03/05/2021    Arnold Signer, DPM

Podiatric Associations Should Provide Free CME Webinars (Judith Rubin, DPM)

Dr. Rubin questions why our state associations
charge a fee to obtain CME's for their webinars.
Granted, we are experiencing unusual circumstances
that we have never before encountered, due to the
pandemic. However, there is a solution;
particularly for the larger states.

Only a portion of the income required to operate a
state association and the attendant costs of
representing its members and protecting their
ability to practice comes from dues income. A large
part of the remaining income is derived from
educational seminars and, yes, webinars. Having
been involved in running educational meetings, I
know that there is no guarantee as to projected
registration for a seminar.

However, what if every member of an association
shared in the cost of staging a meeting? In the
late 1980s, the Florida Podiatric Medical
Association was faced with asking the membership
for a $100 per member dues increase, just to
maintain the services we provided. A group of the
leadership analyzed our two meetings each year.
Some made money, while others lost funds. In 1988,
we presented the membership with the necessity for
a $100 dues increase and, additionally, suggested
to them that if they approved a $200per member dues
increase instead, we would provide free
registration to both of our annual meetings.
Additionally, we would provide them with all
requirements necessary for their re-licensure. We
also told them that our anticipation was that there
might not be a necessity for increases in the FPMA
portion of their dues going forward.

The result was that, having paid for the
registration, membership was more inclined to
attend a Florida meeting. More attendance resulted
in happier exhibitors, leading to more exhibitors
and increased booth fees. It achieved better deals
with host hotels and better programs. The result--
no FPMA dues increase since 1989 and a happy
membership.

In today's environment, this could certainly extend
to webinars. I strongly recommend consideration of
including meeting and webinar registration
inclusion with dues to other states that have not
previously done so. It works!

Arnold Signer, DPM, Retired, Altamonte Springs, FL

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