Since Derek has curiously avoided his usual crutch of coming up with Top 10 lists when he doesn’t have a better idea for a blog post, I figured I’d step up to fill the void (note from Derek: point of clarification — I usually only do Top 5 lists. Top 10 lists are too much work.) So, in the wake of Monday’s announcement about our special sponsor event entitled CMEpalooza’s Signs of Spring, I thought I’d provide you with the Top 10 reasons you should spend time this morning doing something other than completing one or more contest entries.

That’s right – there is nothing more important than completing one or more contest entries this morning. No, not that grant proposal that is due “urgently.” No, not that outcomes report that your supporter asked for 2 days ago. No, not even that scheduled faculty call at 10 am. That can all wait. So put on your OOO for 30 minutes or so and get cracking on The Signs of Spring. (note from Derek: I take it back. Top 10 lists are not too much work if that is your list. Cheater.)

I’ll even give you a note for your boss if you need one.

In the northeastern United States perhaps more than anywhere else in the country (or maybe I’m just biased because I live here), the arrival of spring is cause of celebration. After several months of winter coats, hats, and mittens, the first warm stretch of March lets us know that our days of shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops aren’t far away. Neighbors who we haven’t seen for months come out from hibernation. Daylight drifts further and further into the evening. And at least in my neighborhood, the sweet singsong of the Ice Cream Truck punctuates the atmosphere.

Here at CMEpalooza, we wanted to celebrate spring in our own special way, by creating our special Sponsor event focused on the themes of the season. Because we are so creative, we are calling this event CMEpalooza’s Signs of Spring.

Here is how this event works:

1. Click here to download the forms you will need (if you would rather have a Word version, click here). CMEpalooza’s Signs of Spring is pretty simple. We have divided our sponsors into eight Spring-oriented categories. Within each round of clues, you have to answer one question about a sponsor. Each question ties into our Springtime theme. Some clues are a bit more of a stretch than others, but just bear with me.
2. So, where do you find the answers to these questions? Well, by visiting the websites of our CMEpalooza Spring sponsors (we have links for you on our Sponsor tab). I promise that you won’t have to hunt too much to find anything. Most clues are either on the company’s homepage or one click away. The goal isn’t to make this difficult, it’s to familiarize you with our Sponsors and the amazing work they are all doing.
3. You can use the answer sheet located in the downloaded forms to complete your responses. You may submit up to three entries, but for each entry you must answer clues about different sponsors.
4. Within each entry, you must get every answer correct to qualify for our prize drawing. If the sun is out and the weather is warm when your submission arrives, maybe I’ll let you get one wrong. We’ll see.
5. Completed answer forms can be sent to me at scott@excaliburmeded.com. Make sure to include your name and professional affiliation in your email so that when we announce that you’ve won, everyone can be sufficiently jealous.

We’ll have five prize winners who will each receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Maybe you can spend it on something fun, like this snazzy getup (I’ve heard rumors that Bert is only for the coolest kids these days).

Entries will be accepted until the clock strikes 5 pm ET on Friday, April 5, so get cracking!

Among the many things that CMEpalooza is known for is our financial generosity to the CMEpalooza community. We have heard many, many stories from winners of various CMEpalooza events whose lives were changed in a substantial way thanks to the mountains of cash they earned. In fact, we were in discussions last year with TLC about creating a series chronicling those whose lives have been altered thanks to our financial generosity, but we weren’t comfortable being in the national spotlight and eventually demurred.

So while fame might not be in your future as a participant in CMEpalooza promotional events, fortune very well might be. We have quite a few opportunities for you to bolster your bank account in these next few weeks as we lead up to our live broadcast day on Wednesday, April 16. Here is the rundown for you:

1. We will launch our special Sponsor event — CMEpalooza’s Signs of Spring — Monday, March 31. This will run for one week.
2. Thanks to a sponsorship from Talem Health, the CMEpalooza STEPtacular Challenge will be back once again, beginning on Monday, April 7. This will also run for one week.
3. Thanks to a sponsorship from Academic CME, we will be returning to our CMEpalooza Feeds the People giveaway, where 25 people will earn $20 Grubhub gift cards for, well, basically for doing very little. Details forthcoming next month.
4. And finally, thanks to a sponsorship from the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning, we’re bringing back the CMEpalooza Scavenger Hunt. This one will run exclusively on the day of CMEpalooza Spring (that’s Wednesday, April 16).

Add it all up, and that’s $2,000 of giveaways this spring (and at least that much in the fall). Our accountant is thrilled.

One more, unrelated reminder: The Ask Us Anything mailbag is empty. We can’t give out our incredibly valuable advice unless people want our help. So if you have an issue (professional or personal) you want us to help with, click here to submit your question(s).