Our Profession: Thriving With the Help of Young Leaders
Are you a student who is just happy to be finishing school and never thought you had the time or capability to get involved in your state physical therapy association?
I can speak from experience in saying that I was one of those students, and despite my professors in physical therapy school telling me not to wait to get involved, I did.
I was graduating from the University of Pittsburgh and leaving a city that I had lived in for the first 25 years of my life, moving to take my first job in Avon, Connecticut.
I had a hard time adjusting to a new state, being a #FreshPT, making friends, and adjusting to life as a New Englander. Being a new professional juggling a full clinical caseload and trying to improve my skills was tough enough, and I didn't think that I had anything to offer the Connecticut Physical Therapy Association. What I learned through my path was that I had way more to offer than I realized, that my opinion matters, and that people like me were needed within our state association.
During our panel discussion at National Student Conclave in Providence, Rhode Island, you will have the opportunity to hear the stories of 4 APTA chapter presidents, how they got involved, and ask them questions you never thought that you would get the opportunity to ask.
How you can get involved if you're not interested in a leadership position? What attributes do we look for in students or new professionals that help you identify them as a leader? How about the struggles that we have faced and experienced during our path to leadership?
If you would have asked me if I ever thought I'd be a chapter president within my professional association when graduating from school, the answer would have been a firm "no!"
So how did that change and who influenced us? Whether you realize it or not, all of us are leaders each and every day.
We lead in our homes, communities, and our patients look to us for direction and guidance. Why can't we do this for our association as well?
We look forward to meeting you at APTA's National Student Conclave and can't wait for the great dialogue and discussion! I will be joined in the panel discussion by Matt Hyland, APTA vice president, Jason Harvey, Rhode Island Physical Therapy Association president, Heather Jennings, Massachusetts Physical Therapy Association president, and Mark Mailloux, New Hampshire Physical Therapy Association president.
Michael Gans, PT, DPT, is a board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. He is program director of orthopaedic residency at the Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers, and president of the Connecticut Physical Therapy Association. You can find him on Twitter at @Gans_DPT.
Jason Harvey PT, MSPT, is co-owner and chief operations officer of Elite Physical Therapy, Inc, an outpatient orthopedic private practice, with 10 locations throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. He is president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. You can email him at jharvey@elitephysicaltherapy.com.
Matt Hyland, PT, PhD, MPA, is vice president of the American Physical Therapy Association. He is co-owner and president of Rye Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation, an independent outpatient physical therapist practice. You can find him on Twitter at @VP_Hyland.
Heather Jennings, PT, DPT, is a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital in Boston, and is program coordinator of the VA Boston Neurologic Residency program. She is president of the American Physical Therapy Association of Massachusetts. Connect with her on Twitter at @heathjenningsPT.
Mark Mailloux, PT, MBA, is a board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist and director of outpatient rehabilitation services at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He is president of the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.