Oregon Tech Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technology senior Ezekiel “Zeke” Gillette recently attended the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) Future Leaders Academy, which focused on developing a clear plan for increasing the leadership abilities of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging professionals.
Held in Anaheim, Cali., at the end of January, the Leadership Academy included training from technologists or keynote speakers who have dedicated themselves to improving achievement in nuclear medicine and related fields. This training focused on setting a clear plan to develop the necessary leadership skills and organizational expertise to ultimately achieve a position in the national leadership of the SNMMI-TS.
Currently a senior in his program, Gillette is completing his externship in Spokane, Wash., at Inland Imaging, Providence Sacred Heart, and Providence Holy Family. Gillette said 23 people were chosen to attend the Leadership Academy and he was one of only two SNMMI student members chosen.
“At the Leadership Academy I learned about the importance of emotional intelligence in the workforce and how to improve areas of emotional intelligence that may be valuable to me in the workforce,” Gillette said. “One of my favorite topics was on conflict resolution and how to create more win-win situations by fully understanding all aspects of a conflict. On the second day of the conference, I was able to learn about the future impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) in nuclear medicine, which was eye-opening. They are essentially using AI to aid with the diagnosis of disease, reduce radiation exposure, and improve the quality of images taken.”
Gillette shared that the SNMMI is a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging to improve patient care. “I made a lot of great connections within the field of nuclear medicine, and that is something I will forever be grateful for from this experience.”
