Poor uptake of CPD

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Rob Smith — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:44:34 GMT

Why try to slap peoples wrists? If people want to go, they will go. If they don't, they won't. If insufficient people go, the meetings will have to be improved, or cancelled. Simples.

I am not going to go to an evening meeting because someone else wants me to because the meeting is convenient to him am I?!

Supply and demand.

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Rob Reid — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:06:42 GMT

I wasn't trying to have a go at these individual meetings in particular and I don't really think a blow by blow account of what happened at them really benefits this thread. (Although to be fair it does sound like -from your opinion- that the talks you have attended have been reasonably unbiased and of good clinical value.)

The initial point you made was that if people stop attending these free meetings then the sponsors and speakers will stop providing them - which of course is a concern because we all need and want CPD at the end of the day. The point I was trying to make was why not redirect these funds and speakers into resources where more people will benefit.

But then of course if we all fed RMB then we wouldn't need to do any CPD in the first place.....

......Oh no I can see the brickbats coming again......

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:56:14 GMT

Rob, it is too much hassle cutting and pasting quotes so I'll just answer a couple of your points, not in any particular order. The meeting I attended which started me on this rant was sponsored by Intevet and Schering-Plough (who obviously both make insulin) and Siemens (whose presence I have to admit did baffle me a bit). There was no sales pitch at any point but they were there for support. The speaker was not in any way influenced by their presence and even though I thought I was pretty switched on about diabetes I came away with some valuable information which will alter the way I look at my patients. I don't honestly know if anyone was wearing jeans but the fashion police were not in evidence. And yes the food was crap apart from the prawn sandwiches but at least there was plenty of it as hardly anyone turned up!

The Virbac seminar I referred to was not billed as 'The treatment of feline viral disease with recombinant interon of feline origin' but just as I recall an update on feline viral disease. There was no suggestion that the speaker was not excellent, she was, but she just hadn't much experience at that time using interferon There was no sales pitch indeed the only person pushing Virbagen Omega was me in my little contribution and yes I was paid for my time but I was not influenced in any way I could have stood there whistling Dixie. Some people may not mourn the death of these meetings but my point was that if you would then you need to support them.

Hear endeth the lesson lest it join RMB and homeopathy in the sin bin.

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Rob Reid — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:25:55 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Was that full of brickbats?[/quote]

Haha you've gone fairly easy on me there Martin so thanks

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I do think that you're unfairly dismissive of the quality of speakers and presentations[/quote]

I wasn't saying that the speakers weren't all of good quality - but I have been to a real mixed bag of these and I have come away from a lot of them feeling like they just haven't been worth my while.

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I'm suprised how liberal the sponsors are with the views speakers give[/quote]

Maybe I am just a little more cynical on these things than you, but on nearly every one of these talks I have been to there has been a sales pitch.

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]The experience of the main speaker from Bristol Feline Unit using feline interferon was somewhat limited [/quote]

That doesn't really sell the evening meeting does it, thus backing up on earlier point on speaker quality...

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] I agree that Webinars are an increasingly useful resource for the time challenged vet but you don't get the same opportunity to interact and they're not always at a suitable time either. Sure one advantage is that you go on them at what time is convenient if they're supported by an archive but then it doesn't count towards CPD.[/quote]

Most webinars are at a similar time to evening meetings. You can go home, have your dinner (or get a takeaway in if that is your poison) have a beer and relax and enjoy the show. There is still a good opportunity to interact with the speaker even if you can't with colleagues, but then hey - what are forums like this for? If you miss them, you can go on the archive at a later date and it does still count as CPD - you just have to classify it differently on your record card.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying that evening CPDs are all bad, but I just think that in this day and age the webinar presents a more cost and time effective alternative that suits more people.

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:42:21 GMT

[quote user="Rob Reid"]

1) The last thing I want to do after a busy day at work is drive 45 minutes to a venue where generally the chairs are uncomfortable, the food is well below par and in some cases apparently, there is a dress code.

2) The quality of CPD at a lot of these meetings is often substandard, mainly due to the fact that the meeting is sponsor driven and there is a large amount of bias towards the sponsor's product. I often find that my interest has switched off after 20 minutes either because I am tired or disinterested.

3) Some of us have lives and hobbies after work. I can appreciate that being in a one man practice that this sort of CPD is good from the point of view of not cutting into your work committments, but if I turn that round, from an assistants point of view the last thing many of us want to do is give up our valuable spare time (let's face it there isn't enough of that as it is!!) We don't all spend our lives being vets 24/7.

For me, evening CPD meetings just don't work, particularly when there are so many good webinars available now - the content of the CPD is better, you can do them in the comfort of you own home and there is no annoying 45 minute commute each way. Fact of the matter to me is that evening CPDs are becoming outdated and there are now better and more valuable alternatives available. Insetad of worrying about losing this resource, why don't these providers and sponsors redirect their efforts into producing more webinars which are of benefit to far more members of the profession?

Bring on the brickbats!!!

[/quote]

No brickbats from me Rob, you're entitled to your opinion but I do think that you're unfairly dismissive of the quality of speakers and presentations and IME they are generally equal to or better than those at mainstream conferences and because they're on a single subject there's less chance of overload. And I don't go with the bias conspiracy theory either, again IME, if anything, I'm suprised how liberal the sponsors are with the views speakers give, often even contradicting or at least not reinforcing the company's line. I actually spoke at a free evening meeting sponsored by Virbac on feline viral disease - clearly one would have thought with the intention of pushing Virbagen Omega. The experience of the main speaker from Bristol Feline Unit using feline interferon was somewhat limited and I probably saved the night for them by giving a fairly positive presentation on my experience in practice. I agree that Webinars are an increasingly useful resource for the time challenged vet but you don't get the same opportunity to interact and they're not always at a suitable time either. Sure one advantage is that you go on them at what time is convenient if they're supported by an archive but then it doesn't count towards CPD. And, for what it's worth, there's always the social aspect of real meetings and the opportunity to network and discuss matters with fellow practitioners. Agreed the food is usually crap but sometimes it is actually surprisingly good. And as for interfering with extra curricular activity, come on, they're not every night or even every week, surely one evening out of your hectic lifestyle is not a burden. I missed out on my usual Thursday evening cycle ride due to the last meeting I went to, so I just re-scheduled it for the following day. There may be an argument for some people over the travelling and I've already admitted I don't go to BSAVA Metropolitan meetings because of that but there are, for most people, plenty of alternatives.

Was that full of brickbats?

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Rob Reid — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:56:10 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] I'm pushing retirement age and if I can still summon the enthusiasm to make the effort to attend CPD then there's no excuse for you youngsters! [/quote]

Ok, before I say anything I will prepare myself for the brickbats

Here's my take on evening CPD meetings:

Bring on the brickbats!!!

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:05:55 GMT

Perhaps the original, intention of this thread has been missed. I'm not from the BSAVA Surrey & Suusex Division Police, indeed I'm not even a member, I'm in Metropolitan region and confess I rarely attend their evening meetings because they're in London and difficult for me to get to but Leatherhead is just a 35min tootle down the M25! I try to take maximum advantage of evening CPD because as I'm sole charge it means I don't have to take a day off and/or employ a locum, but this example was pathognomic of the situtation. I'm pushing retirement age and if I can still summon the enthusiasm to make the effort to attend CPD then there's no excuse for you youngsters! Organisers and sponsors go to a lot of trouble to organise these meetings (true the sponsors have a vested interest but they are a valuable aid) and if no-one can be bothered to go, whether they have to change their jeans or not , we will all lose out if a small band of enthusiastic organisers feel it isn't worth their while anymore.

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

nikki — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:50:20 GMT

well if they do i'll go and change back into my smelly horsey jods and really piss them off! i think clean jeans are preferable somehow!

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

salome2001 — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:37:08 GMT

Really????? I may have to reconsider, I know the last newsletter is kicking around the kitchen table somewhere....

(of course, now that you know, some bewhiskered old grunt will take exception to you next time )

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

nikki — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:34:08 GMT

i always wear jeans to the Surrey regional meetings - no-one's stopped me entering yet! Didn't know there was a dress code!

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

salome2001 — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:10:56 GMT

Martin, I get the Surrey and Sussex region CPD updates and I'll tell you why I haven't gone to them: call me pedantic or small -minded or whatever, but I refuse to go to a venue where I'm told I can't wear jeans. Even before "eating into own free time" or being tired at the end of the day becomes a factor, I just find the restriction bloody rude.

(ducks for cover)

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

Catherine Williams — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:34:05 GMT

I noticed that at the last Southern region BSAVA meeting I went to. So glad I went as it was really informative but I got a horrible feeling that more than half the people there were on the committee and the turnout was barely into double figures. Has increased my efforts to get there just to show some support.

I always want to get to Surrey + Sussex meetings but I have to be doing really well, running to time (sadly unusual) with no phone calls to make (even rarer) to be able to get there on time....then I feel guilty about neglecting my dogs!

Just need another couple of hours in a day!!

Re: Poor uptake of CPD

nikki — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:15:39 GMT

have to say i normally go to all the local BSAVA ones but hadn't heard anything about that one. i normally get e-mails or leaflets through about them and we normally get faxes at work, but i am oblivious to that one.