Comments on: BMJ Masterclasses – very pricey lunches indeed

By: Vickic

Vickic — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:51:39 +0000

Thanks for your feedback which I find helpful.

I like your blogs and am already a fan. Good luck and hope you get more users.

By: northerndoctor

northerndoctor — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:08:03 +0000

Personally, I didn’t find it that useful. But I suspect that is largely related to my learning preferences – I can see why it suits the needs of many clinicians. I notice the Masterclasses have really been highlighting the interactive elements – presumably to try to entice those like me who are left cold by the core didactic teaching strategy.

Thanks for the links.

By: Vickic

Vickic — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:48:02 +0000

I just came across this insightful debate. You mentioned that you went to a BMJ Masterclass in 2008 but you did not say whether you have found it useful in your practice which I will be most interested in. I have noticed the link to the sponsorship policy is broken, hence an empty (error) page – here are the correct links:
http://masterclasses.bmj.com/sponsorship/guidelines
http://masterclasses.bmj.com/sponsorship

By: BMAS - a confession « Northern Doctor

BMAS - a confession « Northern Doctor — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:01:38 +0000

[...] refer readers back to this post if they want further evidence that the BMJ group is happy to sell their soul to the highest [...]

By: Northern Doctor

Northern Doctor — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:02:13 +0000

I think a lot of people are making real efforts at an individual level to change their practice. It seems an enormous pity that a leading organisation, in medical education terms, such as the BMJ Group, that has enormous influence nationally, if not internationally, is not showing us the way.
Leaving their sponsorship policy page conspicuously blank speaks volumes.

By: Marcella

Marcella — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:26:08 +0000

My colleague and I went through the patient information leaflets so “kindly” provided “free” to our surgery today, and chucked out all those that were sponsored by companies – we now have a very bare rack and plenty of room for the genuine NHS and charitable information.

By: TheShrink

TheShrink — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:23:55 +0000

We pay for our lunch every other day of the week or weekend, why aren’t we paying for it on days when we’re studying?

I don’t have any drug reps in my corner, lunches are banned in our Trust, drug reps no longer can access clinicians. If clinicians say no to this then as Brett says above, change can be effected.

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:19:06 +0000

Good questions. I paid >A$1000 a few years ago for a 5-day family planning course here in Australia and was surprised to find that lunch every day was sponsored by a drug company. After the course I questioned whether this was necessary. The course organiser took the issue to the organisation responsible, and now they are running the course without pharma sponsorship.

Change is possible. Keep up the good work.