Ben Lemieux

April 11, 2015

Professional Service Project
Clinical Practicum I
When I first heard about the need for students to do a service project
with a professional organization, the first organization that popped into my
head was the Twin Cities Radiation Therapists (TCRT) non-profit organization.
In April of 2005 a group of radiation therapists got together and surveyed
other local radiation therapists for the need for a professional organization.
Initially there were enough radiation therapists who got together and started
the first board of the TCRT. This organization has been a great resource for
radiation therapists, medical dosimetrists and radiation therapy students in
the surrounding area. Since 2005 it has grown to nearly 100 members and
elects a board of director positions on an annual basis. Twice a year they
offer conferences (spring and fall) where radiation therapists and medical
dosimetrists can come and receive continuing education credits listening to
speakers give talks on a multitude of different aspects in the field of radiation
therapy.
When I was a radiation therapy student at University of Minnesota,
Fairview, both conferences were mandatory for all students to attend. They
were an all-day event with lunch and were always a great educational
experience. Since then, because of interest from multiple states radiation
therapy schools, the TCRT has changed their spring conference from a large
open registration for continuing education credits to a student board review
conference. Students from 3 different states (Minnesota, Iowa and South
Dakota) came to Argosy College in St. Paul, Minnesota for a one day board

review. I contacted the TCRT in early March asking if I could help out with the
review and they gladly accepted the help!

On the day of the conference I showed up in the morning and I helped the
board members with hauling in the breakfast food for the students and
helped at the registration desk to sign in the students as they arrived. Before
lunch time I also ran with a board member to the local Panera Bread to grab
the catered lunch for the students. The conference was very well put
together and I wish that I could have had a review conference like this when I
was a student! These review conferences for the students are a great way to
helps student prepare for therapy boards and also promote interest into
student continuing their education with TCRT. The speakers covered all topic
covered on the therapy board exam and each student was given a binder
that included all PowerPoint projects that were presented. There was also a
set of mock boards taken at the end of class. The TCRT has been a great
asset to the Twin Cities and I look forward to attending upcoming
conferences in the near future as I progress as a medical dosimetrist.