Book Money

[gogodre]

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I'm in the happy situation of being at an institution that gives us an obscene amount of money for books/other EM resources every year. I have pdf's of Rosen's, Roberts, and Mattu. So I kind of don't know what to do with the money. Does anyone have any good ideas for resources that might be good for an intern? The money is use it or lose it.

 

[Fox800]

Send it to me. I get Rosen's and Tint, that's it.

 

[gman33]

Depends on your learning style and what resources are already available, i.e. Online with the library.

Clinical Key is a resource I like.
Your library may have it.
If not it's a good online source for books and journals.

 

[DeadCactus]

Books: Bouncebacks, Emergency Radiology, River's or AAEM Board Review Book

Non-books: HIPPO:EM, Rosh Review, UWorld for Step 3, radiopaedia on-line course

 

[Angry Birds]

PEPID, Hippo EM - not books, but valuable

 

[bravotwozero]

.

 

[slystalone]

Here's what I would do with the money:

Get Rosh Review - I'm surprised your program doesn't give it to you - it's handy on a phone or iPad and the questions are pretty good
Get 1200 Q's for Emergency Medicine - good for inservice/board prep when you don't feel like reading anything
Get The Ultimate Emergency Medicine Guide - good for inservice/board prep and the pimping that comes up on shift
Get PEER question books - good for board prep

Forget Rosens (does anyone actually read this??!), forget the big Tintinallis (so much useless information), and whatever you do, don't pay to subscribe to journals.

My $0.02

 

[slystalone]

Also, if you can get a laptop, get one with two receipts, submit one, then return it wit the other. Cha-ching

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I can think of a good use for $20 of it....

 

[Apollyon]

And, for you folks who are hearing of the charge and return/get 2 receipts thing for the first time, remember that that is also fraud. If you do it all the time, you're savvy to it, but, if you've never done it, just remember that, if you get caught, you're lucky to just get fired.

 

[bravotwozero]

.

 

[deleted547339]

Hippo:EM, Bouncebacks, ipad/computer/cellphone, conferences, ICU resources, scrubs, new stethoscope

 

[Apollyon]

This person asked me to edit my post to remove his quote, which this person used to justify buying books and returning them.

Book money that is used for books, then the books returned, and you pocket the money is fraud. Hey, do what you want. Tell the GME office what you did. See what happens.

It's written right in the agreement for CME for my job. Up to and including discharge from employment can occur for violating the policy.

But, as I said, you do what you want. If you are so in the right, broadcast it to everyone.

And, "use it or lose it" has zero bearing. Nada.

Edit: to remove the original quote

 

[deleted77919]

….

 

[deleted547339]

I don't see why anyone would want to scam the program - that's a good way of ensuring future classes don't receive those benefits (and other). Plus, there's lots of good stuff you can buy - nice stethoscope, embroidered scrubs, iPad, phone, books - that stuff adds up quick and its great that you don't have to spend your own money.

Also, places are usually fairly liberal with what is considered medical related. Want a camera? Do a 2 week elective in medical photography and buy a $1,000 SLR camera you're using for the elective. Want to travel? Use the funds for a trip overseas or to a conference and stay an extra week, you're only out of pocket for the hotel. Need a computer or software? Do a crappy research project and use it for that. Want a microphone and sound editing software? Do an elective with medical podcasting.

Seriously, the thought of defrauding your program is really absurdly short sited. You have an awesome opportunity to buy whatever you want with someone else's money, instead you could get fired from medicine and screw over your program.

 

[da8s0859q]

Agree with those three posts above. Scamming your program out of GME money with these buy/return schemes is absolutely idiotic.

Yeah, it's "your" money, but it's not your cash. It's earmarked for certain uses. Many places, including the program from which I just graduated, prohibit this sort of thing while being very loose with what you can buy. I'm sure lots of people get away with it every year, but can you really afford to be caught?

 

[Angry Birds]

I can't believe people are justifying fraud/scamming/stealing in this thread. Initially I thought this was a joke, and now it seems like it is serious.

You're a doctor. You don't need money that badly. That's just low class and shady.

Also, if you can't figure out what to do with the CME money, maybe it's time to consider utilizing more resources to improve your knowledge and clinical skills.

 

[gman33]

Here's what I would do with the money:

Get Rosh Review - I'm surprised your program doesn't give it to you - it's handy on a phone or iPad and the questions are pretty good
Get 1200 Q's for Emergency Medicine - good for inservice/board prep when you don't feel like reading anything
Get The Ultimate Emergency Medicine Guide - good for inservice/board prep and the pimping that comes up on shift
Get PEER question books - good for board prep

Forget Rosens (does anyone actually read this??!), forget the big Tintinallis (so much useless information), and whatever you do, don't pay to subscribe to journals.

My $0.02

Don't buy any books or journals, just read review books?

Please tell me you are doing more than that for your own education.

 

[ucbsmd]

Don't buy any books or journals, just read review books?

Please tell me you are doing more than that for your own education.

Most journals are accessible through the hospital/university that you are affiliated with. No point in paying for what you already have.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Bunch of people got fired here for using their book funds to buy books and then returning them.

 

[Fox800]

Bunch of people got fired here for using their book funds to buy books and then returning them.

Residents?

 

[wholeheartedly]

Residents?

what difference does that make?

I think it was CRNA trainees, 14 of them. I can't remember the exact figure but it was a pretty hefty chunk of change the hospital lost.

 

[Fox800]

what difference does that make?

I think it was CRNA trainees, 14 of them. I can't remember the exact figure but it was a pretty hefty chunk of change the hospital lost.

Because this thread is about EM residents, not CRNA trainees. Residents are paid by the hospital system, the hospital is given a huge chunk of money by CMS to train them, and the hospital system has a vested interest in their continued training.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Because this thread is about EM residents, not CRNA trainees. Residents are paid by the hospital system, the hospital is given a huge chunk of money by CMS to train them, and the hospital system has a vested interest in their continued training.

It's relevant because this hospital would have done the same thing even if it was residents.

While Its not CMS money, I'm fairly certain the hospital had a pretty vested interest in not booting half its CRNA trainees.

 

[Fox800]

It's relevant because this hospital would have done the same thing even if it was residents.

While Its not CMS money, I'm fairly certain the hospital had a pretty vested interest in not booting half its CRNA trainees.

If the hospital fired "a bunch of [residents]" it would have been a huge deal and they would have gotten a bad rep. Not that I'm endorsing cheating to get book money by any means, that's wrong.

 

[Siggy]

It's relevant because this hospital would have done the same thing even if it was residents.

While Its not CMS money, I'm fairly certain the hospital had a pretty vested interest in not booting half its CRNA trainees.

Except residents are generally around much longer, operate with a higher burden for the inpatient services, are harder to replace, and the hospital receives money specifically for residents from Medicare.

Right, wrong, or indifferent, in the real world all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

 

[Apollyon]

Which is all academic. Irrespective of who is paying, it's fraud. Don't complicate or obfuscate the issue.

 

[gman33]

what difference does that make?

I think it was CRNA trainees, 14 of them. I can't remember the exact figure but it was a pretty hefty chunk of change the hospital lost.

If I'm not mistaken, CRNA programs are paid for by the trainees and the spots are highly competitive.
They likely had a ton of people on the waiting list and could easily fill those spots.
Please educate me if I am incorrect.

Dumping residents wholesale would likely cause a bigger issue for the hospital for many reasons.

Neither party should engage in scamming book money.

Now if you really want a partial scam to get some money, there are plenty of CME resources that give you an Apple Store or Amazon gift card when you purchase said resource.

They basically charge you twice as much as they should and give you a gift card back for about half the money.

 

[Psai]

CRNA spots are not highly competitive. There are a million programs with more opening up all the time. I've never heard of anyone who wanted to become a crna who didn't get in.