|
 Reflections
on being Re-elected President for another term...
“Ask not
what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country”
– John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of
America
The above quote from John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech came to mind
when reflecting on my past two years as President. How does one
galvanise our College of Radiology (CoR) members to actively participate
in determining the future of their allied professions in Malaysia? How
can we encourage more to join their professional body? Just how do we(collectively as the newly elected council) motivate, cajole or plainly
jolt ourselves out of our placid and idyllic comfort zones?
In my many years in various roles on the
CoR council, I have not ceased
to hear new radiologists, oncologists and allied professionals question
“what’s in it for me to join the CoR?” Can a handful of people in the
council promote and advance the allied professions?
Much as I would like to think we can, in reality, our spectators who are
expecting the miraculous transformations, the subsidised academic
programmes, training, lobbying the government, providing solutions to
turf issues will not materialise overnight. Human, financial resources
and time factors play heavily as does commitment and contributions from
every single member of the profession. The members themselves determine
how strong and relevant the CoR is – not just a handful of members.
So with these in mind, our focus in this new term would be to follow
through on our various projects – Practice guidelines/Quality Assurance
Programmes/Safe Practice in Mammography (to include digital
mammography), Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional
Radiology as well as updating our CoR Position Statement on Whole Body
CT Screening. Then, we probably need to market the value of belonging to
a professional body. If members of the profession join the professional
body, then the CoR can truly represent the various allied professions.
We need to grow the membership!
Our financial health requires nurturing as our venture to purchase
office space within the Academy of Medicine Building has set us back
significantly. We do not have our own office space to house the
Secretariat but have relied on the goodwill of University Malaya
Medical Centre for the past 31 years! For that we are very
grateful. Back to financial health, should we follow the model of sister
organisations in established countries – actually encourage donations
from members to run the Secretariat as well as programmes which are
beneficial to us? A serious contemplation indeed.
Challenges – and we must embrace, face and overcome them one way or the
other. The National Specialist Register, the transition of Nuclear
Medicine as it evolves into a separate specialty, Continuing
Professional Development being linked to a licence to practice or to be
listed on the specialist register, organising scientific meetings and to
top it off, our social and community efforts will definitely keep the
council busy. We are co-opting more from amongst the members to form
committees and subcommittees to oversee their own areas of development
and sincerely hope they will be enthusiastic about their roles.
Cumulatively, this will advanced the profession as a whole – thereby
benefitting the patients/public.
We shall aim for “MISSION POSSIBLE” as the motto for the newly elected
council. So, let us all get going, the council, the membership drive,
the members and more!
Dr Evelyn Ho
President 2008-2010
College of Radiology
Academy of Medicine of
Malaysia
Email:
president@radiologymalaysia.org
April 2008
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