Choosing CME with gift cards is a fantastic way to stretch your medical education funds!
Today’s medical professionals have a lot of options for earning CME, including live conferences, webinars, and online courses. Online, on-demand CME courses are a great option for busy physicians and advanced practitioners. American Medical Seminars offers high-quality, ACCME-approved courses that give you the freedom to earn credit anytime, anywhere, and on any device (including your phone, tablet, or computer).
Many on-demand CME courses are accompanied by gift cards that can be worth several hundred dollars. That means you not only get high-quality continuing education materials, but you also receive funds that—if used wisely—can benefit you professionally. CME with gift cards can help you stretch your medical education funds in multiple ways to stay up-to-date with new developments in your field.
Use Medical CME with Gift Cards to Advance Your Practice
The free gift card you receive with your CME can be used in an unlimited number of ways! These ideas for taking full advantage of online CME with gift cards are just a few creative ways to stretch your continuing education funds.
Upgrade Your Computer
Many online audio/video CME courses are designed for use with any device. However, a large screen and full keyboard may be helpful for learning new material. Consider using the gift card you received with your CME to upgrade your laptop!
Meet CME Requirements
As a healthcare provider, you have to complete hours of continuing education each year, not only to meet professional requirements but to provide the best possible care to your patients. A gift card received as part of a CME purchase can be used to buy additional CME in any format. This allows you to stretch allotted CME money further.
Buy Books
No matter what specialty you belong to, there are books worth owning but too expensive to justify purchasing for personal use. Use your Amazon or Amex gift card to buy a medical book you have always wanted to own. Don’t hesitate to use your gift card to pick up a lighter option as well. A combination of dense medical texts and easy yet relevant reads might be the best use for CME gift cards.
Invest in Teaching Materials
As a physician, you spend a lot of your time explaining human anatomy, medical terminology, and diagnoses to your patients (and perhaps pre-med or medical students too). Your goal is to help your patients understand their diagnoses and involve them in their treatment plans. Tools like props, models, and charts can help you explain what’s going on in a patient’s body. While these items might not be the highest priority for your general budget, adding posters and models to your space with a CME gift card is a great use of these funds.
Take Care of Yourself
With physician burnout at an all-time high, perhaps the best way to spend your gift card is on self-care. Of course, a meal out, massage, shopping spree, or night away isn’t going to cure burnout. But if it’s been a while since you took time for yourself, consider whether or not stepping away from your practice for a few hours (with a few hundred dollars to spend) might be the best thing for you and your patients.
There are several ways you can use your CME gift cards to further your continuing medical education. You don’t have to use all of these ideas—invest in a combination that suits you best. Finally, remember that your gift card has an expiration date!
- The receipt for any incentive-associated purchase will designate the value of the gift card separately from the cost of the learning activity.
- This incentive may have implications on your tax reporting obligations. Any reimbursed amount must be declared as personal income for tax purposes.