I know I haven’t done these in a while but I thought why not talk about CME’s. My last post was a while ago. Continued medical education or CME’s have been an issue for doctors everywhere. 

Back in Mumbai, folks were always complaining, the event is so far, the food is horrible, why do we have to do an exam (as if we don’t have enough exams already) and why the hassle to keep our points. 

Frankly, no other profession needs to do this except for us and there’s always grief over the issue. Even in NY.  Last month, as many of you on LinkedIn know I attended the Pancreas Cancer Symposium at Memorial Sloan Kettering and thought it wouldn’t be crowded but it was jam packed. 

An auditorium full of doctors, nurses and allied medical health folks learning more about this disease. I enjoyed every minute of it and they had great food. In fact, I’m going to be writing about many of the breakthroughs they shared for various issues and publications, so stay tuned. 

Now about CME’s. What’s the point?

Back to Basics

Yes, you actually learn. There’s so much information that is covered in CME’s. We tend to forget some of the basics as we go on in practice. Like in the pathology section and the keynote address, we actually went through a quick run through of the aerobic and anaerobic cycle of glucose and the other pathways of how cells consume energy. So CME’s kind of refresh your memory of the basics.

Continued Learning in CME’s

The entire day is structured so you have a sharp learning curve through the day. I’ve found that most CME’s have a structure. They make an effort to make sure you learn more than you know. There’s information to bridge the gap of what you know since your last update to now. This keeps your knowledge current. So in my case, I would add screening of Pancreas Cancer to my arsenal of screening in patients with familial cancer or mutation.

What’s New?

CME’s also help us keep up with the new developments. We all know that guidelines are years behind the latest developments but CME’s keep us on top of everything. You hear about the latest research, the newest techniques, and what your alternatives are for patients. 

What Your Colleagues Are Doing?

At a CME you definitely learn what your colleagues are doing. I wasn’t even aware about the new genetic screening ability and the cost, but while talking to other attendees I learned how you could use independent labs and do your own genetic testing. 

Make new Friends

Well I hate to use the term networking which is I think is a very parasitic way of professional relationships. And I know it’s the basis of business everywhere. But I have to say I’ve made new friends with people in the medical community who have been so helpful with their knowledge and advice. I actually had the chance to meet a medical oncologist and we talked about her new venture and the future of palliative care. 

Keep Your Points

I think we all know this. It helps you collect points towards keeping your professional license. 🙂 

So why do you attend CME’s and how often do you attend? Anything significant that you learned at your last CME?