Earlier this week, Scott wrote a blog post (The Art of the CMEpalooza Abstract) in which he made multiple references to characters (The Fonz and, of course, Potsie) from the hit TV show Happy Days, which first aired…

[Hold on, I’m calculating]

[Still calculating]

…FIFTY YEARS AGO! Once again, we have our finger firmly on the modern culture pulse of the hoi polloi.

(SIDE NOTE: I asked my 17-year-old daughter if she had ever heard of Happy Days or The Fonz. I got an eyeroll worthy of Mr. C.)

One of the things that Happy Days is known for (in addition to providing the origin for the saying “jump the shark” when a water-skiing Fonz literally jumped a shark while wearing his signature leather jacket. The ’80s were wild, man.)

is their crossover episodes with other popular shows, many of which got their start on Happy Days. Laverne and Shirley from (duh) Laverne & Shirley made numerous appearances on Happy Days, and vice versa. Who can ever forget the L&S episode where Richie and Potsie from Happy Days made a guest appearance to participate in a dance competition? (SPOILER ALERT: hilarity ensued.)

My personal favorite crossover episodes were when Robin Williams’s Mork from (duh) Mork & Mindy would make a surprise appearance with the Happy Days gang down at Arnold’s (SPOILER ALERT: hilarity ensued). Check out these special effects:

The ’70s were wild, man.

We are hard at work finalizing the agenda for CMEpalooza Spring 2024 and hope to be able to release it by the end of next week. Meanwhile, in the spirit of crossovers and cross promotions, there are two upcoming educational events for CME/CE professionals that we thought may be of interest to the CMEpalooza community. Here are the details:

ACCME Learn to Thrive 2024
The ACCME invites the accredited continuing education (CE) community to come together in Chicago for three days of meaningful discussion, collaborative learning opportunities, and connection with peers at Learn to Thrive 2024, ACCME’s annual meeting, taking place on May 14-16, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Chicago. At Learn to Thrive 2024, you’ll have opportunities to discover actionable strategies that will optimize your role in helping clinicians deliver quality patient care.

Check out www.accmemeeting.org for more information – including what to expect, frequently asked questions, and the meeting agenda – or to register.

Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) 2024 Annual Meeting
The Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) invites you to its 2024 Annual Meeting, March 10-13 in San Diego, California.  The theme for this year’s conference is “Exploring the Expanding and Evolving CPD Ecosystem.”

The meeting will address the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI); how CPD/CE can impact the climate crisis; the influence of power and privilege on academic medicine; and best practices for organizations and learners to address complex care needs in under-resourced settings, including migrant, refugee, and displaced communities.

Through research and best practices sessions, CPD/CE colleagues will present innovative strategies they have developed, including interprofessional and team-based education, working in the evolving CPD/CE environment using data driven CPD, and incorporating quality improvement and patient safety.

The meeting will feature the following:

• In-person pre-conference meeting workshops (included in the registration fee)
• Keynote speakers and panels
• Interactive sessions
• Short research and best practices presentations and posters
• Networking opportunities
• Social engagement in-person and virtually

Check out the speakers and the program and register today! Visit sacme.org/page-1859750 for more information.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Submit your abstract
For CMEpaloo…(za)

Roses are red
Violets are white
Abstracts are due
By 9:00 tonight

Roses are red
Violets are brown
If you miss the deadline
You’ll be wearing a frown

Roses are red
Violets are clear
Need more info?
You’ll find it all here

Roses are red
Violets are pink
To submit your idea
Click on this link

Roses are red
Violets are lime
Scott might punch me
If I make one more rhyme

This is it, your last chance to submit an abstract to present at CMEpalooza Spring. We absolutely, positively, definitely, 100% guaranteed, without a doubt, probably will not accept any abstract submitted after 9 pm ET tonight (I underlined and bolded “tonight” so you know I’m serious.)

Click here to submit your abstract for CMEpalooza Spring

As you may have heard, we have opened our abstract submission process for CMEpalooza Spring 2024, which you can read all about here. Submissions are due by the end of the day on Wednesday, February 14. If you are looking for motivation as to why you should consider submitting an abstract, you are in luck! Here are the Top 5 Reasons to Submit an Abstract to Present at CMEpalooza Spring 2024.

5. We are presenting 10 Years of CMEpalooza: Lessons for the CME Community at the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions conference. Wait a minute, you may be thinking to yourself, this is not a reason to submit an abstract to present at CMEpalooza Spring 2024. This is just a shameless self-promotional plug for your Alliance presentation next Tuesday from 3:45 – 4:45 pm CT in the Nottoway room on Level 3. 

To these accusations, I can only respond as follows: Guilty as charged. You caught me. I apologize. It shan’t happen again.

4. We are featured in the most recent Alliance Podcast, Episode 43 – The Impact of Educating the Educators (with the Founders of CMEpalooza). Now hold on, you are probably thinking to yourself, this is another shameless self-promotional plug that has nothing to do with submitting an abstract to present at CMEpalooza Spring 2024.

Uh oh — outed again! Excellent detective work. I shall endeavor to do better with the rest of the list.

3. Fame and fortune await! That seems unlikely, is what you are likely thinking to yourself, though at least you aren’t promoting another unrelated event.

If your definition of fame and fortune is someone you meet at a conference saying, “Hey, I remember you from your session at CMEpalooza,” then friend, this is the opportunity for you.

2. It’s easy. Hmmmm, you might be thinking to yourself, this one sounds suspiciously similar to what you wrote in a blog post the last time you asked us to submit an abstract for CMEpalooza Spring.  

Maybe it is, maybe it’s not. Who can remember from one year to the next? What I do remember is that the abstract submission process is still easy. I feel confident in saying that you will not find an easier abstract submission process for a virtual conference for CME/CE professionals. Seriously, it’s only 7 questions, and half of those questions are for your contact info.

(Note from Scott: So there are 3.5 questions about contact info (7/2=3.5)? I guess this is the new “Derek math” that they are teaching in schools these days. Thank your teachers everyone)

You don’t have to give us goals (boring), objectives (which are just goals with different verbs), headshots (we don’t care what you look like), or any of that stuff. Just tell us who you are, give us a summary of your program, and let us know if you need anything special to present it. To paraphrase the great Lionel Richie, it’s easy like Sunday morning…

1. It’s a good opportunity. OK, you are thinking to yourself, you are definitely now just copying and pasting from last year’s blog post. But we agree that presenting at CMEpalooza is a good opportunity.

Finally something we can agree on. Speaking at CMEpalooza is a good opportunity. You get to present to a decent sized (think >200 people) audience of your peers in a low stress environment from the comfort of, well, wherever you want to do it from. And…

[discreetly glances left and right]

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Move in closer so I can whisper it to you.

A little closer.

A little closer.

OK, not that close. I had a lot of garlic for dinner last night.

[whispering] We don’t care where you work or what your title is.

It’s true. You can be a first-year program manager or a CEO with 30 years of experience – it doesn’t matter to us. What does matter is whether or not you have a good idea for a presentation. If you do, submit it to us!