by Breanna Guttmacher, CCSNMMI Student Representative
I have had the pleasure of being the student representative for the last year. This opportunity has provided me with a chance to network with other nuclear medicine professionals, learn about how the central chapter works and participate in committees within the central chapter.
While attending both the annual meeting and fall meetings, I have had the opportunity to meet nuclear medicine technology program directors, nuclear medicine physicists, doctors, technologists and radiopharmaceutical drug representatives. I have been able to make connections with each of these individuals and not only learn about their professions but also to get my name out there and tell them about my dreams and aspirations in the nuclear medicine profession. This has helped with obtaining an internship at the hospital I had dreamed of going to and I hope these connections will help with job opportunities after I graduate. The other wonderful part about being the student representative is that I have had the opportunity to see first-hand how a professional society works.
When attending meeting, I go a day early to attend the Governance Day. Here I observe how leaders of the society debate and decide on bylaws, technologist representation in states within the Central Chapter, communication within the chapter that ranges from social media to quarterly newsletters and outreach programs and much more. Since becoming the student representative I have also joined the communications committee because I feel compelled to help not only stay in contact with current nuclear medicine technologists and society members but to also reach out and teach students about the wonderful career of nuclear medicine.
Finally, I have also worked hard with the prior student representative to create a student chapter within the society. Being a part of the student chapter allows you to see firsthand what is happening in the central chapter and also allows you to be the first line of students to reach out to, to assist with outreach programs in your area, other volunteering opportunities and even current job opportunities. If you are currently a student and would like to be a part of the student chapter I encourage you to join our LinkedIn account “CCSNMMI Student Chapter” to receive alerts of what is going on within the society and volunteer opportunities to get involved in the society.