Wall Ball!

My favorite thing was by far wall ball. My dad an I always always always played catch in our street and I have to say I had a pretty amazing arm :] hah. Anyway, that was definitely my favorite because I loved to run and I loved the throw the ball as hard as I could against the wall. My tennins ball throwing skills are definitely down the drain, though. I think I could probably throw a baseball/tennis ball/football better when I was ten than I ever could now. O my goodness it's 4:30 and I have to get the 4:45 shuttle! I swear my post will be better more exciting next week! See ya kids.

Olympic Day

My elementary school always held a pretty good olympic day. The school was split into 4 teams, (red, blue, white, and green) and we competed in a ton of events against the kids in our grade to determine a winner. My favorite event was always the long run saved for the very end of the day. It was a race that zig-zagged around the school grounds and ended at the big tree in the back. I liked the race but I always got runner-up to one of my best friends every year. Then one year he didn't run the race for whatever reason and I got the blue ribbon! It was pretty satisfying even though I didnt actually beat my friend. When everything was finally over, they handed out the BIG freezepops and everyone argued about which team they thought would win... only for the school to claim that it was a 4 way tie the next day on the morning annoucements. Regardless, it was still a fun time and a day I looked forward too.

Amazing Race/Speedball

I always loved field day - but at my middle school there was a huge emphasis on the band and music stuff. There were athletic events, but it wasn't as competitive as I would have ever liked. When I think of spring and competitive things, I think of Speedball and the Amazing Race. At my swim club, we play speedball - a game that combines soccer and football, with virtually no rules. It was brutal and always a really fun time. The only rule: don't hurt someone smaller than you. I always would jump on people's backs to slow them down while they were running. It was epic.

When it wasn't nice out, we would play amazing race. It was set up just like the TV show, only the challenges all had to do with swimming and you obviously weren't traveling. It was always an intense workout and it went by really fast since you were in teams and not doing a traditional practice.

SHM Speedball game this spring!??!

Field day!

In elementary school, field day was the best day of the year. At our school each grade was split into three teams (red, white, and blue). Throughout the day there would be different activities. For the team that won points were awarded. The next day, each color teams' points were added up between the grades for a winner. My favorite event was always the relay races. They consisted of funny games such as dizzy bat or a wheelbarrow race. I also loved that we always got water ice at the end of the day!

Middle School Memories

Field day was probably my favorite day of the school year in 7th and 8th grades! I got to wear sports attire, play outside all day, and showcase my skills in non-traditional events... the perfect day. One year a group of the athletes were elected captains and we held a team draft to allocate the desired members of our class. I was a captain for the red team and our team name was the 'red rockets' ... how inappropriate right? The good news is that we won that year. The bad new is that I missed the pie eating contest on account of our teacher leader was a ra-tard and screwed up the schedule. My favorite event was probably the hula hoop challenge. We had to get into a circle holding hands and move a hula hoop around our entire team as fast as possible. We developed a sweet- step, step, duck- pattern that won us the gold.

Since it was always super hot on field day in elementary school the fire truck would come to our fields and provide us kids with one huge sprinkler.
Sucked for the white team..

Ahh to be a kid again.

This and next week at Drexel is GREEK WEEK. Two weeks of competitions. With this warm weather, it kind of reminds me of Field Day back in elementary and middle school.

Did you have a field day? What was your favorite activity?

My favorite was the long jump. I totally won.

Time Crunch!

I think that learning to organize my time is my biggest challenge. I am slowly getting a grip on time managing different projects and edits at the same time in office, but I am still working on managing my time out of the office with meetings for clubs at Drexel and training for swimming.

I'm continuing to get better at writing lists with all my projects so I'm not relying on my bad memory! I'm also working on getting up at the same time and working out before work instead of after. Michelle and I go spinning on Tues/Thurs mornings. It's intense!!!!!

Time Flies

My biggest challenge so far (and I think will remain to be) managing my time and prioritizing tasks. I sit down and look at the clock thinking I have so much time to do something and then look at the clock again and it's time to go! I also can't seem to decide what to work on first (I think I just waste my time in trying to decide what to do!). I don't like putting things on the back-burner but I'm quickly realizing that sometimes thats necessary to get the really important stuff done. I'm sure my prioritization/time management skills will get better as I continue here... they usually do. I feel that this is usually an issue when in a new environment and doing something you've never done before. So, I'm not worried I'm sure I'll be fine! The other thing I'm worried about is Andrew's rap. According to Todd I have a one-liner and that is SO not happening.

Toughest Challenge

This is an easy answer for me... I've been told to create a rap pertaining to SHM and then perform it for the staff, all while trying not to embarrass myself and at the same time, maintaining a sense of professional integrity....To complicate matters, I have little to no free time to work on this assignment, even outside of the office. The creative process is very extensive and involves a certain level of procrastination - time I simply do not have.

My approach to the issue: So this is the plan... I'm going to free my schedule one night, lock myself in a room for about an hour, and turn my phone off to block contact from the outside world. From there I'll proceed to write the most vicious (and probably the only) SHM verse in the history of hospital medicine. If I tank, so be it.... your collective knowledge of hip hop is most likely next to nothing and any sort of opinion you hold will simply be taken as invalid, regardless of whether its positive or not.

Other than that, I've enjoyed tackling the day-to-day challenges that arise and I look forward to learning a lot from them in the future :)

Mentally Challenged

I think the toughest challenge for my time here at SHM will be remembering my lunch. Today is the third day in 3 1/2 weeks (many days of which we didn't need to bring food) that I've prepared by brown-bagged lunch the night before, but forgot it in the fridge the morning after. I don't carry my debit card unless I am purposely going to make a purchase (because I will most likely loose it) and honestly don't possess any cash at the moment. Welcome to college life.

However, I have already taken steps in eliminately this issue by posting a sticky note above the handle of my front door reading, "LUNCH!" Yet, after placing this "solution" in plain sight, I have still managed to epically fail. Due to this reocurring mishap, I am open to any suggestions that may alleviate the pain of having to borrow money from others.

P.S. Tori - Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that I owe you lunch one day

New Challenges

So far I believe a challenge for myself is learning the new terminology. Many acronyms are used for the different projects and healthcare sites. Becoming familiar with these acronyms will, naturally, allow me to understand more in conversation. Also when dealing with mentors, doctors, and hospitals, there is a lot of different healthcare terminology used. Asking a lot of questions will allow myself to become more knowledgable and be successful in the future.

What do you think will be your toughest encounter during your time here at SHM?
How will you handle it?

hm11

I think all of the comments from below are wonderful. I think incentives toward this specific group are vital to the success of an event. In that regard, I would ask people at HM11 what kind of events would entice them. The feedback from the people who are at HM11 is important, but it is equally if not more impotant to figure out the opinions of those who chose NOT to attend. Maybe it is as simple as a blast e-mail asking for feedback from those who didn't attend, or maybe it is having a committee leaders reach out to co-workers/committee members that chose not to attend and we can find out why on a more personal level.

get those numbazz up

I like the vacation idea. The Gaylord is convenient but it seems (from what I've heard) that it doesn't get very good reviews. Maybe make it in a place where the whole family could come? Obviously little Johnny and Mommy (or Daddy) won't attend the meeting but it would be nice if the location was in a family-friendly area.... not in the burbs of Texas. Going along the lines of the party idea, maybe a cruise dinner could be incorporated? Since the meeting will be in San Diego next year I think that would be nice and I'm pretty sure dinner cruise's aren't too too expensive. Also, I think we should focus on the cohorts way earlier than we did this year. It seemed to me that that idea was all kind of last minute and I think it's a valuable way to get registration numbers up. I think people respond well when they feel like they have a personal connection with something so like calling and actually talking to people may spring their interest a little more than a mass email. Obviously we wouldn't call all possible attendees but I think it's a useful tactic for fellows, leaders, etc.

Annual meeting

I definitely agree with the previous posts. There needs to be something that compels the attendees to the event other than the medical side of it. Supposedely, some people show up, collect a brochedure to show their boss they attended, and then leave. That wouldn't be the case if there was some kind of alternative incentive to not only attend, but stay the whole time. From an SHM planning standpoint, I think its been generally smooth. The only thing I can suggest is maybe including a weekly meeting that focuses solely on annual meeting objectives in addition to the monday meetings we already have. That would just ensure everyone is on the same page and give us a chance to take another, more in depth look at certain plans and ideas.

Work Hard, Play Harder

What attracts people to attend an SHM annual meeting? There's no doubt it's the learning experience, CME credits, practice applications, and networking opportunities. But what if the conference offered more than just educational tools? What if there was some incentive to register, influenced by a party/event exclusively for meeting attendees? In planning a meeting I always try to think about the factors that push people to get involved. At school it's normally free food or extra credit... but that's specific for the student audience. With a crowd full of renowned doctors and medical specialists at an event like HM11, maybe the "it" factor could be a dinner ball or themed party. Who knows, it could give people a chance to let loose and shake what their mamma gave 'em (all of which will be photographically documented).

2011 SHM vacation

For future annual meetings I would plan the location at a tropical island. I think everyone would enjoy some relaxing time at the beach inbetween their hectic day of meetings. For those standing all day, a free massage at the end of the week wouldn't hurt either!

clever title

If you could improve one thing about our HM11 planning for moving forward into future annual meeting planning, what would it be?

Week Two

The environment here has been very dedicated and committed to accomplishing everything that HM11 entails. Since I got here, I've probably heard the words 'Annual meeting' close to a thousand times. The workload has been heavy and everyone seems busy at all times. In order to get our work down, communication has been a large aspect of our success. Taking the time to verify things and ask questions can save a lot of time that would have been wasted otherwise. Everyone seems to be on the same page as far as collaboration and no one is left in the dark with what is going on. As we get closer to HM11, things will surely become more hectic and teamwork will play a big role into getting the job done.

Semana dos

It's insane around here. You can really tell that everyone is working their hardest to pull the numbers up for the meeting. Even though it's busy everyone is still really fun to work with and I'm happy that I have a lot of work to do. I had an interesting week... I think I may be qualified to get my real estate licesnse after the project I did for Todd. It was definitely different and not what I would ever expect to ever do here but I actually did enjoy it (side note: if anyone is interested in moving to Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Fairmount Park, Center City, Chestnut Hill, Ardmore, or Haverford, come to me I can tell you everything about anything regarding those places :] ). Other than my real estate adventure I've learned a lot about membership and I'm quickly learning how much the department has on their plate all the time. I'm excited to start diving into more in-depth projects and working with everyone to help them out and to see what else we can do to make the meeting the best that it can be. P.S Meesh, my Spanish is better than yours ;)

Week Numero Dos

Over the past week, when friends and family inquire about my work experience at SHM, I usually mention the word "busy" first. It's not to say that I don't love the people or the environment but I think 'busy' is the most appropriate term for our current status. I almost feel like an elf at Santa's workshop around Thanksgiving time. "One more month until Christmas everyone, let's get a move on with these toys!" Along the lines of living with a busy schedule is the timeline/deadline aspect - I'm learning to appreciate the art of working under pressure... and by appreciate I mean master (hopefully...eventually).

Week 2

Over in QI everyone is working hard on their projects. As Tori had also stated, collaboration is key. Each member of the QI team is continuously helping one another to manage and improve their own projects. Currently I am working with Joanne, gathering information and surveyingn cardiac arrest resuscitation practices in US hospitals. I believe that QI will successfully make it through this busy time because everyone is working together strongly!

What I've Learned

Being immersed in the craziness of HM11 has showed me the importance of collaboration. Whether we are in an Art meeting or Department meeting, everyone is throwing ideas off of eachother and I think that it is how we are coming up with such great ideas. I love the open atmosphere of SHM and I think we will reach our HM11 registration targets if we continue to work together!

Week 2

So you all started at a very busy time for us - Annual Meeting time. Our registrations are a bit behind when tracking compared to HM10, so we have been busting our butts to improve that in anyway possible.

When you interviewed here, we, more likely than not, told you that there are times where we get together and just brainstorm and work as a team to improve how we are currently doing.

As for you, Alyse, I'm not sure how busy QI is over there around this time, but let us know what it's like!

What have you learned about this busy time, so far? (It's not over yet!)

Week 1!

I can’t believe it’s already Friday! Every day here just flew by (which is a good thing) and I’ve already learned so much in one week. I was really surprised about how enthusiastic everyone here is at SHM. Everyone seems to really take pride in their work and understand how every little thing is important. Also, within the marketing department, I was surprised about how much there is to do. Never working in this kind of environment before I didn't really know what to expect and I never would have thought that one department could have so many levels. Having said that, I’m super excited to work here for the next few months and to experience life here at SHM!

A view from the starting line

My entire family has always teased me for never having a true job (apparently babysitting doesn't count) and consequently never having and spending cash (which I ultimately "borrow" from them). So I think it's safe to say the most surprising thing for them is that I am currently employed, thank you SHM. In fact, I received a text from my dad this Tuesday morning that read, "Day 2 in the 'real world,'" as if I need daily updates to track my professional progress. I'm surprised they haven't shown up with the camera yet. But most surprising for me is the open environment, continuous team collaboration, and work ethic found within the walls of the SHM office. Being treated like an actual employee is an extremely refreshing feature that I greatly appreciate as I inch toward becoming a college graduate. Envisioning the future, I am looking forward to honing in on possible career interests and hearing more karaoke-level memories... or even being part of them.

Week 1

From my first day in the office, it was clear that the people here really make this place a friendly and comfortable enivorment. Everyone is open to answer questions and quick to offer support. I was suprised with the amount of exposure and with the variety of work that is being offered to us. At times, it can be overwhelming but I appreciate the opportunity in receiving 'real' experience as well as valuable guidance. Over the next 6 months, I look forward on finding my niche within the office and building a strong rapport with everyone here. I hope to look back on my time with SHM and conclude that I took advantage of this opportunity.