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My Year as Artery Ambassador

By Saswati Das, MD posted 01-18-2019 00:47

  

Though I have been an AACC member for 5 years, the past year ended up being the most exciting one I’ve had with the association to date thanks to my time serving as an Artery ambassador. Volunteering as an ambassador has given me the chance to try something new, to contribute to AACC, and to gain confidence and build a real sense of achievement. It presents new challenges every day but is also super fun at the same time. Most significantly, through this role I have become part of the Artery community,where I can connect in real-time with clinical chemists around the world and learn new skills. AACC Artery provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to share knowledge about our field and, through doing so, to make a positive impact on the science of clinical chemistry.

One of the roles of an ambassador is to spark collaborations among AACC’s local sections and scientific divisions. Keeping this in mind, AACC appoints ambassadors in regional sections throughout North America and worldwide who help nurture connections among members. I am honoured to be one of the first international ambassadors for AACC Artery—especially since I believe that reaching across borders strengthens the scientific community and enables all of us to achieve a wider impact with our work.

After I joined the ambassador program, I was warmly welcomed by the Artery’s current ambassadors and the online community manager, which made my transition from regular AACC member to ambassador extremely smooth.In particular, participating in the monthly ambassador round-tables, quizzes, and games made me truly feel like a part of the ambassador community. AACC Artery also gave me a platform for discussing my ideas. The more I contributed to the forum, the happier I felt.Engaging with an international community of colleagues and assisting others provides a natural sense of accomplishment, in addition to the sense of pride and identity that comes from my role as an ambassador.

Interacting with laboratorians from around the world has been a very humbling experience. I have met some incredible people who never cease to amaze me with how they run their laboratories and approach their day to day problems. As a frequent open forum contributor,I have also come to feel that other community members appreciate my work and I hope that my assistance has benefited many people. Some questions posed on the Artery are challenging, but I always feel gratified when I can use my experience as a clinical chemist to solve them.

One final highlight from my year as an ambassador is that I won the ambassador challenge this year and was rewarded at the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting. My efforts to tag open forum content were also recognized and received a special mention.

Altogether, I have thoroughly enjoyed the past year and hope to continue as an ambassador for some time.I encourage anyone who is considering becoming an AACC Artery ambassador to give it a genuine try. If you have good communication skills and you are committed to the program then this is definitely the chance for you to make your mark with AACC and the field at large. Some of the most fulfilling moments for me this year were when I met new colleagues and they said, “Hey, I know you from the Artery.”
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