1. A Small Issue But a Big Conference
2. The Countdown Continues...
3. NEW Benefit for SDMS Members
4. JDMS Manuscript Process Goes Digital
5. SDMS Screen Savers
6. News & Notes
7. Important Dates

This month's issue of SDMS Sound News is smaller than most as SDMS staff and members converge on Atlanta for the SDMS Annual Conference, October 3 - 6. Pre-conference registrations indicate this will be the second largest educational conference in the Society's history!

Note: The SDMS Headquarters will be closed from Tuesday, October 1 through Monday, October 7. No product orders will be processed between September 27 and October 7.

If your schedule doesn't permit you to register for the entire SDMS Annual Conference, you can still come for a day - register on-site, attend some great educational courses, and earn SDMS CME credit. You'll also enjoy the opportunity to visit with colleagues and exhibitors in our expanded exhibit hall.

We have limited seats available in our pre-conference tutorials on October 3. Single day registrations are also available for our conference educational sessions (October 4 - 6). The single-day registration includes your exhibit hall pass (except Sunday-only registration). Seats in the Lunch & Learn sessions on Friday and Saturday may also be available (check with the SDMS registration desk).

If you can't make it to the educational sessions, we recommend an exhibit hall pass (only $25). Our exhibitors range from ultrasound equipment manufacturers to recruiters. Our exhibit hall is open:

• Thursday, October 3 - 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
• Friday, October 4 - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (closed from 1:00 to 2:30 for lunch)
• Saturday, October 5 - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (closed from 1:00 to 2:30 for lunch)

To see the complete list of companies who are exhibiting, visit:
http://www.sdms.org/meetings/vhall/vhall.asp

For more information about the conference, please visit the SDMS website at:

Or stop by the SDMS registration desk at the Hilton Atlanta!

For directions to the conference, click here.

We hope to see you in Atlanta!

SDMS and MedEd Interactive are pleased to announce…

an exclusive benefit of SDMS membership is a 20% discount on continuing medical education (CME) courses available through MedEd Interactive. Well-known experts in the field of ultrasound have written these courses. The course catalog is diverse and courses in advanced subjects as well as review courses and mock exams are added regularly. Select from courses in physics, cardiovascular, abdomen, women's health, emergency ultrasound, lab accreditation, and registry review.

For more information and a complete list of online courses, go to:

Your SDMS member number is the key to accessing this new 'members only' educational benefit.

The Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS) and Sage Publications are pleased to announce Internet access for submission and review of manuscripts. Through agreement with Sage Publications, Cadmus Rapid Review of Baltimore, MD is providing the JDMS editorial office with state-of-the-art peer review tracking software and hosting. The Rapid Review software is a web-based application that allows all participants in the editorial process, from authors to reviewers, editors to publishing personnel, to have controlled access to one common database.

The Rapid Review system will allow JDMS participants the following benefits:

• Authors may submit their manuscripts online. To gain access to the site, the author must first enter his/her contact information. Then the author will be able to upload files and images in multiple formats. The uploaded files will be compiled into a PDF version of the manuscript. The manuscript will then be available for online review by the reviewers.
• Authors and reviewers can update their contact information online thus facilitating rapid communication.
• Reviewers will be able to read assigned manuscripts and critique the article and images online.
• The authors and reviewers will be notified electronically of review decisions once the editorial office posts the decision.

JDMS is the first journal published by Sage to utilize the new web-based software. This is a huge step toward digitizing all aspects of the journal process. We are grateful to Sage for their support in this endeavor.

The JDMS editorial office will continue to accept submissions by mail.

For information on submitting a manuscript online, visit:

SDMS is pleased to announce it's release of custom computer screen savers. SDMS Screen Savers are provided FREE to promote the sonography profession. The screen savers should work on any computer with Microsoft® Windows® 95/98/ME/2000/XP (although installation and configuration will vary depending on the version of Windows being used).

The first two SDMS Screen Savers are available now for download:

• The Future is in Our Scans
• Sonography Awareness

Got photos? If you would like to have your images considers for inclusion in future SDMS Screen Savers, contact Don Kerns at dkerns@sdms.org for more information.

The News & Notes column includes links to web-based news articles of interest to sonographers. To submit articles, send the URL to webmaster@sdms.org

• Diagnostic Three Dimensional Ultrasonography: Manned Space Flight Applications
  http://www.nsbri.org/Research/2001-2003/MedSysProj7.html



• Ultrasound Helps Spot Breast Cancer
  http://www.msnbc.com/news/810259.asp?0cl=c4