1. SDMS Announces 2007 Student Conclave
   
2. Call for Educational Foundation Board Members
   
3. Equipment and Supplies needed for Sonography in West Africa
4. SDMS Welcomes New Staff Member
5. JDMS - 1, 2, 3!
   
6. Clearance Sale
7. New JDMS Articles and CME Post-Tests Available
   
8. News & Notes
   
9. Important Dates
   

Why should I be registered? How do I pay off my student loans? How can I prepare to pass the national certification exams? What do I need to know before taking a registry test? These are just a few of the questions that sonography students ask themselves every day. So where can you find the answers? Simple: the Student Conclave at the 2007 SDMS Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

The 2006 Annual Conference saw the first-ever Student Conclave SDMS: Start Here. Go Anywhere! evolve into a huge success with 175 students participating in seven tutorial sessions.

“The student conclave offered an opportunity to see what the field of sonography has to offer and to become more aware of where this career can take you,” said Melissa Taylor, a sonography student from the University of Georgia and 2006 Annual Conference Student Conclave attendee.

This year, the Student Conclave will feature an ARDMS Q&A session and “Your Career vs. the Job” to help students find out exactly what they are getting into with a career in sonography. The best thing about this one-day tutorial is that it is free to SDMS Student members. Non-members may pay a $40 registration fee to attend the Student Conclave and receive a free one-year SDMS Student membership as an added bonus.

SDMS Student Members receive a subscription to the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography and special student discounts, including a Dell (computer) employee discount. They also have access to exclusive SDMS member web content, including salary and benefit information, and information and tools to help them meet career goals. Student members attending the 2007 Annual Conference also get the benefit of networking with over 1,000 industry professionals as well as recruiters from around the country.

Would you like to be more involved with YOUR association? Would you like to participate in the development of programs to assist sonographers?

If you would, resumes or CVs are now being accepted for two positions on the SDMS Educational Foundation Board of Directors, which must be comprised of at least four registered sonographers. The term of office is three years and begins at the conclusion of this year’s SDMS Annual Conference in Las Vegas. If you are an SDMS member in good standing and would like to be considered for one of these positions, please mail or fax (214-473-8563) your resume or CV with a cover letter to SDMS headquarters by June 30, 2007.

SDMS member Ann Polin, MSRS, RDMS, RDCS has been awarded a grant through the Rotary International Foundation to teach Diagnostic Ultrasound in Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa. She will provide lectures and classes at the College of Health Sciences as well as conduct ultrasound and training at the associated teaching hospital from June to September 2007.

Ann has a proven track record in Africa. In 2000-2001, Ann lived in Kumasi where, with limited backing and support, she established a permanent ultrasound scanning lab and organized, directed, and taught an intensive diagnostic ultrasound training program for 19 Ghanaian students and 1 Nigerian woman. She was even able to have ARDMS certification exams administered in Ghana. Two of her graduates are now ARDMS credentialed, and the rest are in various stages of taking and passing their examinations.

Although the medial personnel there are dedicted and caring, the physical resources are lacking. On her last trip, they had only one outdated ultrasound system with substandard image quality and one transducer.

The SDMS has provided a shipment of SDMS products, educational items and teaching aids, including a set of one each of every DVD/VHS title in our inventory. We are also passing on Ann's request to the rest of our members. Donations of any ultrasound materials, equipment, or educational aids would be greatly appreciated. This is a wonderful opportunity for the SDMS and its members to help promote ultrasound education in a developing country.

Shane Hill, Programmer

Shane comes to the SDMS Information Technology Department from Full Color, a Dallas-based professional photo lab, where he has worked for the past 4 years as a software developer and head of technical support. His programming and computer experience is extensive and he has first-hand experience creating online order systems. He also has experience working with our accounting system software.

After serving 4 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Shane completed a Computer Informations Systems program at DeVry University in 2003 and is working to complete his Associates Degree in Computer Information Systems/Software Development at Richland College by the end of this year.

The Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS) is your professional source for information about the sonography profession and your career. But don’t forget these important facts about the JDMS:

1. The online archive contains a complete collection of ALL issues of the JDMS. This “virtual” database contains over 22 years worth of sonography research, case studies and reports, editorials, Diagnostic Challenges, and much more. The information can be easily searched by title, author, keyword, date, or volume.

2. CME credits — Over 30 continuing medical education activities are available from the past three years — FREE to SDMS members! Activities encompass all specialty areas and help enhance your knowledge and skills.

3. New JDMS REWARDS program available to JDMS authors/SDMS members!

We're making room for new products! Stock and sizes may be limited on these discontinued items, but the prices have never been better. To place your order, call 1-800-229-9506 or go to http://www.sdms.org/pdf/orderform.pdf to print out an order form to order by mail or fax.

The following March/April JDMS CME articles and post-tests are posted in the members only area of the SDMS website. They can be accessed at: http://www.sdms.org/members/JDMS/default.asp#available

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.