CME Revisited

In November 2009, my colleague Randy Danielsen wrote on the effectiveness of continuing (medical) education, noting, “Most continuing education for clinicians is aimed at improving performance and/or optimizing patient outcomes.”¹ He also acknowledged that the actual reason for his attendance at a particular conference was “the opportunity to rub shoulders with old friends and new leaders in my profession.”¹ In addition, he mentioned the camaraderie, networking, and the benefit of “just getting away.”

I had not thought about his comments until recently, when I had the occasion to attend two professional meetings: the annual meeting of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, in Phoenix, and the 21st International Research Congress of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, in Orlando. Like Randy, I attended these meetings not for the educational credit; rather, I was there to represent Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. What I did not realize until I got home was the education I had acquired while at these events. Therefore, I want to take Randy’s comments a bit further.

All too often, we measure the value of professional meetings by the customary tangible outcomes: new skills, new knowledge, or the number of CE/CME credits we have gained. If we walk away without a measurable benefit from taking the time out of our busy schedules to attend these meetings, we feel in some way cheated or as if we have wasted our time. Measurable outcomes are the gold standard of our professional activities, whether they are of an educational or patient-care nature. I agree, but I submit that the intangible outcomes are frequently the most valuable.

In the world of business, networking is a key component of the job. Getting to know new people and being known in the community is paramount to success. The ability to interact with others in the same or a similar field helps build your repertoire of associates and subject-matter experts upon whom you can call for resources or to whom you can refer clients.

The face-to-face contact affords you the opportunity to build new relationships that are more personal than those made through the Internet, and are longer lasting. Because of their frequency, “see and be seen” events can be the venue where you set yourself apart from others in your field. Think about it: How often is the gold medalist in the Olympics an “unknown”?

While social networking Web sites serve a purpose, I think one-on-one connections—the kind that occur at conferences and other professional meetings—are the better way to reconnect with old colleagues and meet new ones. These connections are often the foundation for friendships that endure, regardless of how frequently you see the other person. I refer to these friends as my “conference buddies.” The two conferences I attended this summer allowed me not only to reconnect with old friends, but also to be motivated by my new acquaintances to get going on my professional “bucket list.”

However, almost more important than the motivation was the opportunity to meet new people and to contribute to the development of new ideas or new ways to look at an issue faced by these new contacts. It was exciting to be involved in the various discussions that evolved from a conference session or a common interest. I found myself re-energized by those new ideas and new acquaintances.

These events provided me contacts that will allow me once again to give back to my profession—to return the support and mentoring that I was privileged to have early in my career. They opened new doors to me, allowing me yet another experience that I doubt I would have had if I did not attend these conferences. Because of those discussions, I found myself considering my next trajectory and doing a bit of self-reflecting.

The ability to reflect about oneself is an opportunity we perhaps do not often exercise. We are, I believe, preoccupied with the day-to-day activities of family and work. When there is playtime, we still manage to multitask, ever attached to the phone or another electronic interrupter. I have a love-hate relationship with connectivity. I am usually bothered when e-mail access is limited at conferences, but that was not the case at these recent meetings. Walking around the exhibit areas and corridors, knowing that others had limited electronic access to me, I felt free to be 100% attentive to my surroundings.

I must admit, I frequently found myself eavesdropping on conversations when the people involved were animated, simply curious about what was being discussed. On several occasions, the comments gave me pause and got me rethinking how I would handle a similar situation or what my opinion on a particular subject would be.

I appreciate the requirements to confirm that the objectives of conferences for CE/CME have been met. I am not sure that if I used only those objectives as a measure of the value of attending those meetings that I could have considered them worth the time away.

To measure my learning from these events, I need to consider Whitehead’s concepts of education and learning. His philosophy has been summarized as, “The primary acquisition of knowledge involves freshness, enthusiasm, and enjoyment of learning.”² Using that, I did achieve learning—and came home with a new appreciation for networking and a few changed views.

What were your conference experiences this year? I’d enjoy hearing about them. You can reach me at [email protected].

In November 2009, my colleague Randy Danielsen wrote on the effectiveness of continuing (medical) education, noting, “Most continuing education for clinicians is aimed at improving performance and/or optimizing patient outcomes.”¹ He also acknowledged that the actual reason for his attendance at a particular conference was “the opportunity to rub shoulders with old friends and new leaders in my profession.”¹ In addition, he mentioned the camaraderie, networking, and the benefit of “just getting away.”

I had not thought about his comments until recently, when I had the occasion to attend two professional meetings: the annual meeting of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, in Phoenix, and the 21st International Research Congress of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, in Orlando. Like Randy, I attended these meetings not for the educational credit; rather, I was there to represent Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. What I did not realize until I got home was the education I had acquired while at these events. Therefore, I want to take Randy’s comments a bit further.

All too often, we measure the value of professional meetings by the customary tangible outcomes: new skills, new knowledge, or the number of CE/CME credits we have gained. If we walk away without a measurable benefit from taking the time out of our busy schedules to attend these meetings, we feel in some way cheated or as if we have wasted our time. Measurable outcomes are the gold standard of our professional activities, whether they are of an educational or patient-care nature. I agree, but I submit that the intangible outcomes are frequently the most valuable.

In the world of business, networking is a key component of the job. Getting to know new people and being known in the community is paramount to success. The ability to interact with others in the same or a similar field helps build your repertoire of associates and subject-matter experts upon whom you can call for resources or to whom you can refer clients.

The face-to-face contact affords you the opportunity to build new relationships that are more personal than those made through the Internet, and are longer lasting. Because of their frequency, “see and be seen” events can be the venue where you set yourself apart from others in your field. Think about it: How often is the gold medalist in the Olympics an “unknown”?

While social networking Web sites serve a purpose, I think one-on-one connections—the kind that occur at conferences and other professional meetings—are the better way to reconnect with old colleagues and meet new ones. These connections are often the foundation for friendships that endure, regardless of how frequently you see the other person. I refer to these friends as my “conference buddies.” The two conferences I attended this summer allowed me not only to reconnect with old friends, but also to be motivated by my new acquaintances to get going on my professional “bucket list.”

However, almost more important than the motivation was the opportunity to meet new people and to contribute to the development of new ideas or new ways to look at an issue faced by these new contacts. It was exciting to be involved in the various discussions that evolved from a conference session or a common interest. I found myself re-energized by those new ideas and new acquaintances.

These events provided me contacts that will allow me once again to give back to my profession—to return the support and mentoring that I was privileged to have early in my career. They opened new doors to me, allowing me yet another experience that I doubt I would have had if I did not attend these conferences. Because of those discussions, I found myself considering my next trajectory and doing a bit of self-reflecting.

The ability to reflect about oneself is an opportunity we perhaps do not often exercise. We are, I believe, preoccupied with the day-to-day activities of family and work. When there is playtime, we still manage to multitask, ever attached to the phone or another electronic interrupter. I have a love-hate relationship with connectivity. I am usually bothered when e-mail access is limited at conferences, but that was not the case at these recent meetings. Walking around the exhibit areas and corridors, knowing that others had limited electronic access to me, I felt free to be 100% attentive to my surroundings.

I must admit, I frequently found myself eavesdropping on conversations when the people involved were animated, simply curious about what was being discussed. On several occasions, the comments gave me pause and got me rethinking how I would handle a similar situation or what my opinion on a particular subject would be.

I appreciate the requirements to confirm that the objectives of conferences for CE/CME have been met. I am not sure that if I used only those objectives as a measure of the value of attending those meetings that I could have considered them worth the time away.

To measure my learning from these events, I need to consider Whitehead’s concepts of education and learning. His philosophy has been summarized as, “The primary acquisition of knowledge involves freshness, enthusiasm, and enjoyment of learning.”² Using that, I did achieve learning—and came home with a new appreciation for networking and a few changed views.

What were your conference experiences this year? I’d enjoy hearing about them. You can reach me at [email protected].

In November 2009, my colleague Randy Danielsen wrote on the effectiveness of continuing (medical) education, noting, “Most continuing education for clinicians is aimed at improving performance and/or optimizing patient outcomes.”¹ He also acknowledged that the actual reason for his attendance at a particular conference was “the opportunity to rub shoulders with old friends and new leaders in my profession.”¹ In addition, he mentioned the camaraderie, networking, and the benefit of “just getting away.”

I had not thought about his comments until recently, when I had the occasion to attend two professional meetings: the annual meeting of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, in Phoenix, and the 21st International Research Congress of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, in Orlando. Like Randy, I attended these meetings not for the educational credit; rather, I was there to represent Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. What I did not realize until I got home was the education I had acquired while at these events. Therefore, I want to take Randy’s comments a bit further.

All too often, we measure the value of professional meetings by the customary tangible outcomes: new skills, new knowledge, or the number of CE/CME credits we have gained. If we walk away without a measurable benefit from taking the time out of our busy schedules to attend these meetings, we feel in some way cheated or as if we have wasted our time. Measurable outcomes are the gold standard of our professional activities, whether they are of an educational or patient-care nature. I agree, but I submit that the intangible outcomes are frequently the most valuable.

In the world of business, networking is a key component of the job. Getting to know new people and being known in the community is paramount to success. The ability to interact with others in the same or a similar field helps build your repertoire of associates and subject-matter experts upon whom you can call for resources or to whom you can refer clients.

The face-to-face contact affords you the opportunity to build new relationships that are more personal than those made through the Internet, and are longer lasting. Because of their frequency, “see and be seen” events can be the venue where you set yourself apart from others in your field. Think about it: How often is the gold medalist in the Olympics an “unknown”?

While social networking Web sites serve a purpose, I think one-on-one connections—the kind that occur at conferences and other professional meetings—are the better way to reconnect with old colleagues and meet new ones. These connections are often the foundation for friendships that endure, regardless of how frequently you see the other person. I refer to these friends as my “conference buddies.” The two conferences I attended this summer allowed me not only to reconnect with old friends, but also to be motivated by my new acquaintances to get going on my professional “bucket list.”

However, almost more important than the motivation was the opportunity to meet new people and to contribute to the development of new ideas or new ways to look at an issue faced by these new contacts. It was exciting to be involved in the various discussions that evolved from a conference session or a common interest. I found myself re-energized by those new ideas and new acquaintances.

These events provided me contacts that will allow me once again to give back to my profession—to return the support and mentoring that I was privileged to have early in my career. They opened new doors to me, allowing me yet another experience that I doubt I would have had if I did not attend these conferences. Because of those discussions, I found myself considering my next trajectory and doing a bit of self-reflecting.

The ability to reflect about oneself is an opportunity we perhaps do not often exercise. We are, I believe, preoccupied with the day-to-day activities of family and work. When there is playtime, we still manage to multitask, ever attached to the phone or another electronic interrupter. I have a love-hate relationship with connectivity. I am usually bothered when e-mail access is limited at conferences, but that was not the case at these recent meetings. Walking around the exhibit areas and corridors, knowing that others had limited electronic access to me, I felt free to be 100% attentive to my surroundings.

I must admit, I frequently found myself eavesdropping on conversations when the people involved were animated, simply curious about what was being discussed. On several occasions, the comments gave me pause and got me rethinking how I would handle a similar situation or what my opinion on a particular subject would be.

I appreciate the requirements to confirm that the objectives of conferences for CE/CME have been met. I am not sure that if I used only those objectives as a measure of the value of attending those meetings that I could have considered them worth the time away.

To measure my learning from these events, I need to consider Whitehead’s concepts of education and learning. His philosophy has been summarized as, “The primary acquisition of knowledge involves freshness, enthusiasm, and enjoyment of learning.”² Using that, I did achieve learning—and came home with a new appreciation for networking and a few changed views.

What were your conference experiences this year? I’d enjoy hearing about them. You can reach me at [email protected].