First BCMJ cruise conference goes swimmingly

The BC Medical Journal hosted its first CME cruise conference in February, and by all accounts the event was a success. The primary goal of the conference was to raise money for the BCMJ; other goals were to provide a top-notch general practice update, raise the profile of the Journal, and to provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about medical publishing. The money raised will go directly back into the productions costs of the Journal.

The 7-day cruise, which departed from Miami, sailed the western Caribbean, with ports of call in Belize City (Belize), Costa Maya (Mexico), Cozumel (Mexico), and Georgetown (Grand Cayman). We sold all of our 67 available conference spaces, and our group, family and friends included, totaled 170—which may seem like a lot, but we blended in rather quickly with the other 3300 passengers on the cruise. The 12.5 hours of accredited CME was provided by the Journal’s talented Editorial Board: Drs Susan Haigh, Lindsay Lawson, Heidi Oetter, Dave Richardson, Tim Rowe, Tony Salvian, and Jim Wilson (Dr Brian Day was unable to attend). Topics of this Family Practice Refresher included continuous oral contraception, chronic opiate therapy, COPD, patients flying with disease, aneurysms and peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, venous disease and thoracic outlet syndrome, humor in the medical office, menopause, osteoporosis, electronic medical records, patients in safety-critical jobs, and asthma.

Conference participants, who came from all over Canada and the United States, were asked to evaluate, on a 5-point scale (with 5 being excellent), all sessions. The lowest-rated session received a 3.75, the highest a 4.5, with the average being 4.17. Naturally comments varied, but overall participants seemed satisfied, and when asked how they would rate the conference as a whole, they gave it a 4.22 on the same 5-point scale. In particular, participants noted that presenters provided truly family practice-oriented content—a broad range of information they could apply directly to their daily practice.

Many conference participants told us that they enjoyed the combination of CME and a holiday. Fortunately the weather cooperated and everyone enjoyed sunny skies, warm weather, and the gorgeous blue Caribbean Sea on their days off.

The BCMJ would like to thank Sea Courses Cruises, particularly Dr Martin Gerretsen, for the efficient coordination of many of the hundreds of details that go into such an endeavor. We would also like to thank sponsors Cambie Surgery Centre, Canada Diagnostics, Specialist Referral Clinic, and Ultima Medical Services for their support. Finally, BCMJ staff give special thanks to the BCMJ Editorial Board, who not only waived their speakers’ fees, but paid their own way entirely. The financial and educational success of the cruise conference rests on the foundation of their generosity and dedication to your Journal.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, we might do it again—watch these pages for details.

—Jay Draper
BCMJ Managing Editor