This Epilepsy Course Spans Needs from MOC to Board Prep to Clinical Skill-Sharpening

A faculty of two dozen epilepsy experts from Cleveland Clinic and other top U.S. centers will gather in Cleveland from Saturday morning, Sept. 23, to midday Monday, Sept. 25, for the fourth offering of the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Update & Review Course.

If you’re an adult or child neurologist, epileptologist, trainee or midlevel provider who manages patients with epilepsy, you stand to benefit from the CME-certified event, held at the InterContinental Hotel on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus.

Below are four major reasons this popular course is not to be missed, whether you’re preparing for the epilepsy board exam or just want to sharpen your delivery of epilepsy care and learn of cutting-edge developments in the field. The full agenda and registration are available at ccfcme.org/epilepsyupdate17.

1) Breadth of the curriculum. From epilepsy classification to diagnostic evaluation, medical and surgical treatment, epilepsy syndromes, status epilepticus, genetic/metabolic epilepsies and more, this two-and-a-half-day course has it covered. “We provide highly comprehensive coverage of a plethora of issues in epilepsy identification and management,” says course director Ajay Gupta, MD, of Cleveland Clinic’s Epilepsy Center. “Attendees come away with a good level of confidence and expertise in assessing, managing and treating patients with epilepsy.”

2) Attention to overlooked topics. That comprehensive agenda translates to the ability to explore less-common conditions and more recent discoveries. Sessions devoted to genetic and metabolic epilepsies and use of neurostimulation devices stand out as examples, Dr. Gupta notes. “Also, we devote significant attention to the evaluation for epilepsy surgery and discussion of important comorbidities, like psychiatric conditions, as well as social considerations, including driving and employment issues,” he says. “Few courses delve into these important questions.”

3) Opportunity to earn MOC and do ideal board prep. In addition to being approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for CME requirements, the course is approved for up to 20 Self-Assessment Category 1 CME credits for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology maintenance of certification (MOC) program. “And if you’re taking the epilepsy board exam, you’ll benefit from a thorough review of all the essentials along with the most recent updates in knowledge and research across the spectrum of epilepsy care,” adds Dr. Gupta.

4) Unrivaled access to expert faculty. The course features a faculty of 24 recognized epilepsy experts from Cleveland Clinic and institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Boston Children’s Hospital and University of Washington. Beyond Q&As at the end of their presentations, these veteran clinicians and researchers are available to attendees during breaks or at arranged times to discuss difficult cases and answer questions. And the substantial but manageable audience size — last year’s course had 120 attendees — means greater access to faculty than you’ll get at medical conferences. “Our faculty are always available to attendees for curbside consults, to look at images on laptops or simply to exchange opinions on clinical topics,” says Dr. Gupta. “This is an important element of our course, and one we all really enjoy.”

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.