Conference offers insight into Oklahoma's medical tech careers.

DELEGATE’S REPORT

 

 Thank you OKSSAMT for allowing me to serve as a delegate to the national AMT meeting this year.  I always enjoy the meetings and I especially enjoy getting to travel to different places around the country.  This was a first visit for me to Minnesota and it is a beautiful part of the country featuring softly rolling hills, wide rivers, and many trees – I would like to see the Minneapolis area in the fall when the foliage is turning.  And, then, of course, there was the Mall of America.  I should have worn my pedometer to help me keep track of the many, many miles I walked around there.

 Briefly, I would also like to share some of my experiences while there.  I can never brag on the key-note speakers and the educators enough. Jeffrey Skiles – one of the pilots from the plane that landed on the Hudson River – was the keynote speaker for the opening ceremony.  His story was interesting and inspirational even though he didn’t feel like he was the hero the media called him.  He praised the rest of the crew on the flight and said he would be glad to fly with any of them again.  Two other keynote speakers stand out – one was a holistic healer, a marvelous educator, and the other was a forensics expert.  Remember the TV show Quincy?  That’s what his job was like but he assured the audience that it was not that glamorous of a job as usually portrayed on TV.  I enjoy all the classes and am continuously amazed at where they find such excellent speakers for the annual educational seminar.

 Of course, there are the get-togethers that I enjoy tremendously.  At the awards banquet, I was presented the Distinguished Achievement award – a great honor for me and I appreciate the board of directors voting for me.  Oklahoma made the State Honor Roll Society again and we can thank our state president and board of directors for all their hard work.  Plus, two of our Oklahoma students received awards: one for MLT Student of the Year and one for writing an award winning article.  Way to go ladies.

 Besides the classes and parties, I also attended the Editor’s Workshop, the leadership meeting, sat as a mentor, and served on the Convention Committee.  I also found time to tour down town Minneapolis with friends that I had made in previous years and some new ones that I made this year.  We had a blast – saw the famous Mary Tyler Moore statue and sampled some Minnesota cuisine.  And, let’s not forget the cruise – what fun!

 I would like to close by encouraging all members to try to attend an annual AMT business meeting and educational seminar some time in the near future.  They are fun, exciting, learning experiences.  New experiences are often described as experiences of a lifetime – a National AMT Educational and Business Meeting is that and more.

 Thank you for allowing me to serve as your delegate.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 Lia Kaye Spears, MT (AMT)