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This is “The RAD Position” with ASRT CEO and
Executive Director Melissa Pergola, a podcast for medical imaging and
radiation therapy professionals.
Melissa Pergola: Hi everyone, and welcome back to “The RAD
Position” podcast. I'm your host, ASRT CEO Melissa Pergola.
Ray Arambula: And I am her podcast partner, Ray Arambula.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. And today we have two of our Board
[ASRT Board of Directors] members on, and it's going to be a wonderful
discussion because they both have similar passions, which is really igniting
passion in the next generation and also uplifting technologists and
therapists.
So we are thrilled and pumped for this conversation [laughs], since we have
two of you. So welcome, Ashley and Carmen.
Ashley Smith: Thank you. Glad to be here.
Carmen George: Thank you.
Melissa Pergola: So now I'm going to take a minute to
introduce Ashley and Carmen, and I'll start with Ashley.
Ashley M. Smith has been working in medical imaging for 20 years. She
currently serves as the clinical imaging specialist for Franciscan Health in
Indianapolis, Indiana, where she contributes to many areas of the imaging
department.
Ashley's primary responsibilities are creating and maintaining policies,
procedures, and guidelines; initiating, monitoring and maintaining quality
activities; staff education; and ACR [American College of Radiology] and ACHC
[Accreditation Commission for Health Care] compliance. She was selected as a
student intern in 2006 and has continued to volunteer for the ASRT. Ashley
currently serves as speaker of the House [ASRT House of Delegates], and she
looks forward to continuing her service to the ASRT for years to come.
Welcome again, Ashley.
Ashley Smith: Thank you so much. I appreciate the opportunity
to be here.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. Now I'm going to turn to Carmen.
Carmen graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a Bachelor of
Science in radiologic technology and graduated from Northwestern University
with a Master of Science in radiologic science with a concentration in
education, where she also became a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor
Society.
Carmen started her career working in the hospital performing CT [computed
tomography] and diagnostic x-rays, then went into the educational setting and
taught radiology for over 16 years, after which she went back to the hospital,
where she currently works at Baton Rouge Medical Center as the radiology
regulatory coordinator.
Carmen is active in the profession and has presented multiple lectures at the
state and national level, served on the board of the Louisiana Society of
Radiologic Technologists for nine years and has served on various committees
with the ASRT, where she currently serves as the vice speaker of the House.
Welcome, Carmen.
Carmen George: Thank you. Good to be here.
Melissa Pergola: So, Ray and I will kind of go back and forth
and ask you some questions about your passions. And so we will go ahead and
get started. So Ashley, I know you're passionate about building the next
generation of advocates. So my question is, what first inspired you to focus
on this building of the next generation of medical imaging and radiation
therapy advocate professionals?
Ashley Smith: Well, I think it kind of started back when I
was a student and when I got the opportunity to apply for the student intern
program. For me, it was based on the knowledge that I saw around me. So,
Indiana has some really great House of Delegates members who took me under
their wing. And I also happened to work with Donna Long at the time when I was
a student tech. She was a technologist at my local hospital. And just seeing
the things that Donna had done and some of my other instructors, Bruce Long
and Sarah Baker — seeing how they had worked through the profession kind of
inspired me then.
And as I've progressed over the last 21 years, they continue to help give me
the knowledge to be a good advocate. And I know I wouldn't be where I am today
without their help, so. Them investing in me has given me the thought process
to invest in others.
So I go to the clinical program that I work with every year and speak on the
things that I do. And I really encourage the students to apply to the Student
to Leadership Development Program, because I think it's a great place to
start. And once we get them interested, we've got to keep them. So, if it
wasn't from where I started and had the people to give me the background, I
wouldn't be the one giving the background. So I'm definitely appreciative
those people who came before me and invested in me, and so now I'm just paying
it back.
Melissa Pergola: So you're inspired to make that next
generation of leaders be who they can be because you were inspired by others.
Ashley Smith: Exactly.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. So I'm curious, Carmen, do you have
any significant mentors that you want to tell us about?
Carmen George: It's true. I feel like a lot of things —
networking and surrounding yourselves with other professionals is key. Key to
success. Key to longevity. Key to health, I think, really and truly. As
humans, we need people and we need interaction, but more particularly in our
careers, in this profession, we need the interaction from those other people.
And we thrive on it. And if we're not getting it, then I really think that
leads to burnout. And that's a big component of it.
Yeah, I've been lucky to have a lot of people around me throughout my career
encouraging me to go into education. I had a former program director, Tanya
Crone. She encouraged me — just teach an evening class for her, she said.
That's where it started.
And then I pulled in and I ended up in education for 16 years. And Brett
Bennett was another one who was an educator when I was coming up, that he
helped instill a lot in me. And Laura Aaron is another one who's such a dear
friend of mine.
And I think that's the key to everything: success in life, but especially in
this profession. I think that's really a big component, that if you're not
networking with other people, you're getting complacent.
Ray Arambula: Yeah, no, absolutely need that at every level,
like you said. Ashley, back to you. Advocacy is an important role for this
profession in general, but why is it important piece of the future of medical
imaging and radiation therapy?
Ashley Smith: Well, I definitely think that we've seen it
when we talk about encroachment and other pieces like that, where we have to
advocate for ourselves to make sure that we maintain our place in the health
care system. You know, we live in a world where hospitals want to get leaner.
Organizations want you to do more and wear multiple hats. And I think there's
definitely a line where we have to say this is our specialty and this is what
we're good at. And that's where advocacy really comes into play. And we've
just got to really maintain the balance of showing our skills.
And for me personally, from the advocacy street and in my day job, I've been
able to help my staff work at the top of their license, let's say that,
because of advocacy and because of the work that I do with the ASRT and the
understandings that I have of certain documents. And I think that's important
too. We all need to show where our skills can shine and make sure we're
shining the brightest skills, so we can maintain our place and we can care for
our patients appropriately and use our skill, knowledge and education that we
all have that makes us medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals.
Ray Arambula: Yeah, and I would say it's probably important
that, you know, these decisions are being made for us, but we want them made
with us involved.
Melissa Pergola: Mm, yes.
Ray Arambula: And that's a good point that we need to keep in
mind, I think.
Melissa Pergola: So Ashley, you mentioned documents, and I
think of our practice standards specifically [ASRT Practice Standards for
Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy]. And you mentioned using those
documents to sort of push organizations to let technologists and therapists
work at the top of their licensure. But what does that actually look like in
practice?
Ashley Smith: So, probably the best example that I have of
that — when I moved into my current role, we had issues with getting our
patients vascular access when they had, you know, history of cancer, received
a lot of chemotherapy. Those types of things are — you know, if we were
talking from the mammography perspective, if they were fighting breast cancer,
you know, you take lymph nodes and you can only use one side, and we know that
one vein can only go so far. And being at a large cancer hospital, we had a
lot of patients that had ports.
Well, our hospital said only nurses can access ports. And I said, well, I have
documentation that supports otherwise, and think about how this rolls out.
This is a great patient satisfaction thing. You know, we're not delaying care.
We can stay on track, keep our schedule up.
And it took me about three years working with the administration within my
hospital, but now I have techs in all areas that have the ability to access
ports, and our patients love it. And at the end of the day, our patients are
getting the care that they need. I mean, you don't have a port placed if we
can't use it. That just didn't work for me. And so, definitely understanding
those documents, understanding what the staff can do, helped me to advocate
that to the powers within my hospital.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. It puts an exclamation point on the
significant role that both you and Carmen play, right? As speaker and vice
speaker, and sort of overseeing the committees that work on those documents
and being that leader and those leaders on the floor at the House when those
important decisions are being made.
I love that story. I love specific examples of, right? That's why it's so
significantly important, the work that we do.
Ashley Smith: Exactly. And being able to walk in to offices
and say, “No, like, our documents say we can do it” is such a powerful thing.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Ashley Smith: And I just wish that more people at the top of
the medical imaging and radiation therapy food chain would understand those
documents and the power of those documents. Because I definitely think we
could progress faster as a profession if more people used and understood those
documents.
Melissa Pergola: So Ashley, you talk about us being aware of
and working at the top of our scope, and that brings me to a question for you,
Carmen. So many of us fall into the rhythm of just doing our jobs. So what do
you think we lose personally and professionally when we stop seeing our work
as a calling and instead of a task?
Carmen George: I kind of think we lose the intimacy of care.
Melissa Pergola: Mm.
Carmen George: If you lose your compassion, you end up in a
state of just doing your job and becoming very complacent, as we said earlier.
But that leads to poor images, misdiagnoses, unsatisfied patients. Providers
and therapists aren't — technologists aren't even satisfied as a whole. We
aren't, in our profession, and therefore I think it leads in a sense to the
burnout, where we think we're burned out, but really and truly we've missed
that drive, because we don't have that intimacy of care anymore. We're not
trying to develop it and nurture it. And I think that's such a huge thing.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Ray Arambula: How have you seen maybe teams or individuals
transform and have that mindset, without losing that sense of care?
Carmen George: I think it goes back to surrounding yourself,
that it's such a key thing to get with like-minded individuals.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Carmen George: We find ourselves, even growing up as
children, I mean, who you surround yourself with is what you end up becoming.
I think this ends up — getting plugged in is so huge. I think we see such a
successful rate in these individuals that are busier than maybe they should
be, in a sense. We'd like to say, how many hats are they wearing? Yes, that
keeps us busy and sometimes that can drain us as well.
But I do think a lot has to be said about trying to plug yourself in and
surround yourself with other therapists and other technologists who are
like-minded. In other words, who see some of these issues arising, who are
talking about it, who are trying to deal with it — the shortages, whatever it
is, the difficult procedures. Who's not allowing you to inject? Who's not
allowing you to even — what radiologists are pulling out? Who's dealing with
remote, you know, reading and whatnot?
Surrounding yourself with that, plugging yourself into the affiliate, whether
it starts at the social media platform with you just following, but then you
start listening and then maybe you attend a meeting here and there. Maybe you
just go get coffee or, “Hey, we're meeting up for dinner.” Something that you
can surround yourself with. You end up attending a meeting, and I think that's
huge. You end up igniting that, a fire that needs to be ignited so that you
can end up being a part of the shift that needs to be in to the positive.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. I love that. I think about, whether
it's affiliate membership or whether it's ASRT membership, I think that is
part of that, right? We're really a community and a community where we want
everyone to feel welcome and to support each other. So I think even affiliate
and ASRT membership can help sort of ignite that fire and sort of reinvigorate
that sense of purpose.
Carmen George: Hundred percent agree with that. It's so
important. They go hand in hand, not to mention all the reasons why you need
to. I mean, I feel like you end up learning that along the way about the
advocacy and about the numbers, that numbers matter. We're such a loud voice
when we're united.
Ray Arambula: Speaking of loud voice, you mentioned
recognition is something that's of importance as well, and needed within our
profession. And in your mind, is it something we still struggle with, and what
kind of recognition do we actually deserve, and what has to change before we
can demand it externally?
Carmen George: I do think we deserve recognition, I think. I
think our profession deserves to be respected, and if it's respected, in a
sense it's going to be recognized. So it all goes hand in hand. But in turn,
as a whole, we need to respect ourselves. We need to be recognizing, uplifting
ourselves.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Carmen George: And once you start doing that, I think you see
a domino effect. You see others that want to be plugged in. Where can I do
that? How do I do that?
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. So Ashley, I saw you nodding
vigorously when Carmen was talking about starting with ourselves and
respecting and uplifting ourselves. So I wondered if maybe you had something
to add to that.
Ashley Smith: Yeah, for sure. I think we need to look at the
core of our job, and one of the things that we do is provide excellent imaging
or excellent therapy treatments. And if we're not putting our best work
forward every day, we're not putting our profession forward every day. Yeah,
we all know that we have that one radiologist that will read anything.
Melissa Pergola: [chuckles]
Ashley Smith: But is that who we want to be seen as? No. We
want to be seen as the professionals that we are, and that comes with
providing great diagnostic work or the best therapy that you can have. And so,
to elevate ourselves, we've got to hit our core beliefs as strong as possible.
We can't send images that are lacking. We can't do lackluster MR [magnetic
resonance] screenings to ensure patient safety. We have to bring our A game
every day.
Melissa Pergola: Yes. Yes. I want to say amen. [laughs]
Ray Arambula: So Ashley, you described your job as being a
bit out of the box. How is your role different from what people typically
expect in this field?
Ashley Smith: My role changes all the time, which is
interesting for the field because, you know, if you are doing patient care,
you typically provide patient care in the same way, the same pace every day.
For me, it is a lot of different pieces that wear a lot of hats.
So as Dr. Pergola said when she did my introduction, I do policies, procedures
and guidelines. There is nothing in my clinical training that taught me how to
write a policy, a procedure or a guideline. So that is something that I've
picked up over the years of using my resources: the ASRT contrast media
manual, the ASRT MR safety manual. Things along that line that we as
technologists would use, I take that and translate that into policies and
procedures.
Melissa Pergola: Wow.
Ashley Smith: We do have a quality management side of the
street, so a lot of my things do fall into the quality management role. But
that is also a role that is not as prominent as it might have been many years
ago, because computers have taken over a lot of those data collection pieces.
And I'm lucky at my organization that not only do I get to run the data, but I
get to find the problems and I get to start those solutions and see those
solutions go through. So again, not something that you necessarily picked up
when I was getting my associates in radiography. It came more from my advanced
degrees where I learned to do these things.
So I think if you put one of my clinical students in front of me and said,
“You could do this job by being a radiologic technologist or any other medical
imaging or radiation therapy professional,” they would be like, “How?” But I
get that opportunity. And it's definitely out of the box, but I get to use the
things that I love to do, which really plays into my work here with the ASRT.
By the knowledge base that I am able to attain, by the committees that I've
served on and now, being speaker of the House, I really can do my job well,
which is kind of cool. It all comes full circle. I wouldn't be as good at my
job if I didn't have all of this knowledge.
Ray Arambula: So you're kind of a Swiss Army knife, would you
say?
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: What would you say to someone who's maybe
wanting to follow that path?
Ashley Smith: Do it. And request it.
Melissa Pergola: I love that.
Ashley Smith: I mean, my director and the three managers that
I work with, they're always really good at supporting the things that I want
to do, and they always give me the ability to drive forward. So, it's finding
those people that will allow you to take things and run with it. And my boss
is always very good at saying, “I'll pull you back if I need you to pull back,
but carry on.”
Melissa Pergola: Wow.
Ray Arambula: That's great.
Melissa Pergola: But you have to be an advocate for yourself
to go into those roles, prepare yourself educationally. But also we were just
saying, just talking about, we have to have respect for ourselves and speak up
for ourselves too, and that's part of getting a job like that, right?
Ashley Smith: Yeah. I mean, it truly is showing the skills
that you have, because, you know, a lot of my knowledge came from going to the
House of Delegates. I've been to, I think it's like 19 of the last 20.
Melissa Pergola: Wow.
Ashley Smith: And some of my co-workers would sit there and
say, “Why do you do that?” Well, it's given me the knowledge to be good or
great at my job. So those summers spent and those PTO [paid time off] hours
spent has really created that position and made it successful for me.
Carmen George: I agree with Ashley one hundred percent. Being
in my role there is, it's like she said — I'm handling the policies and
procedures, the regulatory issues —
Melissa Pergola: Yes.
Carmen George: — at least monthly if not more often than
that. “Research this. Can we do this? Can we not do this? What is within it?
What's within our scope? What are we legally allowed to do even here in the
state of Louisiana?” All of that to make it run. And there was nothing to
train you, really, and teach you how to do that, but how often it has come in
to play that they seek me out. “You're sitting on that. What are you hearing
right now? What are you hearing in the Practice Standards? What's coming down?
What's coming down from bylaws? What changes are going into effect?” They are
seeing it constantly. I'm constantly referencing practice standards.
So I agree a hundred percent, to be able to have such a well-rounded, better
answer and be more educationally prepared, which, no textbook could have
taught me that.
Melissa Pergola: How neat is that, that our speaker and vice
speaker sit in roles like that in institutions? So you're not only gaining
from being in this role, but I think ASRT is gaining from having the two of
you, with your unique backgrounds and what you do, sitting as our speaker and
vice speaker.
Ray Arambula: And it sounds like it's one step in front of
the other. It's not like a life overhaul. It's volunteering, joining a
committee, you know, taking the extra steps in your workplace. And yeah,
that's really good to hear that insight.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. So we've talked about sort of igniting
a spark in the next generation and advocacy and how to combat burnout by being
tapped in and speaking for ourselves. And in my mind, it's almost like we're
talking about, like, sparking a movement. And so I have one last question for
both of you, and that is, five years from now, what does a reignited or
ignited profession look like, and how do individual voices contribute to that
collective transformation?
Carmen George: As a whole, one hundred percent a stronger
profession. Obviously, if we are doing that and we are successful, affiliates
are thriving. Licensure has passed throughout all the United — every state,
everywhere. Shortages are diminished because there's less burnout, more
encouragement, more satisfied technologists and therapists, higher quality
images, better patient care, better satisfied providers. And fewer mistakes
are being made when it comes to some of these patient cares and modalities.
That's what I think.
Ashley Smith: I just want my patient to look at me and say,
“Oh, you're a medical imaging or radiation therapy professional, aren't you?”
That would be the one thing besides the great points that Carmen made, that if
somebody would acknowledge me —
Melissa Pergola: Yes.
Ashley Smith: — for the education that I have, that would be
amazing. And we know that we get acknowledged as other professions. Those
professions are as needed as ours. But for a patient to be able to say to me,
“You are a medical imaging or radiation therapy professional” would mean the
world to me. That would tell me that we've achieved our goal.
Melissa Pergola: Wow. So between the two of you, can I get
another amen?
Ashley Smith: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: Amen.
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Carmen George: Amen.
Ray Arambula: Hallelujah.
Melissa Pergola: Wow. Well, thank you both so much. I just
feel like we are in such good hands —
Ray Arambula: Yes.
Melissa Pergola: — with you as speaker and vice speaker, and
it has just been an absolute pleasure speaking with you.
Ray Arambula: Yes. Yes, thank you.
Carmen George: Thank you. It's been wonderful to be on.
Thanks.
Ashley Smith: And thank you for having us. And just to give a
plug, we couldn't do this work by ourselves. So all of those committees that
Carmen and I are blessed to work with are supported by wonderful ASRT staff.
So please give our kudos to those staff members, because they make us great.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Carmen George: Staff members and the volunteers that serve on
those committees. Wow. I learned so much from them all, all the way around.
Ray Arambula: All right, well, we've talked about leadership
and advocacy and all the serious stuff and —
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Ray Arambula: — we're going to move on to something a little
bit more dangerous now.
Melissa Pergola: Oh, no. Danger — did you say dangerous?
Ray Arambula: Yeah. It's confession time. Yeah.
Melissa Pergola: Oh.
Ray Arambula: So we're going to play a game called Photo
Roulette.
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: So it's really simple. I'm going to call out a
prompt.
Melissa Pergola: OK.
Ray Arambula: And you're going to choose a photo from your
photo library that best matches that prompt.
Melissa Pergola: OK. OK.
Ray Arambula: Here's the first prompt: something that shows
leadership in action.
Melissa Pergola: Leadership in action.
Ashley Smith: Oh! I mean, I got one from the House of
Delegates last year.
Melissa Pergola: There you go. Look.
Ray Arambula: Perfect. Yeah. So Carmen, you must have one.
Let's see your leadership in action photo.
Carmen George: So this would just be a former student. I've
stayed in touch with her over the years. She's an OR [operating room] surgery
x-ray tech at one of the local hospitals, and she got married. And she reached
out to me and invited my husband and I to come to her wedding, and of course
we did. I was like, absolutely. To be able to still have that connection and
still be able to foster it so many years later, I feel like, is definitely a
good example of that.
Ray Arambula: Yeah. So Melissa, you have a photo?
Melissa Pergola: I do. So it's similar to what Carmen said
about connection. So this last year, it was really important that my team and
my direct reports, we get together and not only have education, but that we
also have time to connect and see each other as human beings and as colleagues
and partners. So I have a picture from one of the competitions that we did
there.
Ray Arambula: Oh, yes. How about a photo that needs serious
explanation?
Ashley Smith: Oh.
Melissa Pergola: Oh, I'm totally going to do this to my
sister. I have one.
Ray Arambula: OK.
Melissa Pergola: Let me explain something. My sister is a
radio personality and also was a radio personality when I was young, and she
used to use me as material, so this is totally getting her back.
Ray Arambula: OK. Melissa got it first.
Melissa Pergola: I don’t think I need to get permi —
Ray Arambula: Let’s see it.
Melissa Pergola: OK, so this is the picture.
Ray Arambula: Oh, yeah.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. So I don't know if you can see it.
Ray Arambula: What is going on there?
Melissa Pergola: So I was FaceTiming her, and she has this
cat who's extremely intrusive. And so, the more she moves, the cat moves into
the picture so that she can't be seen. Yeah.
Ray Arambula: [laughs] A jealous cat.
Melissa Pergola: So I think, it's a jealous — that's it. It's
a jealous cat.
Ray Arambula: OK.
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: All right.
Carmen George: OK, so we rode the motorcycles down. They do —
every Christmas, they build bonfires and they light the way for Papa Noel. One
of the families that build very elaborate — and every year, it's something
different — and this year it was a big, huge mallard duck. And then they light
it on Christmas Eve. And that's to help light the way of Papa Noel.
Ray Arambula: How cool.
Carmen George: Every year before Christmas Eve, I like to
ride the motorcycle down on a nice day. And my husband takes me and we go to
the levees.
Ray Arambula: Nice.
Melissa Pergola: How cool.
Ray Arambula: That is very cool.
Ashley Smith: This girl's got nothing for this one.
Ray Arambula: Nothing at all?
Melissa Pergola: Nothing? Well, you won the first one, so I
think you should be able to get by.
Ashley Smith: Oh, no, no, no. I've got a really good one. I
just found it.
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: [laughs] Oh boy.
Ashley Smith: So after AGHOD [the ASRT Annual Governance and
House of Delegates Meeting], I took my suits to the cleaners. And I came,
picked my suits up and this was in there.
Melissa Pergola: What?
Ashley Smith: Somehow one washcloth —
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: Oh.
Ashley Smith: — got put in with my suits, and they sent it
back on its own hanger. And they washed it, and they charged me, like, $1.80.
Melissa Pergola: That was going to be my question —
Ray Arambula: Wow.
Melissa Pergola: — what did that cost?
Ray Arambula: Do you still have that washcloth, and do you
use it?
Ashley Smith: Actually it's still hanging like this —
Melissa Pergola and Ray Arambula: [laugh]
Ashley Smith: — because I think it's so funny whenever I need
like a “Ha ha.” But yeah, so my one washcloth is in my fabric bag.
Ray Arambula: Oh, OK.
Melissa Pergola: So the moral of the story is be careful what
you send to the cleaners.
Ray Arambula: Yeah.
Ashley Smith: Because they will literally wash it —
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: Wow.
Ashley Smith: — and give it back to you.
Carmen George: Charge you for it.
Ashley Smith, Ray Arambula and Melissa Pergola: And charge you for it.
Melissa Pergola: That's right.
Ray Arambula: OK, I got to tell you, I was not expecting
these photos, so kudos to you all.
Melissa Pergola: [laughs]
Ray Arambula: Well, this is less of a game, but more to show
a personal side of our Board members and our CEO.
Melissa Pergola: Cool.
Ray Arambula: So thank you for playing along.
Melissa Pergola: Thank you for that game.
Ashley Smith: Yeah, that was fun, Ray.
Carmen George: Thank you.
[all talk over one another]
Carmen George: I approve of that game, Ray.
[all laugh]
Ray Arambula: I didn't know what kind of photos you might
pull up, so.
Melissa Pergola: [laughs] Hey, Ray.
Ray Arambula: Hey, Melissa.
Melissa Pergola: Guess what time it is.
Ray Arambula: Is it time for We See You segment?
Melissa Pergola: It is.
Ray Arambula: Oh, all right.
Melissa Smith: I'm Melissa Smith, and I'm a rad tech and the
senior state director for health science program for the North Carolina
Community College System. I have a quick question for you. As an educator,
from your perspective, what advice would you give to a graduate of an imaging
program that's been unsuccessful in taking their registry twice? I look
forward to your answer. Thanks.
Melissa Pergola: So, hi Melissa, and thank you so much for
that question. I think the first thing that comes to mind with that question
is, I would tell that student to not be discouraged, still believe in
themselves. But I'm a huge data and analysis person, so I think what I would
say to the student is, reflect on what you've done to prepare previously. And
then, what do you need to do differently? What is another way? One of the
things I like to mention is with our Student membership, we do have the SEAL
[Student Exam Assessment Library] exams, so students can take practice exams.
So if they haven't done that, I would recommend doing that. I'm curious what
everyone else thinks.
Ray Arambula: I think, you know, think about what your study
plan looked like that led you to fail. Maybe that's something you can change
up. Test anxiety, I think, is a real thing. See what you might have to do
differently around that to not feel so anxious in test taking.
Ashley Smith: And I would definitely say look at where you
might have the most, or where your weakest link is, and ask around, because
maybe somebody has a way to explain something to you that really hits home.
Because we can all hear the same thing, but how it's presented is how we
learn. So maybe looking at some additional resources and mentorship or
something along that line, where somebody can say something that really hits
home for you.
Melissa Pergola: Yes, yes.
Carmen George: I have to agree. I know from past experience
and being an educator, I know, some of the students, that's the key, though.
You mentioned the SEAL exam, Melissa, so if you haven't done that, that's a
different style of questions. A lot of times it's the same content but offered
different ways. So I used to tell the students, you can't just try to only
study one style, because a lot of times you only remember that way. So really
testing on if you know the content is to try different resources. So the SEAL
exam I love, because if they haven't done that, that's a good way. And then of
course there's a plethora of other review materials, too, to try.
But seeking out a mentor to help mentor you through that and encourage you
through that, because that's the key: not to really hone in on that. You've
got to try to erase those fails from your mind so that you can be successful.
Melissa Pergola: So it's not giving up, but considering how
you've been doing things and maybe switching that up, right? Doing things
differently than was done the first two times. So again, Melissa, thank you so
much for that question. You know what we say around here, Ray? [laughs]
Ray Arambula: What do we say? Thanks, but we forgot.
Melissa Pergola: Don't put yourself in a bad position —
Ray Arambula: — stay up to date with “The RAD Position.”
Registration is open for the ASRT Educational Symposium and Annual Governance
and House of Delegates Meeting.
The event kicks off with ASRT Educational Symposium on June 25th. The
symposium includes courses presented by some of the premier experts in the
medical imaging and radiation therapy profession. Attendees can earn up to 6
educational credits.
The ASRT annual meeting starts a day later on June 26th. The annual meeting is
when the ASRT House of Delegates meets and the delegates from around the
country make decisions that shape the ASRT and the profession. In addition,
the annual meeting is home of the ASRT exhibit hall, which features medical
imaging and radiation therapy vendors, the ASRT Honors Evening, the ASRT
Installation of Officers, ASRT Foundation events and endless networking
opportunities.
Even more, Route 66 centennial festivities will be happening around the
Albuquerque area, and it's the perfect opportunity to mix professional growth
with a bit of historic Americana fun. There's something for everyone, so
register now. Online registration closes on June 11th. Visit
asrt.org/AGHOD to learn more and
register.
Melissa Pergola: So I think it's so cool that the news update
had to do with AGHOD, Annual Governance and House of Delegates Meeting,
because we're sitting here with our speaker and vice speaker. So do you all
want to share maybe one story or what excites you about being there to let our
listeners and viewers know why they need to run to register right now?
Ashley Smith: So I know we talked a lot today about advocacy
and mentorship, and I think it starts at AGHOD.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Ashley Smith: It is a pool of professionals who are working
daily to make sure that medical imaging and radiation therapists are seen and
we are putting our best foot forward. To me, it's like a family reunion, and
it's amazing.
Carmen George: I agree. You're getting so many updates,
updates on our profession and where it's headed and where we're going to soar,
and ways to network with each other and be uplifted, but also to get plugged
in. One of the things I always look forward to is the Foundation event. I
always love the theme and just being able to see all these people that are
such professionals and you look up to, but then how we can all just have a
good time and relax one evening and just be able to enjoy while raising money
for a good cause. I always enjoy that part, too.
Melissa Pergola: So, Ray, what a great episode.
Ray Arambula: Yeah.
Melissa Pergola: We're in good hands.
Ray Arambula: We are. We definitely are. We were here with
two just very passionate leaders —
Melissa Pergola: Yes.
Ray Arambula: — who I think, you know, after watching this,
you'll feel inspired.
Melissa Pergola: Yes.
Ray Arambula: And challenged at the same time.
Melissa Pergola: That's right.
Ray Arambula: So it was very good to get their perspective.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah, it was excellent. So, to our listeners
and those who are watching, don't forget to subscribe.
Ray Arambula: And don't forget you can write in as well at
[email protected]. Or fill out
the form at asrt.org/RADPosition.
Melissa Pergola: And to all our medical imaging and radiation
therapy professionals, be seen —
Ray Arambula: — and stay rad.