In 2012, the ASE Education and Research Foundation provided funding for two $1,000 travel grants for attendance at the ASE Scientific Sessions for each of its four councils. This year, the Council on Vascular Ultrasound awarded grant funding to Suzanne Poston, RDCS, FASE, a cardiac sonographer at University of Texas Physicians in Houston, Texas, and to Rene Quiroz, MD, MPH, an advanced fellow in vascular medicine at Boston University, Boston, MA. We asked them to share their experiences with us.
Suzanne: Due to the changes in healthcare, funds for continuing education are limited for healthcare workers. I have proudly been a member of the ASE since 2000, and since attending my first ASE Scientific Sessions in 2005, I have always made it a goal to attend. Recently, however, my personal and professional finances have changed. Fortunately, I am not only an ASE member, but a volunteer. While attending a meeting of the Public Relations Committee, I learned of the opportunity to apply for a travel grant so that I might attend the scientific sessions.
Due to the demands in healthcare, my position at the University of Texas has allowed me to provide vascular services as a technologist. This was a great opportunity for me, as I have been doing adult echocardiography since 1986 and pediatric echocardiography since 1994, and was ready for a refreshing change. I have recently been trained in vascular studies and am preparing for the vascular registry exam. The ASE Scientific Sessions were a perfect educational venue for me to listen and ask questions. More importantly, I was able to connect with other vascular sonographers.
Although I have attended the Scientific Sessions in the past, this is the first time I have observed the vascular track, and I highly recommend it for any sonographer. The presenters were excellent. Even though I am a newer vascular sonographer, the track started with the basics and evolved with the advances in vascular technology. Most helpful to me were the carotid Doppler from beginning to advanced sessions, as well as helpful techniques regarding the abdominal aorta examination.
I am especially thankful for the ASE Vascular Council for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to grow in the vascular community. As sonographers, we must be open-minded about change and the ability to learn and grow. I embrace the changes to my career as a sonographer, and look forward to attending many more Scientific Sessions from ASE in the future!
Rene: This spring, one of my mentors encouraged me to attend the ASE’s Annual Scientific Sessions. Thanks to the generosity of the travel grant awarded by the Vascular Council, I had the opportunity to attend an ASE event for the first time in my career.
