Comments on: Merit Badge Certifications and CME http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html Ramblings of an Emergency Physician in Texas Sat, 12 May 2012 12:36:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kim http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3489 Kim Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:12:41 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3489 Hey! We nurses have merit badges, too! Most are not required, but at my most certified state, I have BLS, ACLS,PALS,TNCC,NRP, ENCC and now I can take ATLS and of course I can sit for the CEN exam which costs a lot and pays me nothing extra except for an ego boost and more letters on my nametag! Granted, it's not the same as your situation, I just never thought of them as "merit badges" before and that is hilarious! Hey! We nurses have merit badges, too! Most are not required, but at my most certified state, I have BLS, ACLS,PALS,TNCC,NRP, ENCC and now I can take ATLS and of course I can sit for the CEN exam which costs a lot and pays me nothing extra except for an ego boost and more letters on my nametag!

Granted, it’s not the same as your situation, I just never thought of them as “merit badges” before and that is hilarious!

]]> By: JERRY http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3488 JERRY Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:15:08 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3488 To the poster above. No one here is against continuing ed. We are against mandatory continuing ed propagated by others with an "agenda", or mandatory ed that we already know. Would you have me waste my time with merit badges at expense of improving knowledge and skills in other important areas?? To the poster above. No one here is against continuing ed. We are against mandatory continuing ed propagated by others with an “agenda”, or mandatory ed that we already know. Would you have me waste my time with merit badges at expense of improving knowledge and skills in other important areas??

]]> By: Anonymous http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3487 Anonymous Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:57:29 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3487 Docs are the same as anyone else-- they need continuing ed. Too often you guys think you are above the standards. I have worked in the medical field for many years and I can tell you-- doctors who don't keep their education up-to-date abound and are not in the best interest of the patient. Come down to earth and get with the program. You are worth it. Docs are the same as anyone else– they need continuing ed. Too often you guys think you are above the standards. I have worked in the medical field for many years and I can tell you– doctors who don’t keep their education up-to-date abound and are not in the best interest of the patient. Come down to earth and get with the program. You are worth it.

]]> By: symtym http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3490 symtym Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:29:54 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3490 <strong>Merit Badges</strong> Excellent discussion on the "to be detestable" subject on merit badge CMEs over on GruntDoc, see "Merit Badge Certifications and CME" Merit Badges

Excellent discussion on the "to be detestable" subject on merit badge CMEs over on GruntDoc, see "Merit Badge Certifications and CME"

]]> By: Anonymous http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3486 Anonymous Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:22:18 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3486 By the way, I didn't mean to imply that courses like ATLS or ACLS are not important. I'm only criticizing the manner in which they're made mandatory. As the GruntDoc has noted, <em>that's</em> what needs to be thought out better! John By the way, I didn’t mean to imply that courses like ATLS or ACLS are not important. I’m only criticizing the manner in which they’re made mandatory. As the GruntDoc has noted, that’s what needs to be thought out better!

John

]]> By: Anonymous http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3485 Anonymous Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:16:33 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3485 The people that create these courses and lobby for them to be made mandatory are the real benefactors. Wouldn't they be unhappy if evidence-based medicine methodologies were brought to bear on the efficacy of such courses? I seriously doubt that their proliferation has been shown to improve patient outcomes in any demonstrable ways. I've written a little about this before <a href="http://califmedicineman.blogspot.com/2005/04/cultural-competency-and-medical.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. I'm all for making things better but I think more thought needs to go into making substantive changes in the way we do business. These little rules all add to the "hidden" costs of healthcare and detract from our enjoyment of our profession. John The people that create these courses and lobby for them to be made mandatory are the real benefactors. Wouldn’t they be unhappy if evidence-based medicine methodologies were brought to bear on the efficacy of such courses?

I seriously doubt that their proliferation has been shown to improve patient outcomes in any demonstrable ways.

I’ve written a little about this before here.

I’m all for making things better but I think more thought needs to go into making substantive changes in the way we do business. These little rules all add to the “hidden” costs of healthcare and detract from our enjoyment of our profession.

John

]]> By: EMT2Doc http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3484 EMT2Doc Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:02:17 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3484 Re: "This is about Marketing with a capital M, and it's about 'we jerk the string, you dance'." Definatly. And who eventually pays the costs? The patients do. Debates in Washington and pushes for a national health program so that everyone can afford health care looks rediculous. Instead of streamlining (responsibly...recycling exam gloves wouldn't be wise, me don't thinks) health care and making it as affordable as possible, more programs are added. I think if a doctor, or nurse, or even the janitor has a past showing he/she knows what she's doing and is taking very good care of their patients then a badge or a certifcate won't matter. Well, unless someone has no idea of how to pick out art but needs office walls decorated with *something*, then maybe it matters to them. Re: “This is about Marketing with a capital M, and it’s about ‘we jerk the string, you dance’.”

Definatly. And who eventually pays the costs? The patients do. Debates in Washington and pushes for a national health program so that everyone can afford health care looks rediculous.
Instead of streamlining (responsibly…recycling exam gloves wouldn’t be wise, me don’t thinks) health care and making it as affordable as possible, more programs are added.
I think if a doctor, or nurse, or even the janitor has a past showing he/she knows what she’s doing and is taking very good care of their patients then a badge or a certifcate won’t matter.
Well, unless someone has no idea of how to pick out art but needs office walls decorated with *something*, then maybe it matters to them.

]]> By: GruntDoc http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3483 GruntDoc Tue, 28 Feb 2006 02:34:19 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3483 Another thing, which has only just occurred to me, is that once we're "Chest Pain Center" accredited, <em>it's not going to change a thing in what we do.</em> We already see CP, our door-to-balloon times are very good, etc. This is about Marketing with a capital M, and it's about 'we jerk the string, you dance'. That's what's galling me about this. Another thing, which has only just occurred to me, is that once we’re “Chest Pain Center” accredited, it’s not going to change a thing in what we do.

We already see CP, our door-to-balloon times are very good, etc.

This is about Marketing with a capital M, and it’s about ‘we jerk the string, you dance’. That’s what’s galling me about this.

]]> By: Greg P http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3482 Greg P Tue, 28 Feb 2006 01:05:12 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3482 This touches on one of my aggravations about all this CME. It's turned into an ever-increasingly expensive industry, fired by these regulatory presumptions that you cannot learn anything on your own anymore. But all you have to do is show up for the CME at some expensive resort and the presumption is that if you spent all that money you must have learned something. And it seems that many of those who feel this is so important are those who get free trips and honoraria to teach the courses. So I'm supposed to learn from this "expert" in something who may be on a faculty somewhere, but has just been out of training for a few years. This touches on one of my aggravations about all this CME.
It’s turned into an ever-increasingly expensive industry, fired by these regulatory presumptions that you cannot learn anything on your own anymore. But all you have to do is show up for the CME at some expensive resort and the presumption is that if you spent all that money you must have learned something.
And it seems that many of those who feel this is so important are those who get free trips and honoraria to teach the courses. So I’m supposed to learn from this “expert” in something who may be on a faculty somewhere, but has just been out of training for a few years.

]]> By: david http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html/comment-page-1#comment-3481 david Mon, 27 Feb 2006 23:03:30 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/02/merit-badge-certifications-and-cme.html#comment-3481 The scary thing is that the CE burden will continue to increase (and not just in medicine, I'd wager)...and increase...and increase...after all, what organization would voluntarily "decrease" the amount of importance and influence that it wields over members? The scary thing is that the CE burden will continue to increase (and not just in medicine, I’d wager)…and increase…and increase…after all, what organization would voluntarily “decrease” the amount of importance and influence that it wields over members?

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