The Final Push: Get the Undecided to Register for your Continuing Medical Education Conference

People have a number of reasons for not wanting to attend your CME conference, but the biggest reason of all is that they're afraid to miss work. If you're trying to get people to register for your CME conference, you have to ultimately "sell" them on the benefits. Here, then, is a list of four benefits of registering for a CME conference. Attendance will work in their favor in the long run.

Most Common Concerns About Attending a CME Conference

Medical doctors understand that taking CME courses is essential for their work. However, when it comes to attending a CME conference, there are a number of concerns that many of them have. For example:

Benefit #1: Attendees Will Get to Network with Their Peers

With other conferences, you never know who you're going to meet. At a CME conference, however, you will only network with your medical peers. Doctors are the only ones that take Continuing Medical Education courses, so as a physician, you are sure to be only surrounded by a network of your physician peers. This is especially beneficial if you are a physician in a hospital, because the trend in hospitals is that patient care responsibility is moving away from physicians and towards ancillary medical professionals (i.e., RNs, physician assistants).

Benefit #2: Attendees Will Get to Participate in Facilitated Discussions

When it comes to talking with your peers, especially about common problems in the industry, nothing will help you understand things better, or get an idea of how to solve your problems, than participating in facilitated discussions at the CME conference. Led by a mastermind in the medical field, these facilitated discussions encourage creative problem-solving, and finding solutions to common problems.

Benefit #3: Attendees Will Get Hands-On Workshops

Another thing that is offered at CME conferences is hands-on workshops that allow physicians to "get their hands dirty" in a real practicum that they haven't had since, probably, their residency. But not only will you, as a physician, learn new skills, you'll be able to connect with representatives in your area who will be able to help you implement these new skills in your office. You'll also get first access to new technology that would otherwise not be available.

Benefit #4: Attendees Will Get a Chance to Sort Out the Real News From the 'Fake News'

Thanks to the propagation of click-bait sites and a misinformed public, there are many medical rumors out there ... so much so that even doctors have difficulty distinguishing the real from the fake. However, at a CME conference, you'll be able to sit down with like-minded doctors who are experts in their field, and they will be able to help you -- and others like you -- sort out the real from the fake.

In short, while CME conference attendance isn't cheap, the benefits certainly justify the costs. By working in tandem with other doctors like you, a CME conference will provide you with benefits that you can use for the rest of your medical career.