It’s the end of June and I’m already getting excited for AADE13 in Philadelphia. Volunteering for AADE is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve met some fabulous people and learned a lot outside of my regular scope of practice.
One of the things I’m excited about is that I love meeting new people and seeing diabetes from different perspectives. Now I know I am not the only extrovert in the crowd, but for everyone else, I’d like to issue a challenge. Meet 3 new people every day you are at AADE. Get their business cards and follow up by email. You never know who is going to be an excellent resource to you or your program down the road. I like to add people to my contacts with notes like “has three kids, went to Spain last summer, follow up on worksheet for post-operative patients.” This will help you remember this person and stay in touch in the future. Plus, people love getting an email from you with noted personal information – it means it’s not a cold call.
When meeting new people try to think of ways you could be useful to them as well. Do you have a patient success story that might help with that problem they are experiencing? Did you have a good experience with a CDE prep course or material that would be useful for someone to know? Diabetes Education is a small world that needs growing. Is there someone who could become a volunteer with your encouragement? You could be the person that inspires someone else to get involved with AADE. You certainly have inspired me! I look forward to seeing you all in August.