Unclaimed CME money

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ethilo

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I unfortunately couldn't go to any conferences using my CA-3 CME money due to scheduling conflicts throughout the year. As a result, I now have $3500 of CME money unspent and am finishing residency in a couple months. I need some creative ideas for use of the money.

Also unfortunately, any computers / electronics become property of my institution on leaving, therefore those are off the table.

Ideas, please!! My Amazon shopping cart is chock-full of textbooks that I'll probably never use and I'm no where near hitting the mark.

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What about things like IARS annual meeting on demand, SCA or Echo Week on demand, etc? Not only will reach of those cost about $1200, but you'll get a $500 Amazon (or Apple or Best Buy) card along with them

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just go to a conference in any nice city. ASA has a calendar of upcoming conferences. if you can get the time off $3500 will go a long way.
 
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Audio digest has a 1yr subscription for $2k that gets you a $1000 Amazon/Apple gift card. They also have a 2yr one for $4k that nets you a 2k gift card. Seeing as how it’s June and vacation time will be difficult and you’ll have oral boards coming up the audio digest may be a decent buy with free money even if you don’t need the CME yet.
 
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The gift cards show you how much profit there is in these programs. TBH you could probably reproduce these programs for free with a little legwork on Youtube. But with a gift card you can parlay/launder your CME money into a new TV, diapers, or whatever. I’m sure the companies that sell these programs know this. They could easily charge half price and get rid of the gift cards. Just another example of how people with a certain background work the system. Much like the other thread where the guy is a million in the hole but still living large. For the OP it may be a good way to go.
 
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Are you able to use your CME money for state license applications? I was able to do this at my program
 
Are you able to use your CME money for state license applications? I was able to do this at my program

I'm moving states, so they won't pay for an out-of-state license app.
 
Audio digest has a 1yr subscription for $2k that gets you a $1000 Amazon/Apple gift card. They also have a 2yr one for $4k that nets you a 2k gift card.
I'm half surprised they haven't completely dropped all pretenses and introduced a $21,000 subscription with a $20,000 Amazon card. Must be that Amazon doesn't offer one that big.
 
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I'm half surprised they haven't completely dropped all pretenses and introduced a $21,000 subscription with a $20,000 Amazon card. Must be that Amazon doesn't offer one that big.

It's like drug company pricing. When you increase prices only 10% per year nobody notices and and you fly under the radar (mostly).
 
I unfortunately couldn't go to any conferences using my CA-3 CME money due to scheduling conflicts throughout the year. As a result, I now have $3500 of CME money unspent and am finishing residency in a couple months. I need some creative ideas for use of the money.

Also unfortunately, any computers / electronics become property of my institution on leaving, therefore those are off the table.

Ideas, please!! My Amazon shopping cart is chock-full of textbooks that I'll probably never use and I'm no where near hitting the mark.

One could consider buying a boat load of books (make sure you have the classics for yourself - current M&M, stoelting’s, Jaffe along with board review material)... the ones you don’t need you could always return back to Amazon, just be advised sometimes they charge 25% restock fee.
 
What does your institution want to do with 4 year old electronics. Time to let go boys.
 
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Jesus. I went to the wrong program. I only get 500 a year.
 
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stethoscope(s). Personal video laryngoscope. Regular laryngoscope handle and blades (top quality) Other equipment.
 
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Your broke ass hospitals don’t buy you guys laryngoscopes and ultrasounds?

Might do a locum or practice site in the future that has **** equipment. I have seen lots of locum docs who carry their own stuff just in case.
 
stethoscope(s). Personal video laryngoscope. Regular laryngoscope handle and blades (top quality) Other equipment.

Along these lines, one of our AAs has a personal small twitch monitor. I think of him often as we don’t have many around here in the cardiac rooms.
 
I unfortunately couldn't go to any conferences using my CA-3 CME money due to scheduling conflicts throughout the year. As a result, I now have $3500 of CME money unspent and am finishing residency in a couple months. I need some creative ideas for use of the money.

Also unfortunately, any computers / electronics become property of my institution on leaving, therefore those are off the table.

Ideas, please!! My Amazon shopping cart is chock-full of textbooks that I'll probably never use and I'm no where near hitting the mark.
The common practice at my program was to “buy” the most expensive books on amazon, print the receipt, and immediately cancel the order. Just a thought....
 
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Thanks for the ideas! I went with the audio digest / Amazon gift card. Gonna get me a quad-copter!
 
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