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A Veterans Reflections on Organizing
and Running a CE Course
I’m sure you’ve
heard the war stories about what it’s like to organize and run a
Continuing Education (CE) course at the Annual SOT Meeting: hours of
thankless work; tight deadlines; uncooperative speakers; bizarre
personality issues; last-minute crises. All, to one degree or another,
are true. What never seems to get mentioned, unfortunately, are
the rewards associated with organizing these courses. The CE courses are a popular and important part of the annual
meeting, and so it is vital that dedicated and knowledgeable individuals
continue to volunteer for the job. I would like to offer some inside
observations based on a three-year stint on the CE
Committee, as a course organizer on one, and as an instructor in
two different courses.
The first step is choosing an appropriate topic. One factor
to consider when picking a topic is the level of general interest.
For example, is this an esoteric topic that only a few people care
about or will find relevant to their daily job as a toxicologist?
If so, the topic may be more appropriate for the symposium or workshop
format. Another factor is what we might call the Amaturity of the
subject. That is, are the basic concepts and techniques understood,
or is the subject still theoretical? Again, you might want to consider
a different venue. Bear in mind, a CE course must
present a broad overview of the subject; it is not a forum for the
presentation of ones newest findings. This is a trap many instructors
fall into, knowingly or otherwise. Also at this stage you’ll need
to carefully decide if this will be a basic or an advanced course.
You should also poll your suggested speakers for their interest
in actually taking part.
Once you have chosen a couple of potential topics, start talking
to people. Your colleagues will be a valuable resource in determining
what people want to know about a particular subject. Get suggestions
on who the experts are, then find out if those experts are effective
communicators. Find out who backup speakers might be. The more information
you start with, the better your chances are at a successful course.
You’ll also want to get the sponsorship of one or more of the specialty
sections related to your topic. This sponsorship lends a degree
of credibility to the course. The suggested courses go to the CE Committee. Occasionally, if a similar topic has been presented
relatively recently, the applicant is requested to resubmit at a
later date. The Committee may also suggest different speakers, or
a slight change of focus. Otherwise, if the course is acceptable,
you’ll be notified.
So much for the easy part. Once your course has been approved the
real challenge begins. Frequent and detailed communications at this
point will hopefully prevent misunderstandings later. Your biggest
challenge in the entire process lies before you, namely assembling
the syllabus, which is the only tangible product. The course
syllabi are often purchased by individuals who are unable to attend
the course physically, and are more important than you might imagine.
However, the deadline for completion is months prior to the Annual
Meeting, and resistance to this deadline is legendary. Pleading,
threats and swearing occasionally come into play. But, somehow or
another, you’ll make the deadline.
Finally, you are at the Annual Meeting, and the moment of truth
has arrived. Student volunteers do much of the leg work such as
handing out syllabi, directing people to the correct rooms, and
turning back gate crashers. Professionals handle the projection
and lighting chores. The hardest job you will have at this point
will be keeping the speakers on schedule. In almost every case,
the months of preparation pay off and the course runs smoothly.
Later you’ll get the evaluation forms that are filled out by the
attendees; these will provide you with useful feedback. Of course,
you’ll also hear from attendees who think you should’ve provided
refreshments during the course (I got one of those), or who thought
that your (clearly labeled) advanced course was just too…well…advanced.
Is organizing a CE course a lot of work? Absolutely.
It can also be, shall we say, challenging. But the benefits far
outweigh any problems you’ll have. By working closely with the experts
on a subject, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the topic you
have chosen. Often, you’ll develop a reputation of expertise in
the area as well. The practical experience you get from managing
a successful CE course just might encourage you
to organize other meetings. But most of all, the feeling of accomplishment
you get when someone comes up to you a year later, and tells you
how much they learned from your course, is priceless.
Robert V. House
Covance Laboratories, Inc.
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