Dear Readers,
This month I caught up with Laura Murray, MSIS, MBA, AHIP, the Graduate Medical Education Librarian at USF Health Libraries. Laura discussed her experience attending the MLA Research Training Institute (RTI) last year. If you have ever been interested in attending, keep reading to hear about her experience!
Best,
Janet

What motivated or inspired you to attend the MLA RTI? 
After Covid started, I started to focus on my professional goals and one of the things I wanted to do was to start my EdD and publish again. I saw an email about the RTI program and talked to my supervisor about it. She really encouraged me to participate. This turned out to be a great decision because what I learned at RTI has laid the groundwork for my dissertation.  

What was the best/most helpful thing or aspect of the MLA/RTI training? 
Having regular course work and the expectation to have it completed really kept me on track. Having a mentor to talk to and guide us. I cannot say enough good things about the mentors! Having a supportive supervisor was also a bonus.  
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What was the most challenging thing or aspect of the MLA/RTI training? 
Performing some of the teaching activities in front of my peers. I have imposter syndrome and had to work through this. Balancing RTI with my work was a challenge, but I loved the work I did with RTI.  
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​Have you been able to use any of your newly acquired skills in your professional practice? 
From day 1, I was able to network and learn from other medical librarians. Doing my own research has made me a confident researcher. I have also learned about best practices to build the curriculum for my residents and ways to approach teaching. I have connected with medical librarians across the country through RTI that I would have never connected with otherwise.  

What advice would you give to someone who was considering applying for the MLA RTI? 
Do it! You will gain more than you are afraid of. Convince your leadership to give you protected time to do this. This is very doable, and the leadership of this program is very supportive and always trying to improve. This program brought a lot of meaning to my job. Get out there and give yourself the gift that is this program! 

Greetings FHSLA members!

It’s that wonderful time of year with holidays, food, celebrations, and MEMBERSHIP renewals! We value your membership and participation in FHSLA, and we hope that you benefit from the meetings, networking, continuing education, and professional support from the organization and its members.

Dues remain $15 ($15.75 via PayPal to cover processing fees) and you are welcome to visit our membership page: fhsla.org/membership.html
Membership - FLORIDA HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (FHSLA)
Pay Online: Please click on the FHSLA 2023 Membership and Committee Form button and complete online form.; Then, click on the Buy Now button to pay your dues via PayPal.; Note: You do not need a PayPal account to pay online. Choose the 'Pay with Debit or Credit Card' button to checkout as Guest.
fhsla.org
 to pay online or to print out the mail-in form.

Please remember: online renewal involves a TWO-STEP process. 1) fill out the membership form and then
2) click the PayPal button just below the form to submit your dues. It’s really important to complete both steps so that we know who you are!

Membership renewal is also a great opportunity to express interest in serving as a FHSLA officer or committee member. As a former officer, I can attest, working with FHSLA and the board is a very rewarding experience in a supportive environment. If you’d like to get involved, please let a board member know or check the appropriate box on the membership form and we’ll reach out to you. Also, please consider joining the Honors & Awards Committee, the Membership Committee, the Continuing Education Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Program Committee, or the Strategic Planning Committee.

Thank you for your membership and please spread the word about FHSLA to your coworkers, library students, and colleagues.

Looking forward to a productive 2022 and please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions!

Best wishes,
Stephanie Harris, MLS, AHIP
Membership Chair, FHSLA
Stephanie.Harris@AdventHealth.com

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