How did I not know that Derek Warnick had a blog? Called CME Confessions, it has me riveted. So far, I haven't gotten past this post on cruise CME (you know, CME that takes place somewhere fun, like a cruise ship or a ski resort). He pretty persuasively argues that, if you look at it objectively, as long as it's not commercially supported, this type of CME is actually something we should strive for. While a commenter says that, because there's entertainment along with the education, these types of activities are out of compliance with the ACCME's Standards for Commercial Support, specifically SCS 3.11 (“Social events or meals at CME activities cannot compete with or take precedence over the educational events.”).
I find it hard to believe that the SCS apply to non-commercially-supported activitiesthat just doesn't make any sense to me. But I do see that the old perception thing will get in the way. I remember writing an article way back when about the more logistical benefits of cruise CME, which sounded pretty persuasive to me at the time. Funny that the issue of commercial support isn't even brought up in the article. Then again, it was written a while ago.
