We wrap up our “10 Years in 10 Minutes” series (yes Derek, for real this time) looking at the history of CMEpalooza today by catching up with one of the more dynamic presenters in our history, Jason Olivieri. In addition to having a hairstyle that make many in our industry jealous (but not me – no, no, never), Jason is also an expert in simplifying the complicated world of outcomes. His initial salvo during the first CMEpalooza Spring focused on the topic of Statistical Analysis in CME Outcomes.

Jason is usually full of energy, but looked more than a little haggard before we started recording this piece due to the most recent new arrival in his family (a whippet puppy) who was keeping him up at all hours. Not surprisingly, he rallied as soon as the red light went on and shared his story of the technology challenges associated with the early days of virtual presentations, why the Kool-Aid Man (“Oh Yeah!”) will be the mascot for his dream medical education company, and his future as a sardine fisherman. Yes, this conversation went in a few unexpected directions.

The next victim is our special “10 Years in 10 Minutes” interview series is Pam Beaton, currently living abroad as the Global Head of Medical Education, Grants, Sponsorships, and Collaborative Partnerships at Boehringer Ingelheim. Pam is also currently on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions.

At the initial CMEpalooza Spring back in 2014, Pam was working at the American College of Chest Physicians and presented on the topic of EACCME Made Easy, where she shared her (at the time) recent experience with European accreditation. Of course, it was this presentation that set the stage for her eventual move to Germany once everyone saw how adroitly Pam was able to straddle worlds separated by the Atlantic Ocean. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

On today’s interview, we talk about Pam’s experiences as a novice virtual presenter, some of today’s ongoing intricacies with European accreditation, and the wonders of the Christmas markets in Germany.

Today, we continue our special Tin Anniversary “10 Years in 10 Minutes” feature by catching up with Dr. Erik Brady. Erik is one of the lucky/unlucky ones (depends on your perspective) who escaped the clutches of CME and now serves as the Chief Operations Leader of Biomedical Graduate Programs at Wake Forest University.

Back in the early days of CMEpalooza, however, Erik was entrenched in the world of outcomes and data mining. His initial CMEpalooza contribution was entitled “’Excel’lent Tricks for the Non-Expert: Exploring the Beauty of the Cells.” What an incredibly witty title.

In today’s interview, Erik returns to his CME roots by reflecting on his initial meeting of the introverted minds with Derek, his curious love of all “black and gold” colleges, and how he still points colleagues to his initial CMEpalooza session as a learning tool. Some things just never go out of style (please ignore my fancy hoodie here – my stylist took the day off).