A Very Exciting Surprise
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The first time I truly fell in love with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) was at my first APTA NEXT Conference after attending my first Oxford Debate.
I arrived at the event expecting another typical lecture that would make me think and help me to grow as a clinician.
Instead, what I experienced was a huge and very exciting surprise.
As I walked into the room, I caught glimpses of all of the professionals, lecturers, and leaders I idolized; dressed down, noisemakers in hand, and ready for an event that would be really fun and thought-provoking.
For those of you who have yet to attend an Oxford Debate, it's like any other debate format with a question or idea posed to a pro and con side. The difference is, the panelists are encouraged to wear costumes, use props, and have over-the-top visuals to make their cases.
The crowd is just as fun! Attendees are given noisemakers, encouraged to be boisterous, and voice their opinions and views. Like the panelists, the rowdier, the better.
Back to my first Oxford Debate experience, from its hilariously remade songs to the most ridiculous costumes I'd ever seen, the night was simply fun and unforgettable.
I realized then that APTA was not just a once-a-year payment and conference wasn't just a platform to connect with colleagues, but that APTA is a family and I was hooked for life.
Lauren Bilski, PT, DPT
Want to share your APTA love story? Submit it here! Haven't had such an experience or moment? We encourage you to contact Kaylee Pobocik, SPT, Director of Membership, APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors to discover APTA value and opportunities.
A Valued Relationship
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Value is a hot topic in our profession right now, whether it relates to the value of our skilled care or the value of membership.
The value each person gets from association membership, an experience, care, or anything else can be hard to put into words; for some it is very much a feeling.
My love story, my initial heart-stopping moment of the true value of membership in APTA, started at the NEXT 2018 conference in Orlando, Florida.
I walked into the chilly conference center the first night with no expectations.
I loved my profession and I was just biding my time until I was out of school and practicing.
Then I began speaking to other students who were incredibly involved: members of APTA's Student Assembly Board of Directors, people on APTA's Student Assembly project committees, and students who were doing so much more than just sitting in class taking notes and trying to pass exams.
And they seemed the happiest with their student experience. I'm still not sure when they slept, but they were truly thriving.
In those few short days, I was shown how much actively participating can make a difference, not only in my school and state, but also in myself and my profession. I fell in love with being involved and actively showing my passion for the world of physical therapy.
I realized that the connections and relationships I was making with people at this conference and in future volunteer opportunities were going to shape me as a person, and give me a family for the rest of my life (#PTFam).
It sounds incredibly cheesy, but my experiences at conferences over the past year — volunteering at NEXT, running for APTA's Student Assembly Board of Directors at National Student Conclave, joining the AOPT Membership Committee at Combined Sections Meeting, late nights talking about life with friends I never would have had — have transformed me into the person I hoped to be at this point in my career, and who now has so much potential for continued growth.
So I'll leave you with this: show up, you won't regret it.
Kelsey Smith, SPT, is a student at University of Alabama-Birmingham. You can connect with Kelsey on Twitter at @ksmithspt.
Want to share your APTA love story? Submit it here! Haven't had such an experience or moment? We encourage you to contact Kaylee Pobocik, SPT, Director of Membership, APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors to discover APTA value and opportunities.
My Professional Home
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In 1976 while in physical therapy school, I had exposure to faculty who were actively involved in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
I also attended the 1977 APTA National Conference held in St Louis, and was amazed at the friendliness and support the "famous" and idols in our profession had for students.
Over the next few years, I moved around the country and always found physical therapists who were supportive and engaging.
In the late 1980s I got involved in the Kansas Chapter of APTA, and I was completely absorbed in all activities and events held by the chapter.
In Iowa during the 1990s the Iowa Chapter welcomed members like me with open arms.
In 1994 I attended the Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) for the first time, and I found my home. I have not missed a CSM since.
Through the years and through these professional experiences, I have made wonderful contacts, support, friends, and mentors who have shown me how to grow and thrive personally and professionally.
Because of APTA I found my professional home.
Jill Heitzman, PT, DPT, PhD
Want to share your APTA love story? Submit it here! Haven't had such an experience or moment? We encourage you to contact Kaylee Pobocik, SPT, Director of Membership, APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors to discover APTA value and opportunities.