GetMeOuttaThisMess Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Aside from a national EMS conference for a couple of years last attended about five years ago, I haven't been to a PA sponsored event in over thirty years. Online/audio CME is fine for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas5814 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Onsite CME is a social thing for me. There is so much free CME available online and locally that I really don't need to travel anywhere for a conference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlumsden Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I'm going. But nearly didn't. I like conferences, and have never been to Vegas. But gambling bores the snot out of me, I hate vacationing in places where bars allow smoking, and could spend my CME money at more desireable venues. I can see why people are opting out. I chose to go because I thought the AAPA conference in SFO was well run, it's easy to get CME credit quickly, and I can reconnect with PA school classmates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Check 2 Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 My only time off bank is awful. So, I have to choose between family and CME. I choose local CME and online and save the days off from work for family. I have a CME budget but it doesn't do any good to use it if I have to use personal PTO for the days. The last AAPA in Vegas - I was there. I wasn't very politically concerned and found AAPA to be HUGE and overwhelming and really got tired of shuttling between buildings in 110 degree heat. Not a gambler - too chicken. Too tired from work to go anywhere or do anything other than sleep and splurge on room service. Now, I would like to go and work on the issues at hand. Dang it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluepillow Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Once you get away from the hotel/casino strip, Nevada/Arizona are spectacular. 30 mins in any direction leads to beautiful state parks and mountains and canyons. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Las Vegas earlier this year, and we really only spent a few hours doing stuff on the actual strip. If you don't like Vegas for anything other than weather, you're not trying very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I've been to a few AAPA conferences and have enjoyed but I am not a fan of Vegas. Being around literally thousands of PAs is a good thing and I suspect it's where the leadership gets a hands-on view of where the membership are philosophically. Maybe next year in New Orleans. I enjoyed San Antonio and DC is close to family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk732 Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I just bought the Virtual SEMPA 360 conference - easier and WAY cheaper. I'm likley going to my national conference this year, largely because I can stay with a friend and I might be presenting (waiting to hear back). There is a local one I'm attending as well, and I try to get to EM Grand rounds at the local medical school when I'm able. If I use Up To Date at work or home, instant credits - we have an institutional account, so no excuse. I would like to get to SEMPA live once, just to connect with people I don't really know - cross border reciprocity likely got put back a bit with the new POTUS, but we never know. SK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas5814 Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I'm going. But nearly didn't. I like conferences, and have never been to Vegas. But gambling bores the snot out of me, I hate vacationing in places where bars allow smoking, and could spend my CME money at more desireable venues. I can see why people are opting out. I chose to go because I thought the AAPA conference in SFO was well run, it's easy to get CME credit quickly, and I can reconnect with PA school classmates. I go to Vegas every few years for a few days. Few casinos allow smoking anymore. If you go old school downtown casinos they are like a giant hotbox. I spend very little time gambling... I think I played blackjack for 2 hours and just for grins put $100 in a $100 slot machine and won $550. Walked away. There are a zillion shows, events, places to go and things do and things to see that have nothing to do with gambling. A lot of it is free. Last time we were there at Christmas and the displays were amazing. Lots more than casinos... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
south Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Few casinos allow smoking anymore. Really? This is very surprising; something I never thought I would see. Alienating a good part of their target demographic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk732 Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Really? This is very surprising; something I never thought I would see. Alienating a good part of their target demographic... They like people to return...hard to gamble when you're coughing up a tumour :-D SK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdtpac Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 My friend is going, but hotel alone cost over $1.2K for the week. I am going, but here is my beef with the AAPA this year. I’m not staying at the Mandalay Bay because they want $256 per night per room before taxes, which will bring your rooms about $300 a night. I’m staying at the Luxor which is right next door and I’m paying $79 a night for the same size room. I think the AAPA has done a terrible job of negotiating the room rates for this conference. BTW-because of my disability I need to get two rooms, one for myself and my wife, and one for my caregiver. At my cost because I only work part-time and do not get any benefits. It would’ve cost me $3000 for 5 days at the Mandalay Bay. This doesn’t include the cost of airfare for 3 people, conference registration and food plus entertainment, I’m also going because I’m a delegate from Ohio and very interested in all the topics that will be discussed this year at the HOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKPAC Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 I am going, but here is my beef with the AAPA this year. I’m not staying at the Mandalay Bay because they want $256 per night per room before taxes, which will bring your rooms about $300 a night. I’m staying at the Luxor which is right next door and I’m paying $79 a night for the same size room. I think the AAPA has done a terrible job of negotiating the room rates for this conference. I have to agree. I am getting a room at MB on my own for cheaper than the conference rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAAdmission Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Vegas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delco714 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 I would love to go but the fact of the matter is that our hospital continues to make drastic budget cuts... The hospital nickel and dimes and fights with you over every single penny. Technically I should get $1,500 a year for CME credits. In reality I am lucky to get $1,000 approved, and it all has to be approved by our departments medical director. "Why would you go to Las Vegas there are conferences closer by""Airfare and hotel room are unnecessary expenses""Conference doesn't solely pertain to our speciality and therefore there are better conferences""We can't afford to have you out of the office for more than a day or two" Take your pick... but I have heard them all before...That's super funny. My system refused to give me any of my cme days unless I was At a conference..I could spend the $ on essentially whatever, but not the days. . Oh.. A course in Vail? Don't mind if ahhdoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 You guys get CME money? CME days? I get 36 hours of PTO a year....that's everything. CME, vacation, sick time...everything. Oh....and zero CME money. To top it off we were told we were going to have to start paying for our own licensure including dea, bls, acls etc. lol times they have a changed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camoman1234 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 13 minutes ago, Cideous said: You guys get CME money? CME days? I get 36 hours of PTO a year....that's everything. CME, vacation, sick time...everything. Oh....and zero CME money. To top it off we were told we were going to have to start paying for our own licensure including dea, bls, acls etc. lol times they have a changed.... I would leave. End of story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 2 hours ago, camoman1234 said: I would leave. End of story. Easy to say. I live in a saturated PA/NP market in Urgent Care. Notorious for being owned and run by large corporations and investor groups. Where do we go? How do I explain to my child that I'm pulling her out of high school? What I am experiencing is becoming more the norm and not the exception and it can literally change on a dime with one admin change or practice sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiovolffemtp Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 I have enough CME money and can afford the unpaid time off for 1 conference. I do EM, so SEMPA is a much better choice for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndBulbsOfMouse Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Would a conference like this be useful? Serious question. I’m not sure what you would get from here?? It would be like having a conference of all physicians. Surely, the specialty conferences would be more useful - the neurology one for neuro PAs and a Trauma surgery one for PAs working there, etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camoman1234 Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 19 hours ago, Cideous said: Easy to say. I live in a saturated PA/NP market in Urgent Care. Notorious for being owned and run by large corporations and investor groups. Where do we go? How do I explain to my child that I'm pulling her out of high school? What I am experiencing is becoming more the norm and not the exception and it can literally change on a dime with one admin change or practice sale. I hear you, but if we all sit around and do what you are doing then it will become the norm...You do what you want to, but it is not helping our profession by PAs taking jobs or letting admins do this to us. This only happens to providers and not other professions. That is why I will most likely be making a career change in the next 5 - 7 years and will be joining the FAA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delco714 Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Would a conference like this be useful? Serious question. I’m not sure what you would get from here?? It would be like having a conference of all physicians. Surely, the specialty conferences would be more useful - the neurology one for neuro PAs and a Trauma surgery one for PAs working there, etcI don't do urology cme, I do general...you know, to not forget unused stuff, new protocols etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted August 7, 2018 Moderator Share Posted August 7, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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