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.

Despite boldly announcing at the beginning of today’s interview with Wendy Turell, Associate Director, Global Medical Affairs Oncology, Scientific Engagement at Daiichi Sankyo, that this was the last in our “10 Years in 10 Minutes” series, I later realized that it is actually, in fact, not the last one. It is the fifth of six, the last of which will be on Wednesday. Those of you who have been following along closely might remember that I also made a mistake at the beginning of my interview with Brian McGowan a couple weeks ago. The lesson here is that I should probably refrain from talking during these interviews and limit myself to hand gestures and nodding along.

Nevertheless, I was thrilled to have a few minutes to talk with Wendy about her presentation at the inaugural CMEpalooza on Qualitative Research and CEHP. Wendy and co-presenter Alex Howson from Write Medicine were the first “panel” presentation at CMEpalooza (can two people make a panel? Let’s say yes), the success of which helped show some of the possibilities of the Google Hangouts On-Air format. At the same time, Wendy was the first presenter who suffered serious technical issues, to the point that I thought Alex might have to do the presentation on her own, and helped show some of the challenges with the format (side note: if you watch the original presentation, you can see Wendy make a sudden dramatic appearance on screen, tech issues resolved, popping on just as I begin the introductions. High stakes drama!)

Wendy and I discuss all of these things, plus her thoughts on the value of qualitative research in CME today, why we are still fighting the same battles 10 years later, and even a tip for a fun family vacation spot. All that in a neat 10 minutes.

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.