Student Participation in Professional Organizations: A Synopsis of Data Collected from CAAHEPAccredited Sonography Programs

A professional society, organization, or association offers members the opportunity to advance their knowledge and skills and to maintain their certification through organizational activities. By definition, professional societies are formed when a group of individuals with shared interests collaborate to achieve professional goals. Cited benefits of membership in a professional society include being a key resource for maintaining professional values and standards; providing opportunities for continuing education, professional development, networking, and collaboration; providing support for challenging issues; and promotion of the profession. A PubMed search found that some health care education programs report the benefits of student membership in their professional societies, although there are little published data on student membership in professional societies for medical imaging programs.