As mom, wife, and full-time PA, I know that time is very valuable and life can get impossibly busy. But when you’re a healthcare provider and have to throw CME attendance on top of everything, it just doesn’t feel like traveling is worth the time or expense.

But I’m here to tell you, traveling for CME conferences is your one-way ticket to blending that business and pleasure your healthcare burnout has been craving! 

…And I’ve got a little secret for you… you can do it totally free. 

So, sit back and relax, because I’m highlighting a free CME to get you out in the world and enjoying some quality time with your family, while keeping you up-to-date on your CME requirements.

Introducing the Annual Meeting for American Society of Clinical Oncology in Phoenix, Arizona. 

I'll start by answering the obvious question: Yes, it was the middle of the summer—And I won’t lie to you it was hot! But there are a few key reasons you should absolutely go without hesitation:

1. We took this opportunity to make it a mini road trip with the family and got to experience Arizona in the way the locals do.

2. The hotel we stayed at had a small water park to entertain the kids and keep them cool while I was off attending the conference.

3. Ice cream, Ice Cream, Ice Cream!

4. The ASCO conference is on a Saturday and Sunday, which didn’t require many days off.

5. The conference price was free if you register early (I highly recommend early registration to skip the normal $70 rate).

And if those didn’t convince you, I’m going to be detailing my favorite conference and vacation highlights below, so keep reading!

Our Arrival

We arrived one day before the conference to explore the Phoenix area. If you don’t know, Phoenix is known as the 5th largest city in the US, and I was ready for an adventure! But when you're traveling with kids, you have to roll with the punches, and that early morning 100 degree heat was something the kids just weren’t used to. 

So, instead of sticking to our original plan, we decided to head to River Ranch: a mini waterpark which is part of the Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak. Family-friendly and exciting for the kids, there were multiple pool areas with a half-mile lazy river. As you can imagine, in the heat we happily made it a pool day, all day. So if you’re taking a family of your own, I can say with certainty, my family would highly recommend.

Learning and Vacationing—In the Balance

Now, when traveling for a CME, it’s known there is going to be time I’m away from my family to study. But the beauty of taking my family on these trips is knowing they can vacation while I’m doing my learning. 

Regardless, this makes the moments I do get to enjoy with them traveling so important. So, below are a couple of spots we were able to explore and enjoy during our weekend together. 

#1: Federal Pizza

A great made-to-order wood-fire pizza spot, this place was so fun to take the kids. I mean…how could it not be—what kiddo doesn’t love pizza? As a local small business, Federal Pizza was highly recommended by locals. But if you get the chance to visit, know it is busy (we waited about 35 minutes on a Friday night), and parking can be hard to come by. Regardless, below are just a few reasons we loved heading here:

1. Misters to keep their patrons cool while waiting

2. A kids menu with paper activities and crayon for them to enjoy

3. Absolutely DELICIOUS loaded brussel sprouts!

4. Open until 11pm if you’re looking for a late night bite

5. A drive through option if you need a little convenience

   
   

And after dinner, without hesitation, we trekked across the street for some ice cream!

#2: Churn Ice Cream

This ultra popular Phoenix ice cream spot was a HUGE hit with the kids. One of the things I loved about taking the kids here was that Churn is allergy conscious as long as you ask. My kids have a few allergies I always make sure I’m on top of, so to know they would check their ingredients and wash off their scooper for us made me feel really cared for. 

On top of that, they have a beautiful covered seating area in the back with string lighting; it created a sweet ambiance for our family as we enjoyed our ice cream. I liked the adult-only Mojito sorbet if you’re looking for a refreshing option, but the Goat Cheese/Honey Pistachio was also amazing! 

#3: Hole in the Rock Trail

So I know it’s hot, but since we were in Arizona, we had to check out their incredible landscape with a short, family-friendly hike. Part of the Papago park adjacent to Phoenix Zoo, Golf Course and Botanical Garden, this hike was only 0.3 miles and had a beautiful sunset view at just 32 feet elevation

The Conference: ASCO-Direct 2022

The Annual Meeting for American Society of Clinical Oncology in Phoenix focused on the Oncology specialty and sought to enhance the learning of oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, NPs, PAs, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of patients with cancer. 

The Location

As previously mentioned, we stayed at the Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak, where the conference was located. The cost was fairly economical with group rate $129.00/night + resort fees $39/night. I have to admit the hotel itself was a bit outdated but our suite (The Agave Suite) had a separate living space from sleeping space which was a great addition for the kids. We were just a short 10 minute drive from many restaurants and hikes too which made our weekend away exciting.

The Conference and its Content

First, I want to make sure I highlight and reiterate that this conference was entirely free! Just registering early made it so I wasn’t required to pay the regular $70 registration fee. But even if you aren’t able to take advantage of early registration, just $70 for this CME conference is definitely reasonable for its whopping 9.25 CME credits. 

To continue, the conference took place Saturday-Sunday and brought professors, researchers, and clinicians from Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, UCSF, and the University of Arizona to speak. I found the content to be very relevant to oncology specialists, and though sponsored by a few pharmaceutical companies, I was glad to feel that the conference was notably unbiased.  

Brought by Horizon CME, this conference also hosts the APP Oncology Summit periodically around the US, which is another very low cost oncology conference held from exciting places like Seattle, Pasadena, and Honolulu.

So if you’re looking to learn how to travel and complete those CME requirements, we hope you’ll utilize The CME Spot, our time saving solution to your destination CME search. And if you find this post has been helpful, we hope you’ll follow us on social media for all updates and future CMEs. 

Thanks for journeying through our trip with us, and remember to ask yourself: Where will your learning take you?