Chromatography Forum

I work with LC/MS/MS in a clinical laboratory, and have developed an interest in mass spectrometry, and would like to further my knowledge of this technique . Can anyone help me and suggest where I can find short courses on Mass spectrometry I would be most gratful.

Look for a local mass spec discussion group or find a class at a large national meeting like PittCon or American Chemicals Society. There may be one assoociated with ASMS as well.

If you will post where you live, someone may identify somethign local. The Research Triangle and Chicago mass spec groups come to mind, but would be of limited use to you unless you live near Chicago or near the Research Triangle in North Carolina.

thanks, I will check the discussion groups.
I live in Tampa, Florida.

Actually, we have a couple of courses starting next week on the web:

LC/MS Fundamentals & Applications:
http://www.lcresources.com/training/trlcms_fund.html

Interpretation of Mass Spectra:
http://www.lcresources.com/training/trims.html

Check out Prof David Sparkman's course held every August in Stockton CA. Excellent course!

Pittcon this year is in Orlando (pittcon.org), there are many one-day course for you to pick.

Tom's courses are also highly recommended. All the instructors, include Tom and Dolan, have extensive experience and practical tips you won't learn from other sources.

Of course the best way to learn is to match theroy with handone practices.

If you're in a clinical lab in a hospital, do you have any university/college/research institutes within easy range? If so, see if they are interested in get-togethers. They may have a broader outlook on MS than a clinical lab, and might be open to lab visits and an exchange of ideas.

If you can, have a look at some of the bigger books too: Encyclopedia of mass spectrometry etc. (not cheap, but if you can find volumes in a library somewhere?). While chemical analysts are very professional, mass spec is a vast field, and I don't think any one individual can really have a good overview of the whole subject; it's easy to get narrow. I've met quite a few mass spectroscopists who believe themselves to be terribly knowledgeable, because they know 99% about the 1% of the subject that lies directly in their laboratory... you can learn from them, but only up to a point.

Read this forum! It may be better on chromatography than MS, but there are some good MS voices too.

Since you are so close to Orlando, I would suggest Pittcon 2010. This year Pittcon is at the Orange County Convention Center from February 28 - March 5, 2010. Check out the Pittcon Agenda Builder for courses relating to mass spectrometry. After I logged into my own personal account over 250 results came back that related to mass spectrometry including short courses, networking sessions and abstracts.

Below is the link if your interested:

http://ca.pittcon.org/Technical+Program ... C100580FC5

Check out the MSACL conference - Mass Spec Applications in the Clinical Laboratory. Short courses with Jack Henion or Russell Grant are pretty good, and the conference might be right up your alley. And San Diego in Feb ain't too bad.... Or catch much of the same at the ASMS conference, though for a clinical lab it's a bit diluted.