Making the Most of your CME Money When Traveling

Traveling for continuing medical education is a great way to combine learning, fulfilling your CME obligations, and having a nice vacation to unwind or go on an adventure.

You may be a physician who does not always use your CME funds. Unless your funds roll over year to year, you end up losing the money and a great opportunity to have an amazing travel experience. Or maybe you are someone who waits until the end of the fiscal year to use your funds, and scramble at the last minute to find a trip, only to end up buying the CME that offers the Amazon or Apple gift card. 

With a little planning, you can make the most out of your CME funds, and plan a fantastic travel experience or even a partially-funded trip of a lifetime. Let’s explore how you can leverage your CME money to maximize your travel and savings. 

Clarify

Start by clarifying your institution’s CME policy before booking tickets for an exotic CME getaway. Many employers allow you to be reimbursed for flights, food, rental cars, housing, etc related to CME activities. If your leftover CME money rolls over to the next fiscal year, then consider saving up for an amazing CME adventure.

Start Early

There are a variety of CME travel destinations, international conferences, adventures, cruises, and unique experiences. Starting your research early, sometimes a year or more in advance, gives you time to plan an extended vacation, get the best price for flights, and secure the conference’s discounted room rate. If you wait until the last minute, some in-demand or smaller events can be sold out. Even conferences held at bigger hotels can sometimes sell out all of their available rooms, leaving you having to book a room offsite. 

Partially Fund an Amazing Vacation

Look for bucket list type locations. Take advantage of getting reimbursed for part of your travel.  Although it may not cover all of the costs of your adventure, having your CME money allotment partially fund your trip is a good start. 

Pre and Post Conference Extensions

Making arrangements for pre and post-conference travel is a great way to cover the cost of flights and make the most out of traveling long distances. If you’re going to New Zealand for a 5-7 day CME conference, consider giving yourself 12-14 days to explore more of the island. Even for nearby conferences, having extra time to relax and play, is a great way to maximize your CME dollars. 

Credit Card Rewards

Putting all of your CME expenses on a rewards credit card allows you to continue building your reward points, and to use them to pay for travel expenses not covered by your CME allotment. 

Tax Write Off

Check with your accountant or tax professional about being able to write off your CME travel expenses. If you have an LLC or business, make sure you are taking advantage of all the tax benefits. Just remember to keep your receipts, especially itemized receipts if eating or drinking with others.  

Meet Up with Friends & Family

CME conferences are a great way to meet up and spend time with friends from medical school, residency, and work. If you end up taking your whole family to a conference, the CME reimbursement will cover your share of expenses, so you can think about it as a heavily discounted trip. If you are wanting to visit out-of state friends or family, try finding a conference in their vicinity. It’s a great way to catch up during your free time while earning your CME. If they live close enough to the venue, you can even consider staying with them, or inviting them to take a staycation at the conference center or resort. 

If you have ever wished you could use your continuing medical education funds for a wellness retreat, to unwind, regroup, and have fun, Oasis Adventures would love to have you join us on one of our CME physician wellness retreats. Happy travels.