Practice Trends

Get yourself meeting ready

Employ strategic planning to get the most out of CE events.

BY LAURIE K. BROWN, MBA, COMT, COE, OCS, CPSS, EUGENE, ORE.

From left to right, Julie Speed, Corinne Wohl, Laurie Brown and Jan Beiting network at the Ophthalmic Women Leaders event at a recent ASCRS meeting.

Strategic planning is wise in almost every endeavor, and continuing education (CE) meetings are no different. As you ready to attend your first or next meeting, my advice would be to go with a planned focus on what you need to learn. Base this on your gaps in expertise in performing your job and leading your practice, and think about what will be coming your way in the field you need to learn more about.

Start your planning with the meeting program, which almost always is available in advance online. If you can devote more than the airplane ride time on the way to the meeting to set your attendance plan, please do it. You don't need to follow it to the letter once there, but it is very helpful to ensure you don't end up standing in the convention center hall, not sure of which course to attend, only to find yourself half a mile from the course you decide on attending that is now starting without you. This happens to all of us from time to time.

Create a plan

Try not to be overwhelmed with all the course options at the CE meeting - an abundance of riches is a great problem to have! If you have a plan, you will succeed in getting what you need and probably a lot more. Coming home with information you can put to use is important for your success and to your employers who are likely footing the bill. They also need to see your attendance as money well spent for both the practice's benefit as well as your professional growth.

It is easy to get distracted or overstimulated by the great sounding courses all going on at the same time. When organizing your schedule, pick your focus, identify the courses related to that focus, stick to your plan and prepare to pay attention and retain the information instructors are imparting.

Imagining yourself as an instructor helps you to share the information you have gained when you return to the practice. Having this perspective helps you to stay seated, concentrate, and get what you came for from each presentation you attend. And hopefully, you will have an opportunity in the future to be on the podium and share what you have learned.

Make time to network

In addition to continuing education courses, make time to meet with people. CE meetings are an excellent place to network and the opportunities are endless. For example, you can connect with instructors, the authors of articles for whom you have additional questions and colleagues on your societies' list serves or the like. Additionally, most meetings offer networking rooms and networking sessions, which provide great space for conversations.

Be sure to take time to network at society events and evening programs. For me, there are some never-miss events as a practice administrator and ophthalmic technologist. During the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery/American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASCRS/ASOA) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology/American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives (AAOE) annual meetings, I make sure to take advantage of additional CE courses put on by the organizations to which I belong that aid me in my work and career, most notably, Ophthalmic Women Leaders (OWL), Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society (OOSS), the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO), and the Association of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology (ATPO). These groups often have events and programs in the evenings, too, which allow for more relaxed networking.

On the exhibit floor

The meeting exhibit floor is also a "must do." You can meet with company representatives, see new equipment, take advantage of special pricing, etc. It is imperative to know before you go what equipment your clinic needs, or may need soon, to begin negotiations when special pricing is available. There is also a fair amount of CE now in exhibit hall booths sponsored by industry.

It is important to note here that one should not neglect themselves during a CE meeting experience. This is paramount to getting the most from your attendance and being in a position to share the information learned once you return home. Be sure to get adequate sleep and nourishment during the meeting. This can be a challenge with full schedules and not a lot of healthy food around. I know people, and I'm often one, who carry bananas and apples with them to try to limit the unhealthy choices when they are hungry and off to another "can't miss" course. As soon as I land, I also head to the nearest Walgreens to stock up on water on my way to the hotel.

Laurie Brown and Annette Chang Sims, MD converse with a Local Eye Site representative Bill Valdespino at the 2012 ASCRS meeting.

Laurie K. Brown speaks at Hawaiian Eye.

Heading home

Finally, on the plane ride home, if you can organize your notes for your use and to share at home, you have topped off a very successful meeting experience. OP

Laurie K. Brown is practice administrator for Drs. Fine, Hoffman & Sims, a world-renowned cataract and refractive surgery practice. She has held JCAHPO certification and worked in ophthalmology in various capacities for 30 years.