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This year signifies historical significance for the SMRT: 2011 is the 20th Anniversary of the Section for Magnetic Resonance Technologists (SMRT). The historic milestone will be celebrated at the SMRT Annual Meeting on 6-8, May 2011 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Celebrating 20 Years of MR Educational Excellence is the theme chosen by Carol Lee, Chair and the Program committee, to mark this special occasion. The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) has continued the operation of a Section for Magnetic Resonance Technologists in a joint venture agreement effective December 1, 1991 between the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (SMRM) and the Society for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (SMRI) (Excerpts from SMRT Bylaws). The SMRT has continued through the merger of the former parent societies and is in fact, one year older than the current ISMRM. The Program committee will continue preparing until the moment arrives to bring SMRT members and attendees a memorable special 20th year celebration. The city of Montreal
The Education Committee Chaired by MaryAnn Blaine has worked throughout the year. Many volunteer hours are needed for reviewing and scoring abstract and poster submissions. Award winning posters will be presented during the Poster Reception on Friday. There will also be a special celebration presentation which will continue throughout the weekend Program. A special 20th Anniversary prize will be given to the President’s Award recipient this year. The highest scoring oral abstract will be presented by the author as a Proffered Paper during the Program. The technologist/radiographer will be presented with the Anniversary prize during the Awards Ceremony on Sunday. The Awards Ceremony is an important part of the Program because it honors the members of the SMRT that have vision and steadfast dedication. The SMRT Business Meeting will be held on Saturday and all SMRT member attendees are encouraged to be present. Executive Committee Chairs will give brief reports regarding the state of the SMRT to the membership. There will be an opportunity for any SMRT member to ask questions, voice concerns or offer suggestions to the Board during the "New Business" section of the agenda. Officially the Policy Board Members that were elected in December, 2010 and the President-Elect, Charles Stanley will take office during the Business Meeting. Preparing for the Annual Meeting is a huge task and continues throughout the year. There are many other educational activities conducted by the SMRT as well. Organizing SMRT Regional Educational Seminars or Chapter Meetings is conducted from a local level and these efforts are supported by the SMRT through volunteers and the central office staff. The Rocky Mountain Local SMRT Chapter and the South Carolina Local SMRT Chapter have hosted successful Regional Seminars already this year. Many more Regional Seminars are being planned so find out if one is "local" to you: http://www.ismrm.org/smrt/meetings/future-regional-seminars/The Home Studies Educational Seminars (and electronic studies), Chaired by Anne Sawyer are another benefit of the SMRT that is offered throughout the year. This reliable source of education and reference materials provides a vital resource to our members. Signals News, chaired by Julie Strandt Peay is another vital resource offered by the SMRT. Moving from paper to the web has improved many aspects of the News. Now if I can please challenge those of you that have sparked such great dialogue on the SMRT MRI Technologist List Server to please write a letter to Signals News regarding such an intriguing topic, we can make Signals News even more resourceful and informative! The SMRT Recognized Continued Educational Evaluation Mechanism (RCEEM) Committee, chaired by Heidi Berns also works throughout the year to accredit the Programs offered for CE’s and the SMRT home office assists with CPD’s for Australia and the UK. The Annual Meeting is a checkpoint in time for the SMRT leadership. The Policy Board Meeting provides an opportunity for the Policy Board Members to meet face to face and for committee Chairs to present what they have accomplished with committee members over the year. The Annual Meeting is also a great time for any SMRT member to join a committee and become more involved, professionally. Please contact the Chair if you are interested in working on one of the SMRT committees: http://www.ismrm.org/smrt/members-only/committee-directory/Attending the Annual Meeting is the best aspect of being among the leadership of the SMRT. We are proud to be associated with such a quality MR educational event filled with brilliant presentations by esteemed speakers and attended by technologists and radiographers worldwide. The SMRT 20th Annual Meeting in Montreal will be a wonderful experience so please join us! Best Regards, Julia Lowe SMRT President
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