I'm just wondering if anyone has suggestions for cheap vs. free continuing education opportunities? Our employeer has just cut our continuing ed budget so now myself and 3 other new grads are looking for opportunities to further our education. If anyone has any good ideas we'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Contact your local hospital OT department and see if you can participate in their CME/Inservice programs. Most drug companies sponser CME programs, so contact them also.

Morning Lacey,

 If you are an AOTA member, and I hope you are, you can find continuing ed. articles in the OT Practice magazine along with continuing ed. courses and on-line and mail-order courses through AOTA. Also, check with your state organization for continuing ed. courses that it may be sponsoring. Don't forget that writing article/book reviews, giving workshops and taking on OT students all count. I also think that you should really look into attending an AOTA national conference not only to get most of your continuing ed. credits in one shot but for the wonderful experience of meeting your colleagues from around the country and hear some inspirational speakers. Look into attending your state conference, also.

If you can get others to join you there are sometimes discounts for groups and try to organize a workshop where-by others pay to hear the speaker you have choosen and for being the organizer you don't have to pay or you can ask your facility to sponsor one.

Hope that I have given you some good advice?

Pete K.

In Illinois, we have an organization called Starnet.  They offer cont. ed. credits for anyone that works with children. The conferences are free and they feed you breakfast and lunch.  The topics may not apply to everyone, but you can choose the ones that do.