I had started motivating colleagues in other specialties to conduct continuing medical education (CME) programmes about 20 years ago, because I knew that one would not be able to keep abreast of all developments in all fields of medicine. Only if specialists told specialits in other fields what was happening in their own fields would the doctor have up to date knowledge of all fields. Unfortunately our institute made it into a semicommercial venture, looking for pharma sponsors to pay for the expenses. My stand that there need not be any expenses went unheard. There had to be good food and free stationery, and grand functions. It was more show business than educational activity. It dies its own death in due course. The medical council made CME mandatory for all practioners. Now it had to be done. Organizations of different specialties started arranging CMEs in star hotels, and charged fancy fees to give CME credit hours. I had stopped attending those lomg ago because I could not mix politics (internal, of those organizations) and show business with something sacred like education. I started CMEs in my own institution, and kept those free for all. I expected other specialties to reciprocate, so that all would get recent education and free CME credit hours to meet the requirements of the medical council.
"Sir, most of the specialty CMEs are not free. They are charging fees for CME" one of our staff members told me.
"I will see if anything can be done" I told that person. Then I made a plan. In the notice that I put up on the online notice board of our intranet, I added the folloing lines.
'This CME is free for those whose departments arrange free CMEs for all. It is free also for those who charge money for their CMEs, and those who do not organize any CMEs.'
I thought this sarcasm would improve people and motivate them not to charge their own colleagues in an educational institute. I was wrong. I received an invitation for a CME today from one of the paraclinical departments. They were charging a fee. I showed our notice to the person who had come to invite me personally and asked him why they could not keep it free, when the auditorium and audiovisual aids were free, and they were not obliged to give any lunch.
"We have kept it free for all professors" he said proudly. "We will charge all others."
"That is even worse" I said. "If I attend this one free while my people have to pay for it, it will create a rift in my department. They will resent me getting it free and resent me for it. Besides, my salary is three times that of my Assistant Professors and 1.5 times that of my Associate Professors. I can afford to pay more than they can. Please tell your head of department I thank for the invitation but I will not attned it for the reasons I gave you. I will get the education by self education, and earn my CME credit hours by conducting CMEs on my own."
