“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Vera H. Rigolin, MD, FASE

A Volunteer is defined as a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking. There are many places where we can choose to volunteer our time: church, school, neighborhood programs, charities, etc. There are also numerous opportunities within our professional lives. It is sometimes daunting to think about donating our time to an extra activity when we are so busy with our daily jobs and home life. Although it is often hard to “squeeze in” one more activity, the benefits gained from volunteering our time are well worth the effort.

ASE offers numerous opportunities for volunteers. In fact, ASE would not exist without its volunteers. The multitude of committees, councils, taskforces, and writing groups are the engines that run the Society. The efforts of ASE’s volunteers lead the Society to set standards, develop products, create courses, direct subspecialty activities, advocate for echo on the federal and state levels, and more.

In return, volunteering for ASE results in immense personal and professional satisfaction. For one, it provides a whole new dimension to a career in medicine outside the walls of the hospital or clinic. Secondly, it allows the opportunity to meet and share experiences with professionals all over the US and the world. For me, volunteering for ASE has been one of the highlights of my career.

If you are new to ASE or are an established member, I urge you to consider volunteering for the Society. Here are the ABC’s of ASE’s volunteer process:

There are four ASE councils (Council on Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, Council on Perioperative Echocardiography, Council on Cardiovascular Sonography, Council on Vascular Ultrasound) that play a prominent role in our organization.

Membership on a council, a complimentary member benefit, provides unique opportunities for participation within the Society. Councils offer a forum for members with specific clinical or professional interests to identify and advance professional priorities. Volunteers can also apply to serve on the Council’s Steering Committees. These 11- person leadership groups meet regularly to monitor and provide subspecialty information ideas and support to the ASE Board of Directors. Individual Council Steering Committee Boards use a different selection and election process than ASE committees . For more detailed information, please contact the Council staff liaison, Natalya Reed atnread@asecho.org . To join a council, log in to your ASE member portal, click on “My Account” and scroll down to “Councils and Networks.”

There are numerous committees and taskforces that are also run by volunteers and lead the majority of ASE’s projects. Most standing committee have approximately one third of their membership rotate off each year. The following committees will have openings for new members in 2018-2019:

Advocacy

ASE Foundation Annual Appeal

Bylaws and Ethics

CME

Education

FASE

Finance

Guidelines and Standards

Industry Relations

Lab Management and Workflow

Membership

Public Relations

Registry Committee

Research

Scientific Sessions Program Planning

Training and Certification

The application process opens November 1 and closes in early January, with terms beginning in June 2018 after the Nashville, TN meeting (usually new members are invited to attend the June meetings as observers). Be on the look-out for instructions on how to apply on ASE Connect and other ASE newsletters.

To serve on a committee, taskforce, or council you must be an active member (membership paid for 2018) and you must complete an electronic application during the application cycle. The application allows you to indicate which committee(s) you are interested in. If you have not previously served on an ASE committee or on the Board of Directors, you will need to provide a recommendation letter, preferably from a FASE level member or a senior person in the CV ultrasound field, along with a copy of your curriculum vitae.

Members who hold the FASE designation are given priority in the selection process. Therefore, we encourage new volunteers interested in serving to apply for FASE to boost their chances of being considered. Deadlines for applications are December 1, February 1, April 1, June 1, August 1, and October 1.

If appointed, your term on the committee will be for one year with the opportunity to be renewed for up to three years. However, each year, existing volunteers must reapply to be considered for renewed participation.

If you are chosen to serve on a committee, you will receive a new invitation, or a renewal invitation. You must then accept or decline the invitation.

Application Instructions (this portal opens November 1):

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  Log in to the ASE Member Portal ( www.asecho.org );

  
  
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  Select “Committee” from the menu bar on the left;

  
  
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  Click the button for “Complete Interest Form;”

  
  
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  Select the committee(s) on which you are interested in serving;

  
  
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  Complete the remainder of the form; and

  
  
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  If you have not previously served on an ASE Committee, upload a recommendation letter, preferably from a FASE-level member or a senior individual in the CV ultrasound field, along with a copy of your curriculum vitae.

If you have questions on the committee process, please contact ASE’s VP of Internal Relations, Mary Alice Dilday ( madilday@asecho.org ).

Vera H. Rigolin, MD, FASE is a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and is the current president of ASE. She specializes in echocardiography, valvular heart disease, and women’s heart health. She speaks fluent Portuguese, and has collaborated in the translation of three of ASE’s guideline webinars into Portuguese.