Seeking Abstracts for the 2014 ASET Annual Conference!

I am currently seeking platform abstract presentations for the 2014 ASET annual conference in Asheville, North Carolina.   Platform presentations are oral presentations, with 30 minute time slots.  I recommend that the presentation not exceed 25 minutes so that there is time for questions.  There will be platform and poster abstract presentations on Aug. 21 and 22.  You do not have to provide a handout to go with your presentation, simply compose your presentation and create your slides.  There is a March 30 deadline for abstracts but this will likely be extended to give me extra time to receive them.

FAQ’s about ASET abstracts:

Q: What is the value of presenting an abstract at the ASET Annual Conference?

A:  There are many benefits.  First, let’s address the financial benefit:  it gets you free meeting registration for the day on which you present your abstract.  It also looks good on your resume or C.V.  It also gets you officially “published” since the abstracts are printed in the December issue of the ASET Neurodiagnostic Journal which is listed with the medical search engine, PubMed.  You will gain recognition and confidence.

Q: What kind of presentations can I do?
A:  You have a choice of platform or poster presentation.  Right now I really need some platform presentations, but if you really are uncomfortable with public speaking, you can opt for a poster presentation.  For a poster presentation, you will need to present your topic visually on a poster that is 4’X6’.  We ask poster presenters to put their posters up at a specific time, and be present with their posters during poster breaks to explain the poster to attendees who are interested in the topic.

Q: How do I request time or space to present an abstract?
A: There is an abstract application form on the ASET website, please just go to the “meetings” tab + annual conference + abstract and poster presentations + Download 2014 Abstract Application, or try this link: Abstract application form  Please also note that on our website, you can also access tips on how to do prepare a poster or podium abstract presentation.
In addition to the application form, you must also submit the 100-200 word synopsis of your abstract subject matter.  Please simply compose a Word document to fax to me along with the abstract form. This is what will be published in the ASET Journal and printed in the final program for the annual conference.  My fax number is 877-207-2235.

Q:  When will I find out if my abstract is accepted?  I will send out acceptance notices late in April.  The ASET Program Committee will review all abstract applications starting on April 1.  Within a month of the deadline I will contact everyone who submitted an abstract.  I will schedule a time for each podium abstract presentation at that time, and will include that in my notice to you.  You do not have to prepare a handout for an abstract, or submit the slides in advance.

If you would like to contact me directly with questions about the ASET abstracts, please send me an e-mail:    faye@aset.org

Thank you very much and I will see you in Asheville!

Neurodiagnostic Student doing research

I was recently contacted by this very ambitious student.  She is enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree in NDT program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She is doing a research paper has an IRB.  She will be spending the next week collecting data. She has developed a short survey to help her determine the relationship between passing the Board Exams, with educational background and level of income.

Here...
She will introduce herself:

Hi my name is Deborah Chiou. I'm a student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  I was wondering if you would be interested in participating in my research by completing this anonymous survey. It’s a research project about whether advance education will benefit board passage rates. Participation is completely voluntary.  Are you over 18 years of age? Do you have an NDT credential? If both answers are yes, please fill out this short survey.  Thank you for your help!​

And here is the link to her survey:  

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NJTYGB

Thanks for helping!   

EEG Boot Camp and LTM Academy

I usually update my blog entries more often.  I can’t believe the last time I posted an entry it was New Year’s Eve!  Here we are a month later and I am watching yet another snow storm swirl around me here in Maine.

The View from Here

I have been very busy this past month, booking speakers for both the 2014 annual conference and the upcoming ASET Spring Seminar Courses: EEG Boot Camp and LTM Academy. I will write more on the 2014 Annual Conference Program in next month’s entry.   The ASET spring courses will be held on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, on March 29 and 30^th.  As I mentioned in my last entry, our registration fees for ASET seminar courses has been reduced by up to $100 per person this year!  I am hedging my bet that if we make it more affordable, more people will attend! The early bird registration fee is $275 for ASET members, and $320 for non-members.  Please note that the early bird registration rate ends on Feb. 28th!

I know that many technologists are seeking CEUs for recertification or to qualify to take the ABRET EEG exam.  The EEG Boot Camp course is the perfect choice for those preparing to take the EEG registry exam!  We have updated the EEG review course content to include more in-depth pattern recognition and clinical correlations to better address changes in the exam due to the switch from the oral Part II to the written Part II.

The LTM Academy course is a bit different that the LTM Seminars we have offered in the past.  Since our host has a state-of-the-art comprehensive epilepsy program, we are taking advantage of the unique expertise they have to offer.  LTM course topics will include presentations on MEG and stereotactic placement of multiple depth electrodes for invasive monitoring.

You may view the full course schedules, access the registration form and our lodging options at this link:http://www.aset.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3445

ASET has reserved a block of rooms at the nearby Hampton Inn and Suites, which includes daily shuttle service to and from the hotel to the conference center at the hospital.  Our room rate is $119 per night and this rate expires on March 4^th, so please reserve your room early.

Please consider participating to show your support for our initiative to lower the registration fees! 

2014 Neurodiagnostics Updates: News from ABRET re: recertification and more

Here it is, New Year’s Eve, 2013!   I have gotten a few calls this week from techs that are under the wire to complete their recertification application, due at the end of this year.  Some are scrambling to accrue the rest of the CEUs required!  I have some good news for all of you “last minute shoppers”!  ABRET has offered an extension for credentials expiring this year only.   The extension is granted for up to six months!  There will be a “late fee” of $100 added to the $75 regular application fee.   ABRET’s Executive Director, Janice Walbert, explained to me that there is no need to file paperwork or notify ABRET at this time, if you wish to take advantage of this extension.  Between now and June, those technologists who are due to recertify by the end of this year, who have missed the deadline, will be “certified in grace” until June.  As long as you turn in your application, fees and documentation of the required continuing education hours by then, you will be able to renew your credential.

Please note that in the interim, if anyone looks up your name on the credential search tab of the ABRET website, your expiring credential will appear in red, indicating that it is past due.  So, if you are in a situation such as a job interview, where an employer might research your credentials, it is important to explain this up front.

Starting in 2014, ABRET will offer only a one-month grace period for expiring credentials, so mark your calendars now, if you need to recertify in 2014!

Other news items: 

·        ASET’s lower registration rate for our seminar courses!

You may not have noticed yet, but this year ASET is offering lower registration fees for our spring and fall seminar courses!   We have reduced rates up to $100 for the two-day courses!  In years’ past, the early registration rate for ASET members was $375 and this year it will be just $275!  We at ASET try to listen to our members and address their needs.  With the trend for health care institutions to cut back on covering educational expenses, many technologists are struggling to fund their attendance at courses.  At the same time, with ABRET’s requirements for CEUs both for recertification and qualification for the EEG registry exam, more technologists than ever before must partake of formal education.  I am hoping that the reduction in fees will allow more technologists to come to our courses.  Please support ASET by attending our educational events.  You will get a good value for your investment!  Please look at the meeting tab on our website for more information about our seminar schedule for 2014.  We will be in Pittsburgh, PA on March 29 & 30, with “EEG Boot Camp” and “LTM Academy” courses.   We will offer “EEG Boot Camp” in Arlington, TX on November 8 & 9.   For the first time, at the Fall Seminar course, we will be sharing the meeting space with AAET, who will sponsor the NCS course that will run concurrently.

·        Recap: ASET Course at AES – “Making an LTM/ICU Monitoring Program Work: Technical Aspects

We had 72 registered attendees for this one day course!  This was above and beyond my expectations!  We would have had even more local technologists participating, those who planned to drive into D.C. on the day of the course, if the icy, messy snowstorm had not arrived mid-day!   However, we did have several nurse practitioners and physicians who were at the AES meeting come by and sign up to attend the course that day.  And those folks were very impressed with our knowledge and the course content!  We got rave reviews all around!   Thanks so much to our speakers:  Judy Ahn-Ewing, Dr. Joseph Drazkowski, Cheryl Plummer, Sherry Nehamkin, Ryan Lau and Sabrina Galloway!   We won’t be able to repeat this opportunity until 2015, but based on the success of this event, we certainly will work on hosting another course at the AES conference to be held in Philadelphia that year!

Happy New Year to all!  Hope to see you at an ASET educational event in 2014!