Page 28 - SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL NEWS & HEALTHCARE REPORT JUNE 2022

AROUND THE REGION
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Evaluating Formal Cannabis Educational Opportunities

BY DR. JEFF G. KONIN by others for quality, accu- in the course delivery. low, would you not assume there may be a
racy, and an absence of bias. You should also look lack of quality? After all, we equate lower
In some of my previous columns I have From the perspective of carefully for the follow- costing items with lesser quality products.
discussed the importance of cannabis edu- live or online courses, they ing components related Do professional development continuing
cation to many different stakeholders if we abound! And – they can be to the course on the pro- education programs fall under this similar
are to see advancement in this space. expensive! There is no sin- motional materials: assumption? Yet, if the course was very
While the term “education” seems simple gle formula that can help Program and/or high priced – as some are tremendously
to understand for most if not all of us, the predict how good the edu- Course Title: As simple overpriced especially in the online
diversity and quality of what is being cational content will be as it sounds, the title of a cannabis space – will it truly deliver a valu-
taught in the numerous platforms can when signing up to learn program and its inclu- able package to you or is it a quick money
leave some even more confused than when about cannabis. However, sive presentation topics grab? It is also helpful to view the cancel-
they started. What about for those of you like all other conferences, may provide you with a lation policy. Any policies that just simply
who already have a solid baseline of under- there are a few guidelines sense of the quality and don’t appear to be “user friendly” would
standing of cannabis and are seeking con- that you can follow to bet- competence of the raise a red flag to me. Life happens, and if
tinued professional development? Where ter evaluate the course con- Dr. Jeff G. Konin course. Titles can give companies putting on courses are unwill-
do you go for educational opportunities? tent ahead of time. Of course you a glimpse into the ing to recognize this I would likely turn
How do you decipher between quality and much of this also depends on the level of scientific level of the content as well as the toward another program. Refunds that can
propaganda? knowledge that you are starting with and “low key laid back” approach to the deliv- be applied elsewhere toward a future
First and foremost, peer-reviewed and what your overall goals are toward learn- ery. This is not to say that you should course are good options, and refunds
published scientific literature is always a ing about a specific aspect of cannabis. always judge the book by its cover, but it is minus a reasonable administrative fee are
reliable source. Yes, you should still evalu- The first simple step is to review the pro- an easy starting point for a review process. also fare. After all, companies may have
ate and critique all published work, but motional materials: website, flyers, save Learning Outcomes or Program Goals: spent a respectable amount of funds mar-
the mere fact that a paper has already gone the date cards, etc. Look for professional A 1- or 2-day course can be themed and keting and promoting the course, agreeing
through some review process is a good quality, images, typos, etc. These are basic focus on a very specific topic such as the to speaker fees, renting room space and/or
starting point for a minimal level of assur- things that should raise a red flag. If you endocannabinoid system, or it can have a AV equipment, etc. But any program that
ance. Keep in mind the key term “peer- find careless wording or blurred photos, variety of topics that range from CBD and refuses to honor a refund in any manner
reviewed.” Just because something is pub- you might want to just wonder if the same forms of application to the entourage within a reasonable time for such a request
lished doesn’t mean it has been reviewed lack of attention to detail will be presented effect of various cannabinoids. The choice is simply not acting in good faith. Such
is yours, depending on your goals of learn- programs operating in this manner will
ing and levels of interest. While not every- ultimately lose clients and word of mouth
one is an expert in using Bloom’s taxono- will spread fast.
my to state course and presentation goals, Professional Credits Offered: One item
those who do use such higher level of to consider is whether or not the program
learning words such as “solving”, ‘detect- offers formal credits such as CME’s or
ing”, or “validating” reflect a deeper expec- CEU’s. Programs that formally offer credit
tation as compared to words such as “iden- that has been granted by your professional
tifying”, “estimating”, or “comparing”. associations reflect a minimal standard of
Again, these are examples, but those who review and expectations that inform you of
present more often and are tasked with a higher level of quality to begin with. This
writing goals and objectives will be more doesn’t mean there may not be less than
familiar with using higher level terms. It is admirable speakers or some with great
easy to search online for an example of knowledge and poor presentation skills. It
Bloom’s taxonomy of words. One thing to does mean that some vetting process has
also consider is who is identified as the tar- occurred at least through a paper review
get audience. Be sure that you fit into this and typically those looking to simply put
category or else you may feel as though on a program and make a quick buck will
you are in the wrong room! not go through the approval efforts.
Speaker Credentials: A series of alpha- This is just a snapshot of some sugges-
bet letters after one’s name does not auto- tions for reviewing cannabis educational
matically translate to excellence at the courses. All of us have different experi-
podium. Credentials go beyond letters as ences and we play a role in helping to
they include accomplishments that con- bring efficacy not only to the science and
tribute to the body of work in the area of clinical aspects of cannabis integration but
the content being presented. We have all also to ensure proper, factual, and effica-
been to presentations where “heavy-hit- cious education is being transmitted to our
ting” named speakers disappointed us as stakeholders.
well as listening to some of the best pre-
sentations delivered by speakers we never
previously have heard of. It is also impor- Dr. Jeff G. Konin is a Clinical Professor in
tant to correlate the speaker’s presentation the Department of Athletic Training in the
and know whether or not the individual Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and
has any potential conflicts of interest or Health Sciences at Florida International
biases in any way. This could influence the University (FIU) where he directs the
presentation and not provide you with a Global Initiative for Cannabinoid Research
true reflection of the facts. Do your home- and Education. To learn more about FIU’s
work, ask around, have some familiarity cannabinoid research and education initia-
with individuals as best you can to maxi- tive you can visit their website at
mize your valuable time. https://go.fiu.edu/GlobalCannabis. Views
Registration Fees & Cancellation represented in this column do not reflect
Policy: This can be a tricky area to consid- that of Florida International University and
er. Think about it, if a course fee is very are solely attributed to Dr. Jeff G. Konin.

28 June 2022 cannabisnewsflorida.com Cannabis News Florida