Guest Post: Industry Funding of CME

The last post highlighted a Boston Globe article regarding the role of industry funding in continuing medical education ... in response to the Globe article, I receive this hypothetical interaction between a CME instructor and an attendee that I couldn't resist sharing:

CME REGISTRANT: "What are your credentials to teach this session?"

INSTRUCTOR: "I am a board-certified cardiologist and I have no financial conflicts to report"

CME REGISTRANT: "What will I be learning today?"

INSTRUCTOR: "Evidence-based best practices to open a clogged coronary artery. Let's begin. First, you hold the flint in your dominant hand and strike it sharply with the iron chisel until a sharp edge is fashioned. Be careful with the sparks and stone chips. This technique has been around a long time and is very well described....."

CME REGISTRANT: "What about angioplasty?"

INSTRUCTOR: "Ah, I see the catheter rep has paid you a visit. Angioplasty is a relatively new procedure and the risks are not yet fully understood, nor the long term outcomes. We have much more extensive experience with flint-making. The angioplasty companies are disease mongerers and by using the classical technique, you make a powerful statement that you cannot be bought."

CME REGISTRANT: "Please excuse me, I'm downloading intravascular ultrasound images on my iPhone for a case tomorow......"

INSTRUCTOR: "Please be sure to attend this afternoon's session where I will give an engrossing lecture, 'Fire: Going Beyond Sterilization', you won't want to miss it".

CME REGISTRANT: "Thank you...."

-Anonymous Guest