As I write this editorial, I am in route to the funeral of a dear aunt. This time in the car gives me time to do many things; share time with my family, think about the life of my aunt, and yes, write this editorial. As I reflect on my aunt’s life, I think about how it was a very successful life. She married at a relatively young age and had 4 wonderful children. She was always well read, informed about current events, and interested in the world around her. She was active in her church and served on many committees that directed the church and its activities. She was committed to family, friends, and her community. By every measure her life was a success.
Each year at the annual meeting I am impressed by the time commitment that the leadership of the Technologist Section makes to assure that this professional group is well represented and that plans for the future are well thought out and implemented. Each individual makes a commitment to this society that takes time away from the other important commitments in their life such as family, friends, and their livelihood (better known as a job). I have no doubt that the personal side of their life suffers so they can fulfill their commitment to the Technologist Section. Yes, they are doing things that they find fulfilling and necessary, but I think that each one of them would like to spend a little more time with family and friends. Are they successful? Yes, and each of us is a beneficiary of their efforts.
All of us are asked to do things, or observe things that others are doing, and we wonder why anyone would want to do that. Why would someone want to be president of the Technologist Section, a committee chair, or a church deacon? I certainly have had to answer that question several times. I think there is a sense of accomplishment that one feels by making something better than when we started. And I think that volunteering for others makes us feel like better people, even if it is only a small thing. If you aren’t doing something for others, either at home or in your professional community, I highly recommend that you try it.
There are many ways that you can contribute to you professional community. This year 4 technologists were given awards for their contribution to the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology. Several other technologists were given awards for their contributions in the form of scientific papers presented at the SNM Annual Meeting. The Technologist News section reports the names of all the winners. These individuals should feel a sense of accomplishment. As editor of the JNMT, I congratulate the winners of the best paper awards for papers published last year. Without their contributions, my job would be much more difficult.
The Publications Department of the Society has been very busy this past year launching an online submission and review of papers submitted to the JNMT. I think this will be a wonderful way for authors to submit and track papers. You will be able to follow your paper through the editorial process. If you would like to be a reviewer, you can sign-up for that online, too. Go to the SNM website (www.snm.org) and click on JNMT Online (bottom right corner of the page). The first step to being a published author or reviewer is just a click away. This is just one of the many ways you, too, can be a volunteer to your professional community.
