There are always one or more conferences every year that you can and should attend and you can always justify taking the time off. (See the reasons below.) You could be missing out on a lot of fun combined with some superlative education. You snooze, you lose!
Continuing education is a must for any conscientious practitioner, whether it is through world symposiums, seminars by suppliers, association conventions, or management training and consulting through companies like ours.
May I give you 10 reasons why you should attend these?
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Think of your patients
You graduated with a certain set of skills trained into you and as you started practising, you honed these skills into whatever level of perfection you are happy with. However, do you want to become a technological dinosaur or an antiquity in your own profession? Beware of the attitude: “What was good enough 20 years ago is good enough now.”
You owe it to your patients to keep current with all the latest techniques, procedures, equipment, materials and so on. If the goal of your practice is to provide high quality care and service to the patients, then you need to be in touch with the most current technological advances. No contact with the outside world means no evolution in your own world. Yet there is a constant evolution going on in your profession in terms not only of technical matters but also better ways to manage your practice for increased service levels for your patients.
To miss two to four days at the clinic in order to gain some education for the benefit of your patients is one “excuse” that any patient or client would happily agree with.
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New skills
The associations or organizations hosting these conferences work very hard to combine a real learning experience for you by bringing in a host of knowledgeable speakers. If you are looking for increased skills and knowledge, you will find it here. If you think you know everything already, you have a wrong attitude. The most successful healthcare professionals always have a thirst for new ideas and methods. The day you stop wanting to grow in knowledge and learn more is the day you start going downhill. There is so much creative potential in your practice if you only look for it and learn how.
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New materials
A whole range of suppliers are usually present at the conferences. How will you know if there is something better than what you are using unless you check these things out?
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New equipment
There is often new equipment exhibited at the booths for you to see and lust after and work towards buying.
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Meet new friends and colleagues
This is an ideal way to meet other colleagues from your area to network with and share different ways of running your business. Share problems and find new solutions. Help each other. You are not the only one who has problems that you don’t know what to do about.
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Advance your profession
The reason that your profession moves ahead is because of education. Otherwise, it would still be in the dark ages. Share and learn successful actions for advancing your profession in your area and country.
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Association meetings
There are various annual general and membership meetings taking place during these conferences. These are a good forum for ideas and methods for changing and improving the profession and you should contribute to them.
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Your own mental health
Need I point out that it is good to take your nose off the grindstone once in a while and get outside the bubble of your own practice? Going to a conference is a most pleasant way to get the continuing education you need. There is usually some fun entertainment planned as well that you can jump into. Treat yourself! Enjoy yourself! Come away relaxed and with professional enhancement!
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Team Building
Bring your team with you. There are usually some courses that staff and spouses can attend that will help create a stronger team.
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It’s a tax write off
What an opportunity for a holiday, and you get to write off all the expenses and save on taxes. Also, a convention with courses included is often a cheaper way of getting your CE credits that taking a stand alone course somewhere.
Look for when and where the next conferences for your profession are scheduled and block out the time in your calendar. Call your friends and colleagues and get them to go too. Learn how to improve your practice and have fun!
For Courses and Consulting to take your practice up a level or three,
Call 416-466-6217 for more information or click here
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