SGA Sponsored Student Organization Travel
The paragraphs on this page are brief recaps of the events that different student organizations attended with the help of SGA funding.
Student Organization of Allied Health Sciences
75th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
July 16th-July 21st, 2007
The 75th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science was held in San Diego, California at the Westin Hotel and San Diego Convention Center from July 16th through July 21st. The main purpose of attending this convention was to present our research on the Correlation between Blackboard Usage and Overall Grade Performance in a Clinical Laboratory Sciences program. Students and professionals from all over the nation traveled to present their research. The research posters were on display from Tuesday through Thursday for all attendees to view. We were available during certain times throughout the day on Wednesday to discuss our topic with anyone who had questions. We also attended scientific sessions throughout the week such as “The Role of the Laboratory in Acute Coronary Syndrome,” “A Day in the Life of a Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Sciences,” and “The Infections Disease Consequences of Global Warming.” The sessions were very interesting and extremely informative. The clinical laboratory expo was also held during this time. Throughout the days there were thousands of exhibitor booths from various laboratory equipment and diagnostic companies. Several social events also took place in the evenings. Overall the national conference was a positive experience. It provided the attendees with huge networking possibilities and continuing education. The national convention is recommended to anyone that has interest in clinical sciences.
Lambda Tau Honor Society-Texas Association of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
March 21st -23rd
The Texas Association of Clinical Laboratory Science (TACLS) 2007 Conference was held in Westlake, Texas at the Marriott Dallas Solana Hotel on March 21st through March 23rd. The theme of the conference was Molecular Madness and most presentations revolved around that topic. Some of the presentations were related to molecular diagnostics where other were centered around the new HPV vaccine and others discussed DIC. The presentations were very interesting and extremely informative. Throughout the days there were exhibitor booths from various laboratory equipment and testing companies. Several socials were also took place in the evenings. This allowed students and laboratorians from all over the state of Texas to meet and discuss important issues. In addition to presentations there was also an opportunity to present research posters on Friday. All seniors from the Clinical Laboratory Sciences department were required to attend this conference in order to present our research. Posters were judged from 8am until noon and an award presentation ceremony was held later that evening. A TACLS business meeting was also conducted during this time. Members were able to discuss local and statewide problems as well as sent the new meeting date and elect new officers. Overall it was a valuable experience and we would recommend this conference to anyone who is interested in the laboratory.
2007 AMSA National Convention Travel Report|
The 2007 AMSA National Convention provided a chance to contemplate issues in medicine beyond the science. Nine students from UTMB made the trip to Washington, D.C. to listen to speakers, give physicals for the Special Olympics, and lobby on Capital Hill. As the chapter president for the 2007 school year, I was very excited to be able to include so many colleagues from the class below mine in this experience. When I attended the convention the previous year, it solidified my commitment to AMSA, and led the way to my election as president. Now that we have returned, I have heard great interest from the attendees in assuming a leadership position in our organization. In addition, a couple of students have expressed trying for national positions in the upcoming years, so this is something of which UTMB can be proud.
The theme of the convention was “Healthcare Injustice.” Topics included Medical Errors and How to Prevent Them, Human Rights Violations in North Korea, Women Mentoring, and Resident Unions. Everyone said they learned a lot, and some are looking to make an impact here on campus based on what they heard. Some students are interested in compiling a list of women faculty members who are willing to take on the important role of mentor for medical students. This way it will be easy to identify role models. Because there are such a small number of women in academia, this would be a very useful source for female students.
The feedback from attendees has been very positive. One student thanked me for the opportunity to attend because it made him feel much more connected to the national student community. Sometimes we forget that other people exist just like us outside our UTMB Medical School bubble. It is an empowering experience to realize that there are other students that have your same passions and are willing to commit their time and energy to improve the world of healthcare.
Delanie Janke
2007 AMSA Chapter President
Students for Bioethics and Humanities
7th Annual American Society for Bioethics and Humanities meeting
In October 2006, students from the Students for Bioethics and Humanities organization attended the 7th Annual American Society for Bioethics and Humanities meeting in Denver, CO. As the main professional organization for those studying the medical humanities, our organization looks forward to the meeting each year. The generosity of the SGA allowed students to defray the costs of attending this important meeting. The three-day meeting provided significant professional opportunities for our students. Several students spoke and/or presented posters at the meeting, and all of the students attending had opportunities to meet and network with eminent scholars of medical humanities and bioethics. The wide variety of panels and paper presentations ensured that students could find something of interest at any point during the day. The students and faculty met after the ASBH and debriefed; we agreed that UTMB was well-represented and that our trip was a rousing success.
* If your organization has recently traveled to an SGA sponsored event, please send us a brief synopsis (one paragraph) with the details of the trip and the experience your organization encountered while traveling. Your paragraph should include your orgranization's name, names of all who attended the event, date(s) of the event, and a summary of your experience, including any highlights/comments for future students.
