On May 19-22, 2009, the Jefferson Ultrasound Institute held its annual educational conference, The Leading Edge in Diagnostic Ultrasound, inside the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J. Established in 1980, this year's Leading Edge conference offered parallel educational tracks in women's imaging, vascular imaging, elastography, musculoskeletal ultrasound, ultrasound requisites and emergency and critical care ultrasound. More than 1,200 physicians, sonographers, vascular technologists, nurse midwives and other conference attendees earned CME credits, networked with colleagues and explored the exhibit hall, where 42 vendors displayed their goods.

Signs of the times were evident at this year's Leading Edge conference when it came to meal and refreshment offerings. Some attendees remarked about the small size of the morning bagels, the lack of a mid-morning snack and the absence of the usual buffet-style lunch most conferences offer. But those are only minor concerns at a meeting where professionals can learn from experts about an industry that is, despite the recession, still growing. Even graduating students, keenly aware of the competitive nature of the job market, are optimistic about their futures.

 "It's not great right now--especially in Long Island--but we're sure we'll get jobs," says Jackie Pappas, a second-year student in the radiography program at Western Suffolk Boces, who attended the conference with two of her classmates and their program director.

For attendees with decades of experience, The Leading Edge offered educational sessions on the latest applications of sonography. Margo Faulkner, RDMS, Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, N.Y., has worked as a technologist for nearly 40 years. Though she is well-versed in most of the conference's discussion topics, she says the musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound sessions caught her attention. (See "How to Scan the Shoulder with Ultrasound" for a step-by-step video demonstration of the exam.)

"All this other stuff is old hat [for me], but musculoskeletal ultrasound is new and very interesting," says Faulkner, who added that she still made it a point to hop around to sessions on the different tracks.

Overall, this comprehensive conference was a huge success. View the slideshow below to see ADVANCE's photos of the meeting.