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By Amanda Garlock, CRA
I was fortunate enough to be one of the recipients of the 2022 Annual Meeting Scholarship sponsored by Fujifilm for the AHRA 2022 Annual Meeting in Phoenix. I say fortunate because this was my second time as a scholarship recipient. My first was as an Osborn Scholar in 2019 in Denver, just before the world came to a halt. It was amazing to get back to connecting face-to-face with colleagues both old and new because there is nothing better than good old-fashioned networking.
For me, that is always the highlight of attending the AHRA conference. The Annual Design Team does such a great job in providing education that is always beyond top-notch, but the opportunity to interact with colleagues on a personal level, without a screen in between us is what truly connects us and creates that sense of family and deep connection. It is also what helps members who are looking to volunteer and become involved with our organization, as you can personally demonstrate to the individuals making those appointments why you would be an asset to the AHRA’s volunteer pool (sorry for the polite pest in me Kimlyn Queen & Becky Allen).
For those of us who have been around the block a bit and are looking to advance our involvement further, networking provides a forum for deeper interaction and a platform for engagement unlike any that a social media site or online forum could ever provide. The ability to engage in an in-person open discussion forum where ideas can flow and develop in real-time is, just like the AHRA’s 50th anniversary theme, MAGIC. It is a magic that cannot be replicated virtually no matter the attempt.
Amanda Garlock, CRA is the Supervisor of Quality, Training & Safety at Providence Regional Medical Center in WA. She can be reached at amanda.garlock@providence.org
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