November Educator of the Month
This November we are recognizing Robyn D. as our “Educator of the Month”! Robyn is in Alberta, Canada. Robyn has been educating nonstop since her certification and we couldn’t be more proud of the work she is doing.
What made you want to become an educator?
I had just started a new job in the radiology department of a medical clinic. They had a mammography (MG) room that was not in use and needed a mammographer to start offering breast screening for their patients.
There were two things I wanted to accomplish in my first 3 months. I wanted to meet the equipment expectations set by Health Canada in Safety code 36. And, identify what will set this mammography department apart from other screening locations.
Time was something I believe I could offer to my patients. With a half hour appointment, I can offer a thorough breast health history, a demonstration of the positioning, a brief run-through of the screening program, an opportunity to answer questions and an introduction of the KYL campaign.
“I was out of a job, but not out of energy. ”
Mid-March rolled around, and I got laid-off for an undetermined amount of time. I was out of a job but not out of energy. I enrolled as a volunteer to bring awareness of this BSE “tool” that can be used during a time when screening mammograms were not deemed (by some) an essential service for women. Kind of a “plan B” to my career as a Breast Imager, I guess. With volunteering I could educate the women in my life about BSE when screening was unavailable. And upon returning to work, would be able to educate others with the help of colourful illustrative material that is easy to understand.
I took my time reviewing the course including the references such as recent peer reviewed articles and the latest statistics. The course was really well organized and a progressive layout that was especially informative to educators that may not have any prior experience in the industry. I see a lot of potential for the KYL to reach and empower women on taking care of their breast care regardless of literacy or language.
What is your advice to other educators?
Educate one person at a time. I use every opportunity at work and socially to shed a little light on KYL and if there’s an interest, then I go into more details.
Any stories from your classes?
I gave my KYL presentation to a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a while, she was grateful. I learned her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer twice. She was at stage four with her second diagnoses. My friend is 30 years old and doesn’t qualify for any genetic testing nor MRI. However, KYL is a tool she can use.
