July 14, 2023
Your NCAFP CME Team hosted our third annual Virtual Summer Symposium on June 24. The convenient program provided a super-fun and lively web-based learning opportunity for over 150 family physicians and their health care partners. We are so grateful to everyone who participated. We know you have many choices when it comes to receiving your CME, and we were delighted to have you with us that day. Thank you for being a part of the learning and fun!
For those unable to join us at the Symposium this year, I'd like to share more about the virtual format and its learning opportunities (so that you can be sure to join us next year!). With various 60-minute, 45-minute, and 30-minute learning sessions, the day provided six AAFP Prescribed Credits and a T2P Opportunity for an additional two credits. The Saturday sessions themselves included clinical updates on common MSK injuries, asthma, obesity, opioid use disorder, cardiovascular health, dementia, physician self-care, hospice care, and autism. Over 60 attendees also took advantage of a pre-conference KSA on behavioral health for an additional eight CME credits. Many attendees earned up to 16 prescribed credits over the weekend — all from the convenience of their favorite locations.
For enhanced production value and to mitigate technical difficulties, expert guest faculty pre-recorded their lectures to suit the virtual format. Then, as the recorded sessions played during the webinars, presenters actively engaged with attendees by typing replies to their questions in the Q/A box of the platform. In the final five minutes of each session, faculty appeared live via video feed, allowing further interaction with the audience. During this live segment, presenters answered additional questions posed by the program chairs. If attendees wanted to discuss a topic further or ask additional questions, they met with the presenters in the “Meet the Expert” Zoom rooms. This practical approach to delivering virtual CME allowed members access to high-quality content while also providing opportunities for active participation and direct interaction with the presenters.
According to their feedback, attendees greatly appreciated the virtual learning opportunity and all that it offered. Here are a few of our favorite comments from the overall conference survey:
"This was very well done, with lots of great information! Thank you!"
"I think your platform for this conference is excellent. I've been doing a lot of virtual CME in the past three years — Harvard, Mayo, Cleveland, AAFP, AMA — and this is the best platform to be able to submit questions and do the speaker evals that I have seen."
"Very good virtual event. Great CME. Great technology!"
"This was great!!! It was easy to log in, interactive, and gave ample time to get another cup of coffee without missing a thing."
"Great topics today. This format worked very well. Thank you!"
The NCAFP Meetings Department would also like to extend a big heartfelt thank -you to program chair, Dr. Jessica Triche (pictured above), program vice-chair, Dr. Dawn Caviness (pictured above), and the many terrific guest faculty who shared their expertise and knowledge with our attendees. The dedication and hard work of members like them are vital to making our terrific CME opportunities possible. Thank you again to everyone who joined us, and we hope you will join us again next year!