motivated by their cutting-edge research interests.

Of course, I would never wish to deprive anyone of their annual exotic CME trip, and I plan to go on some more trips myself; however, in contrast to the denial I received, I think there is actually a much stronger argument for eliminating CME travel benefits, and instead preserving only financial support for academic, research-oriented conferences for physicians with actual academic pursuits. It is very evident to all of us that conscientious physicians can easily keep up to date with relevant clinical guidelines in many ways now, and the restraints imposed by an on-site conference are primitive and outdated. One could argue that the most meaningful and effective time to learn and update our clinical knowledge is real-time, while caring for our patients; that is, by reviewing clinical topics online as they arise during the course of patient care. Case-based review as well as current “hot topics” can also be easily found on websites like UpToDate and Medscape, and those of professional organizations, like ACP and SHM. We don’t have to leave our home or office.

In summary, I enjoy a unique CME adventure as much as anyone else, but when CME benefits exclude the exotic choice of staying home, we have really wandered too far off the path.

David M. Mitchell is a hospitalist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The best way to inspire others is to be inspired. The best way to motivate is to be motivated.

December 30, 2015 Kevin 0
…
Next

These are the words medical educators should think about

December 30, 2015 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Hospitalist

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The best way to inspire others is to be inspired. The best way to motivate is to be motivated.
Next Post >
These are the words medical educators should think about

More by David M. Mitchell, MD, PhD

  • To admit or not to admit

    David M. Mitchell, MD, PhD
  • How patient education can save lives

    David M. Mitchell, MD, PhD
  • Did the unvaccinated just save my rural hospital?

    David M. Mitchell, MD, PhD

Related Posts

  • We need to change the way we talk about climate change

    Jacob A. Fox
  • Why residency applications need to change

    Sean Kiesel, DO, MBA
  • Please change the culture of surgery

    Anonymous
  • Antibiotic resistance is the climate change of medicine

    Eric Beam, MD
  • For change to happen, humbly look at ourselves

    Gabriella Gonzales, MD and Alexander Rakowsky, MD
  • It’s time to change how we regulate methadone

    Paul Joudrey, MD, MPH

More in Physician

  • Unconventional health care, flawed studies, and biases: Navigating the complexities for optimal well-being

    Kara Wada, MD
  • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

    Zahid Awan, MD
  • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

    Marie Livesey, DO
  • Heartwarming stories of cancer patients teaching us about life and the human spirit

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

    Jeffrey A. Singer, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Nose-brain connection: The surprising link between allergies and mental health revealed

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Unconventional health care, flawed studies, and biases: Navigating the complexities for optimal well-being

      Kara Wada, MD | Physician
    • Urgent innovation needed to address growing mental health crisis among children and families

      Monika Roots, MD | Conditions
    • The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

      Cheryl Lazarus | Conditions
    • Medical errors and the power of apologies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 7 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • TAR-200 Led to High Complete Response Rates in BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
  • More Success for CAR T-Cell Therapy in Rheumatic Disease
  • Nurse Accused of Killing Patients With Insulin; Naturopath Settles False Claims Suit
  • JAK Inhibitor Shows Promise in Severe Type of Sclerosis
  • Adaptive RT Fails to Relieve Dry Mouth in Head and Neck Cancer

Meeting Coverage

  • TAR-200 Led to High Complete Response Rates in BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
  • More Success for CAR T-Cell Therapy in Rheumatic Disease
  • Trial Shows RA Can Be Stopped at Preclinical Stage
  • Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms in Patients With IBS-C
  • Benefits Found for Hand OA Drug Treatments
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Nose-brain connection: The surprising link between allergies and mental health revealed

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Unconventional health care, flawed studies, and biases: Navigating the complexities for optimal well-being

      Kara Wada, MD | Physician
    • Urgent innovation needed to address growing mental health crisis among children and families

      Monika Roots, MD | Conditions
    • The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

      Cheryl Lazarus | Conditions
    • Medical errors and the power of apologies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The exotic choice of staying home: Why CME rules have to change
7 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...