LACMA Physician....

DOCTORFISH ON VACATION:

CME COURSES AND GREAT DIVING

Just call them Dr. Jacques, as in Cousteau. They're one with the water. They're underwater gods. They're doctorfish on vacation with HUB Concepts.

Many physicians return from vacations tan, relaxed, and rejuvenated. If they take a trip with HUB Concepts, they also return with CME credits.

San Antonio-based HUB Concepts provides medical professionals with unmatched CME courses at exotic dive destinations around the world. Since 1977, Bruce and Anita Bassett have hosted thousands of physicians and family members on CME programs.

"We specialize in high-quality CME courses and great diving," says Anita Bassett. Their current courses are: Chemical Dependency, Diving Medicine, and Travel Medicine. Their destinations include Bonaire, Cayman Brac, Cozumel, Fiji, and Palau, all of which offer world-renowned diving. Combine these locations with these courses and you have the ideal vacation for Los Angeles area physicians.DOCTORFISH DESTINATIONS

HUB Concepts goes to some of the best diving spots in the world. Anita Bassett scouts locations and resorts in detail before hosting a HUB Concepts course. She also ensures every aspect of the trip is coordinated before, during, and after the course.

The Caribbean offers some of the world's best diving and the three islands visited by HUB Concepts are a triple play of vacation possibilities.

Located off the coast of Venezuela, Bonaire is a tiny Dutch island that has been a dive magnet for years. Part of the Dutch ABCs (the other two are Aruba and Curacao), Bonaire attracts divers from around the world for its consistent conditions. The marine park surrounds the entire island and offers more than 100 documented dive sites.

Bonaire is dedicated to dive tourism and offers one of the best overall diving experiences in the world. There's lots of shore diving, short boat trips, and incredible underwater life. HUB Concepts is hosted by Divi's flagship property, the Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino.

Contact the Bonaire Tourist Information Office at Resorts Management Inc., The Carriage House, 201 1/2 E. 29th St., New York, NY 10016, (212) 779-0242.

The Caymans and Cayman Brac still reign as the mecca for divers. From big-time operators to small and quiet places, divers flock to these islands for some of the most legendary dive possibilities in the Caribbean.

Cayman Brac is the home of great wall diving, with underwater bluffs heading into the deep. The colorful walls and island ambiance make little Cayman Brac a diver's dream vacation. HUB Concepts is based at the Divi Tiara Beach Resort, featuring great dining and a perfect beach.

Contact the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, P.O. Box 67, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, (809) 949-8989.

Si, Cozumel is Mexico's most popular diving destination for good reason. The dive operators are much-improved and have shed their reputation as being non-professional. A dive trip to Cozumel today brings few hassles and lots to see above and below sea level.

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is the Mexican Caribbean for divers, with consistently Caribbean-like conditions. Cozumel features legendary sites, like Palancar, Paraiso, Punta Sur, and the airplane wreck. Most of the trips are drift dives, making the dives a bit like watching a movie as you drift by the reefs and marine life.

Contact the Mexican Government Tourism Office at 405 Park Ave., Ste. 1401, New York, NY 10022, (212) 755-7261.

Though Fiji is pretty far afield, it's worth the trip. Like a highlight film from "South Pacific," more than 300 islands are bursting with tropical jungles, friendly natives, delicate mountains, endless white beaches, exotic wildlife, and superior diving.

The main attraction for divers is the soft coral, making for incredibly colorful and lush landscapes. HUB Concepts currently visits two resorts, starting with the five-star Fiji Sheraton and then flying over to the tropical paradise of Taveuni and the Matagi Island Resort. They also offer post-conference extensions on a live-aboard dive boat.

Contact the Fiji Visitor's Bureau at 5777 West Century Blvd., Ste. 200, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (310) 568-1616.

When it comes to diving, Palau rhymes with wow. The island offers crystal-clear waters, deep coral chambers, massive schools of underwater fish, and something special: a hike through the jungle to dive with rare, fresh-water jellyfish trapped there eons ago.

HUB Concepts doctorfish stay at one of the world's finest hotels, the Palau Pacific Resort, which was built as a memorial to those who fought there in World War II. World-famous Truk Lagoon is a pre-conference alternative, while Yap is a popular post-conference choice.

Contact the Palau Visitors Authority at P.O. Box 256, Koror, Palau 96940, FAX (011) 680-488-1725.

THE CME COURSES

"I can highly recommend their course topics, coverage, and expert faculty" says Kenneth Head, a LACMA member and area orthopedic surgeon in Glendale. He has attended five diving medicine courses and two chemical dependency courses. His wife, Bertha, is a counselor in training and has attended two programs.

Most doctorfish say they would come to the courses even if there wasn't great diving. The course topics and presentation draw repeat doctorfish on every trip. Dr. Head says, "I've found the classroom time and contact with other physicians to be very beneficial to my practice."

The Chemical Dependency course covers the leading health problem in America. Recent research shows there is a biochemical basis for many chemical dependency problems and this unique program includes powerful presentations from leading experts in this emerging field. Subjects include: an overview of addiction, the chemistry of addiction, diagnosis, treatment, and much more.

Scuba diving is one of America's fastest-growing sports, with more than 5 million participants. The Diving Medicine course covers medical problems associated with diving, recognizing and managing diving injuries, promoting diving safety, and developing personal diving skills.

Travel is the most popular pastime in America. The Travel Medicine program teaches doctors how to: provide travel counseling, assess potential health risks, design programs for traveler immunization and prophylaxis, and initiate a physician's traveler service as part of a practice.

All of the courses are professionally-run and very well-organized to provide for much learning and expert contact. They are taught by several experts in the field. Each course also includes a manual providing an array of background material.

More than 100 programs have been approved for Category I continuing medical education, with hours varying between 21 and 30 hours per course. Final accreditation for each individual course is usually confirmed about four months in advance of the trips.

DON'T DIVE??

Non-divers are welcome with HUB Concepts. In fact, their CME courses offer the perfect opportunity to learn to dive. They can arrange all of the details for becoming a certified scuba diver during the trip.

The basics of scuba diving are surprisingly simple. Divers use specialized modern equipment that adapts to the aquatic environment. Scuba equipment provides a portable air supply that allows divers to spend an extended time underwater (from a few minutes to several hours, depending on factors like depth and breathing efficiency).

The tank is a high-pressure cylinder that stores plain old compressed air--never oxygen--that is released with a valve. This passes through a regulator to deliver a controlled amount of air when you inhale. A gauge lets you monitor the air supply.

The tank and regulator are typically held in place by a buoyancy control device (BCD), an expandable bladder that can be inflated or deflated to control a diver's buoyancy. The mask is the window to the underwater world, creating an air space which allows divers to see. A snorkel is attached to the mask and allows divers to breathe at the surface without having to lift their heads. Fins allow you to move through the water with far less effort and far greater efficiency. A weight belt is also worn to allow you to sink.

THE LOGISTICS

HUB Concepts is popular because they make vacationing and CME credits easy. From the initial contact with them until well after the trip, doctorfish get great service.

HUB Concepts can make almost every travel arrangement and vacation coordination for physicians and their families (always welcome). They also provide an incredibly detailed package of information concerning the trip and course.

HUB Concepts provides an incredible vacation value. For example, the Bonaire trip starts at $950 for accommodations, $345 for the dive package, and $400 for a scuba certification course. The 1993 academic program tuition is just $600 for Caribbean destinations and $800 for Pacific destinations. As thousands of doctorfish have found, other destinations are competitively priced and well worth the expense.

For further information, contact HUB Concepts at 1150 IH-10 West S/185, San Antonio, TX 78230, (210) 697-9797 or (800) 547-3747, FAX (210) 697-9922.