Your San Francisco CME conference.

Your dates. Your specialty. We handle everything else.

Plan in San FranciscoFrom under $50 a day
A miniature San Francisco bay with an orange suspension bridge and a stone overlook, and a capybara photographing the bridge.

Check in once for the entire trip.

Seamless, start to finish.

A personalized live conference. One-click check-in from your email. Automatic checkout when the conference ends. Documents generated automatically.

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The check-in area

Check-in area around the designated center of San FranciscoA flat map drawn to scale, north at the top. A circle with a 20-mile radius is centered on the designated center. Designated center20-mile check-in areaAttractionsGetting hereN10 miDesignated center20-mile check-in areaN10 mi
Drawn to scale from the designated center. Not for navigation.

Check in within 20 miles of the designated center.

Unbeatable value. From under $50 a day.

One fee, $349, for a single conference of up to 7 days. Annual membership for multiple trips at the lowest cost per day.

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Make this trip yours.

$349 one time with Lite

One personalized conference in San Francisco. Choose 1–7 study days for the same price.

Plus applicable tax.

Make room for more.

Membership: $999 a year

21 study days to use across your conferences throughout the year. Choose a new destination, new dates and a personalized program for each trip.

Renews annually; plus applicable tax.

Documentation, done for you.

Itinerary, certificate, reimbursement letter. In your inbox. Tax-ready.

Credit options
Sample confirmed itinerary: a conference agenda page with the Shift CME header, two study days of sessions from 9 AM, for a fictional participant in San Francisco.
Sample professional development reimbursement request letter for a $349 conference in San Francisco, with an employer decision box.
Sample Shift CME certificate of participation for a fictional participant, with location, dates attended and recorded study time.
Sample receipt: Shift CME Lite, one conference, $349 paid.

Shift CMEToday

Your San Francisco conference documents

Built around your practice.

Personalized live conferences with relevant materials.

Your conference

San Francisco

PresentationFever in the returning traveler
Next · 10:45 AMMosquito-borne infections
Journal moduleVaccines before travel

Live today · 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Day 1 · Travel and tropical medicine

  1. Fever in the returning traveler
  2. Mosquito-borne infections
  3. Vaccines before travel

The details.

Planning San Francisco

How it works, step by step

Choose your dates and specialty.

Make San Francisco your setting. Start any day of the year and choose 1–7 consecutive study days.

Review your personal program.

We build it from presentations and journal modules for your specialty. Swap or remove sessions before you confirm.

Go, check in and learn.

Check in once from your phone within 20 miles of the designated center. Study at your destination, then make the afternoon your own. See the San Francisco check-in area.

Watch the full How Shift works video
Explore the full three-day primary-care sample

Your program draws on licensed educational content. Presentations pair audio with slides; journal modules link to source readings.

Sample 3-day conference in San Francisco

IllustrativeSAMPLE CONFERENCE

A practical update in primary care

Tue 12 – Thu 14 Jan 2027 · 3 study days · 9:00 AM–2:00 PM Pacific Time

Day 1 · Tue 12 JanTravel and tropical medicine

  1. 9:00–10:30 AM
    PresentationFever in the returning travelerAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  2. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
    PresentationMosquito-borne infectionsAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  3. 12:00–2:00 PM
    Journal moduleVaccines before travelRead at its PubMed Central link

Day 2 · Wed 13 JanHeat, sun and active lives

  1. 9:00–10:30 AM
    PresentationHeat illness and hydrationAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  2. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
    PresentationSun exposure and skin protectionAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  3. 12:00–2:00 PM
    PresentationSprains and overuse injuriesAudio and slides at its scheduled time

Day 3 · Thu 14 JanSleep and fatigue

  1. 9:00–10:30 AM
    PresentationInsomnia and sleep habitsAudio and slides at its scheduled time
  2. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
    Journal moduleShift work and the body clockRead at its PubMed Central link
  3. 12:00–2:00 PM
    PresentationDaytime sleepinessAudio and slides at its scheduled time

Checked in 9:04 AM · location verified within 20 miles

This is a sample program. Review your available topics and formats before you confirm.

Credit options

Category 1 through a session’s accredited provider, where offered.

Category 2 self-claimed by eligible physicians for qualifying learning.

It depends on the session. A presentation or journal module offers AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ only where its accredited provider offers a CME activity and supplies instructions for claiming it; then you claim it as that provider directs. That credit comes from the provider, not from Shift CME, and not every session offers it. Physicians may also self-claim AMA PRA Category 2 Credit™ for learning they judge meets the AMA's requirements, and your Shift CME records can support that claim. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants follow their own certifying bodies' rules: NCCPA lets PAs self-claim Category 2 CME, while AANPCB and ANCC require accredited contact hours, which Shift CME does not award.

Where to stay in San Francisco

From cable cars and the Ferry Building to Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge and North Beach cafes, San Francisco packs a lot of waterfront and hill-country variety into a compact city.

Union Square
Choose this area for shopping and easy transit. San Francisco Travel calls it a transportation hub and lists many hotels around the square.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Choose this area if you want the waterfront, PIER 39 and ferries close by. San Francisco Travel lists hotels here.
Nob Hill
Choose this area for a hillside base. San Francisco Travel describes it as one of the city’s original seven hills and lists hotels here.
Afternoons, travel and weather in San Francisco

Summer fog means a jacket even in dry July, September and October are the warmest months, and rain returns from late autumn through winter. Conferences are available all year.

San Francisco after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM San Francisco time. Good afternoon choices sit close together on the northern waterfront: a ride on a cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf, a walk along the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building, or a slow loop through North Beach. Dress in layers and keep a windbreaker with you, because neighborhoods a few blocks apart can feel ten degrees different.

Flights, lodging and attraction tickets are arranged separately by you. Alcatraz in particular is reached only by a private ferry under contract with the National Park Service, so check ticket availability well before the afternoon you want it.

Cable cars and the northern waterfront

San Francisco Travel describes Fisherman’s Wharf as a place visitors closely associate with the city. PIER 39 is a converted wooden pier with shops, restaurants, street performers and a resident population of sea lions, and Ghirardelli Square is a former chocolate factory that now holds shops and restaurants. Boat tours to Alcatraz and Angel Island also leave from this stretch.

The city runs three cable car lines. The Powell–Hyde and Powell–Mason lines start at Powell and Market streets and continue to the Fisherman’s Wharf area, and the California line runs from California and Market to Van Ness Avenue. Bikes are not allowed on board, and the cars do not have accessible boarding. Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 has no parking; the National Park Service points visitors to public transit and notes that the F Line streetcars run past it.

The Ferry Building and North Beach

The Ferry Building Marketplace hosts a farmers market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays all year. The weekday markets are smaller and occupy the front of the building along the Embarcadero, while the Saturday market is held in front of the building along the Embarcadero and on the rear plaza overlooking the bay. Check the marketplace’s current hours against your 2:00 PM finish before you plan around it.

North Beach blends Italian heritage, Beat Generation history and modern eateries, according to San Francisco Travel. Coit Tower stands on Telegraph Hill and has 1930s interior murals of scenes from California’s history. City Lights bookstore on Columbus Avenue showcases the Beat Generation. This is a neighborhood to wander on foot with no fixed plan. San Francisco Travel also describes the Embarcadero as suited to active travelers, with outdoor spaces and views of the Bay Bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park

The National Park Service describes the Golden Gate Bridge as 1.7 miles long and open to walkers and cyclists across its full span. Bike rentals are not available at the bridge, and the page advises dressing warmly. A Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center sits at the south end. Pedestrian access follows set daily hours that change with daylight saving time, so confirm them against your 2:00 PM finish.

Golden Gate Park covers 1,017 acres with lakes, meadows, gardens and groves, according to the city’s recreation and parks department. It also has golf, tennis and pickleball courts, bike rentals and a bandshell that hosts events. Roads are closed to cars on select days, so check the department’s page for which days apply.

Shops, trends and cafes

Union Square is a 2.6-acre square described as the downtown shopping and hotel district, with virtually every name brand in fashion on or near it. Hayes Valley is described as a place to see what is next in tech, fashion, art and food, and the Mission as a neighborhood with boutiques and restaurants.

Choose the Union Square area if you want a central base for shopping and transit, and choose Hayes Valley or the Mission if you would rather see what is current in boutiques and restaurants. Chinatown is another neighborhood the tourism board covers, with guidance on restaurants, history and tours, so it is worth a look on the map if you want a different pace.

When to visit San Francisco

According to San Francisco Travel, fog tends to be most noticeable in summer, so a July visitor often needs a jacket more than a December visitor does. July is the driest time of year even though it needs a jacket. September and October are the warmest months, with average highs near 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and early fall offers the most reliably warm, dry outdoor days.

Winter brings the most rain, with December through February the wettest months at 4 to 5 inches a month, and rain returns in late October and November. Average highs run from about 58 Fahrenheit in winter to about 70 in September. The tourism board says layers work in every month and recommends a windbreaker or sweater all year.

Getting to San Francisco and your study setting

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the arrival point shown in this guide. The BART station sits in the International Terminal, reached by a short walk from Terminals 1 and 3 or by the AirTrain red line, and San Francisco Travel describes the ride into the city as about a half hour. Downtown stops include Civic Center, Powell Street, Montgomery Street and Embarcadero. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.

Destination
San Francisco, California
Milder travel season
March–May · September–November
Arrival airport
San Francisco International · SFO
Check-in area
Within 20 miles of the center

Weather guidance helps you choose a travel season. Shift conferences are available all year.

Sources & local details

Local guidance by Shift CME, with official sources and individual review dates below. Confirm opening hours, transport and admission directly before booking. The diorama is an illustration, not a venue or included attraction.

FAQ

How does a conference work?

Choose your destination, dates and specialty. Your program includes journal modules and scheduled presentations. Presentations start at their scheduled times, rather than on demand. Review the program before you confirm. See each step.

Why do I need to be at the destination?

Shift CME licenses educational content for live conferences at designated destinations. Those licenses restrict use to the conference location, so you need to be at your selected destination to participate. Presentations start at their scheduled times as part of your personalized program.

Where do I need to check in?

Select a destination from the destinations page. Check in once during your conference, within 20 miles of the destination’s designated center. Check-in is open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM destination time on any study day. If you haven’t checked in by 10:00 PM on your last study day, no participation is recorded. Enable browser location access; if your phone can’t confirm your location, you can confirm it yourself when you check in.

How long is a study day?

Study days run from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM local time, with presentations starting at scheduled times. That leaves the rest of the day to enjoy your destination.

What does it cost?

Membership is $999 a year (introductory price), plus applicable tax, and renews at $999 a year until you cancel. It includes 21 conference days a year. Each conference uses 1 to 7 conference days. Members can add days for $40 each. Without a membership, one conference of up to 7 study days is $349, paid before you create it. Read about membership.

Can I change a confirmed conference?

Before you confirm, you can swap or remove sessions, or regenerate the plan. Choosing Confirm and lock itinerary locks the program. To change it after that, cancel the conference and plan a new one. Cancelled or incomplete confirmed conferences keep their confirmation.

See the complete FAQ

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Plan in San Francisco