Meet Your Fellow Members
This series celebrates the people behind the profession and offers an opportunity to learn from and connect with MRTs working in a wide range of settings from coast to coast! Every Monday, we’ll introduce you to a different medical radiation technologist from somewhere across Canada. For April, we interviewed some of our volunteers for Volunteer Month! Read a sneak peek at a feature article that can be found in this upcoming edition of CAMRT’s Newsletter 44.1.
| Know someone we should highlight? Let us know at maiello@camrt.ca |
This week’s member spotlight is Philip Garcia RTR, currently working at Concordia Hospital in Winnipeg, MB.
What initially motivated you to volunteer with CAMRT and join the committee?
Before starting my career as a Medical Radiation Technologist, I was an active volunteer in the hospital and the community. The busy and irregular work schedule made it difficult to volunteer. When the CAMRT-MB sent out a call to volunteer as part of the Awards Committee, I was intrigued and sent in an application. Our committee leader mentioned that the volunteer work will be mostly remote and more on the evaluation side. I thought that this would be perfect given my work schedule.
Looking back, what accomplishments or initiatives are you most proud of contributing to?
Being part of a group that recognizes colleagues is something I am proud of. I consider myself to be someone still new to the profession, so having a voice in recommending people and showcasing their talents and professionalism is a great accomplishment.
For those unfamiliar, can you briefly describe your role and the type of work the committee undertakes?
The Committee that I volunteer for is the CAMRT-MB Awards Committee. Our work focuses on evaluating candidates who have been nominated to receive various awards in the profession. We assist the CAMRT-MB in recognizing members who have contributed tremendously not only to the professional community but also to the local community.
What skills or competencies have you developed or strengthened through your volunteer role?
Evaluating candidates strengthened my analytical and critical thinking skills. This allowed me to evaluate candidates objectively while matching them to specific criteria defined by the requirements of the awards.
What advice would you give to MRTs who are considering volunteering with CAMRT?
Volunteering is a powerful and effective way to make a difference in the community. It does not matter how big or small our roles are because every action matters. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the importance of MRTs in the healthcare field. We have seen many of our members make sacrifices to provide quality care. Unfortunately, we also saw how many people and sectors of society still disregard the profession’s essentiality. As a volunteer, each of us can take a role in uplifting each other, recognizing members in our profession, and helping our association advance its mission and strategic goals. If you’re considering volunteering, take this opportunity. Be part of the community and give back to the profession, recognize our colleagues!
What has been your favourite experience/memory of volunteering with CAMRT?
Learning about the stories of our nominees is a wonderful experience. The nominees are also colleagues who have worked in the field for many years, so it is great to learn about their efforts in not only advancing the profession but also helping out in the community. It also inspires me to follow in their footsteps to advocate for MRTs.