Friday, April 1, 2011

Online entertainment

Last night I was signed up to do CME (continuing medical education) with a live webcast.

I don't do these very often, but it was free, I needed the credits, and I figured I could do some paperwork while tuned in. Who knows? I might even learn something.

So the talk began. The speaker was broadcasting from his home office, using a webcam on top of the computer. It seemed like the usual monotonous stuff... "When considering options in the treatment of Frickle-Martin syndrome one must first..."

Then his cell phone rang. "Oh, sorry everyone, I'm on call for my group tonight. I had to switch and tonight was the only... Hello? Yes, this is he. Yes, I rounded on her today. No, the MRI was still being done when I left. I can't talk to her family right now, I'll call back in an hour."

A few minutes later he was reviewing a nail-biting slide on cellular metabolism when he suddenly jumped back in his chair and a large, furry, white Samoyed reared up next to the desk, put it's paws on it, and stared straight into the camera "No! Down Sweater! Bad dog!" Not to be turned away, Sweater licked the speaker's face before disappearing.

A few more minutes went by, when there was a voice in the background. I couldn't hear what it said, but the speaker immediately turned away from a heart-pounding genetics slide and yelled: "I'm busy! I'll look at the math homework later."

Another few slides passed, and a phone rang. He ignored it for 3 rings then answered: "Hello? No, she, went to get Laura from piano class. I'll tell her you called."

The rest of the talk, unfortunately, was uneventful. I finished some office dictations, and made a mental note that if I'm ever asked to a talk like that (nobody is calling, either) I'll probably do it from my office downtown.

24 comments:

OMDG said...

File this under: Neurologists are people too. Sort of.

Life in vet school said...

I think large, furry Samoyeds should be a mandatory part of every CE webinar. Imagine how much more interesting they would be!

C said...

That sounds like more fun than a traditional "class."

Thatgirl said...

But if it hadn't had so many interruptions you wouldn't have gotten a funny story out of it...

Anonymous said...

This is simply hilarious. I wish the last webinar involved phone calls, and math homework, and large fluffy Samoyeds. But, seriously, I thought the majority of these presentations were edited before available on the CE circuit.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

All the ones I've normally done are, so I was surprised that this one was live. I guess it was so we could interact with the speaker.

As it turned out, we didn't have to. His dog did.

Anonymous said...

It just proves that neurologists are human, after all.

Sarah Glenn said...

Who was the ACCME accreditor? :)
Inquiring minds want to know.

Annie said...

It just goes to show: you get what you pay for.

Packer said...

How many credits ? The only thing that matters.

We have 24 CLEs for 2 year period. Half must be live, which I found out in hour 16 of Webinars.

Kyla said...

Hilarious!

Don said...

This is funny, but quite unprofessional. I've had to listen to a few of these at work (engineering, not medical), and they are the most serious, monotone things I have ever listened to. I think that reading Machinery's Handbook aloud would be more interesting.

At least you got a good post out of it, and some credits.

If there was feedback, were there questions relating to the dog????

Anonymous said...

I would prefer my talks to be more unprofessional as long as they involve large Samoyeds licking faces.

The Mother said...

See? Doctors are people, too.

We have dogs and kids who have math homework. Just like everybody else.

Katie said...

Sweater is a marvelous name for a large furry Samoyed.

Anonymous said...

Dr Grumpy, if you are ever asked to do it, it's not right for you to do it from your office downtown, please do it from your home, you are supposed to entertain your audience, and I am sure all your readers (med or non-med) will sign up for it.

Anonymous said...

How about from the bathroom? Nice and quiet.

Anonymous said...

sorry for being off topic, but did you remove the post about the flying penguins video? i loved it, a timely post for today :p

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Okay, I put it back up. Enjoy!

terri c said...

I am sure I would like this more than the average webinar, and I am positively disposed by any speaker who is loved by a Samoyed with a sense of humor.

Moose said...

Samoyeds are awesome dogs. They're smart but bullheaded. My mom used to love watching the dog shows because the trainers would be all stuffy with their dogs, and then the Sammys would come out and be everywhere. They'll never be perfect show dogs, but who cares? For the most part they're warm, furry, friendly dogs that are great with families. [My mom grew up with an exception, but that's a tale (no pun intended) for another time.]

I love the name "Sweater" though. My mom used to swear up and down that if she thought he'd hold still she'd wear the dog I grew up with around her neck like a giant stole. She used to say he was 75 lbs: 60 of it fur. Samoyeds shed like mad, except in the spring when they shed like the whole asylum. Awesome doggies!

moplans said...

soooo funny
professionalism is overrated

kg said...

I recently quit a bible study b/c the host continually answered the phone (and talked on it!) and played fetch with her dog, during the study. But Sweater's owner at least tried to limit the time on the phone!

Texas Pharmacy Chica said...

Excellent.

I wish that was one of mine.

My live CE's usually involve ridiculously complicated diagrams on a powerpoint slide, opening only on 1/4 of the screen with the instructor speaking over the slides. Of course, he or she may sit in bed in their UofWhatever PJ's with the laptop on their lap and coffee on the nightstand. (I tend to do AM live CE's when possible and need min. of 10 hr live ones for each 2-yr period)

vw; corkingo - a cross between a corkie and a dingo???

 
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