Hey Everyone,
Yep - this is going be a more professional post than some, but I will give some highlights of what October will hold in terms of running for me - not to worry!
October is the month for many things, but the one I choose to discuss is National Medical Librarians month. Specifically, I will debunk or support 10 myths about my field and my area of expertise. Ready or not, here we go:
10) All librarians - especially medical librarians - own cats or dogs.
Nope - I am highly allergic to cats and, despite enjoying well behaved dogs, I will not have ever have an inside dog. They also have this horrible tendency to chase me, while running, and I even got bitten one time. So - I happily follow people on instagram with these pets. I may at some point have another inside pet, but given that I travel and work quite a bit, this pet is going to have be ok with being on its own.
9) Being a member of the Medical Library Association is a required for being a Medical Librarian.
Most definitely no - I joined in 2007 and, with a few exceptions, I attend the annual meeting each year. For the past year or so, I have been leading one of the groups (Educational Media and Technology Section). The conference rates keep going up, but I feel it is important to attend, even if it means self funding part of the expenses. If you cannot justify the cost, state or regional health science association meetings are a great place to "test out" the conference scene. They usually are more affordable and it is fun to meet many people in a smaller setting.
8) What does AHIP mean? Why should I bother?
AHIP - Academy of Health Information Professionals - is a way to keep up with the trends in the field. I delayed joining, because it is much easier to renew at a higher level. I entered at the Senior level in 2014 and I will be moving up to Distinguished in the next year or so. Not all medical librarians are part of it, but it is a good way to show your dedication to the profession. It is also a lot less painful and cheaper than getting a second masters degree or a doctorate.
7) Umm...I have issues with Blood, which means I cannot be a medical librarian.
While most medical librarians do support health care professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, etc), we rarely end up dealing with blood. Yes, HIPAA training is required, although most clinical faculty members do not discuss patients at all, even if they know you have the training. I respect this. So - no - if you are afraid of blood, this is still an area to consider.
6) All medical librarians do research and publish.
This is so decidedly not true. Most librarians - maybe more so medical librarians - do not ever publish. Some decide to do it, but this is usually as part of a tenure track position or for promotional purposes. Then again, a group find it interesting and decide to do it, because they want to do research.
5) All librarians knit or crochet.
HAH - this is so not true. Although, I do no knit and sometimes I attempt crocheting. I prefer knitting and usually have a couple projects on hand, because it is fun to switch and do different ones to get past the "oh my...I have xxx repeats to do and it is making me insane!"
4) I will learn everything I need to be successful in my Masters program.
This is one of my major pet peeves. The masters program is highly theoretical and, quite frankly, I sometimes wonder why it is necessary. I decided to get experience - with little help from my program - and did 2 internships and a practical experience at three places in the DC area. Each one taught me what I did not want to do and assisted in determining the setting that would eventually work best for me.
3) Library School
If you want me to be ready to yell, scream, and likely loose my temper, just mention the words, "Library School." It is a masters degree. Yes, it might be (quietly like is) easier to get than many, but it is still a requirement for most professional positions. If you don't have one, then promoting and career advancement are tough. The first step toward becoming acknowledged and well respected as a profession is to quit referring to the program as, "library school."
2) Tenure track positions are the best. All librarians should be required to get tenure.
I am 2 years and nearly 3 moths into a tenure-track position. Whether or not I get will determine if I must quickly seek a job (after 6 years) and explain why I did not get it. If I get it, then it does ensure some stability. I am quite sure it is easier to get a doctorate degree than it is to achieve tenure. Most likely - whether or not I achieve it - I will write about this topic in detail, but first I want to get through it.
1) Why would I need a librarian? Google has all the answers. Let me just "google" it and prove it to you!
Librarians use Google just as much as everyone else, but we should not be threatened by Google. Why? Medical databases, technology, an the practice of health care are always changing. People do not receive adequate training, get stuck, and resort to Google. If we, the professionals, quickly demonstrate a more efficient way of retrieving the "information" by not Googling, then the person will respect our position, talk favorably about the library, and return with more complicated questions. Don't fight Google. Instead use it as a conversation starter and a way to encourage people to use databases for more effective searching.
In late September 2007, I started my first professional position and I graduated with my masters degree in December. The journey to where I am now contained more twists, turns, challenges, and fun than I could have anticipated. Should we all become librarians? No. Do I still prefer to be "incognito" and introduce position as, "I work for the College of Medicine or I am an information professional." Yep - you see, the term "librarian" gives people the wrong impression. And so - I confuse 98% of people with my description of what I do and, those who work with librarians or keep current, - figure it out and start asking good and specific questions.
I will be in Cleveland next weekend and then in Traverse City and Mackinac Island the following week. Two weeks after that, I will be running my first trail half marathon on Mackinac Island. I think that I have found trail shoes, which will keep me vertical, but I will test them a few more times to be safe.
Stay happy, keep running or exercising, and high five the medical librarians - they need it, even if you might not guess it by the smiles you see during the month of October.
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