First and foremost, to all the volunteer students, faculty, PTs and PTAs, board members and VPTA members who worked together to make the 2018 VPTA Fall Summit successful, thank you! It was great to see that both the courses offered were filled to capacity, indicating that a desire for in-person continuing education is alive and well.
There are benefits to attending the VPTA Fall Summit and Spring Conferences. Regardless of advances in technology and distance education, and we embrace those, there is value to in-person networking and immersive learning that is unique. I like to think that just as the advent of the e-readers did not do away with paperbacks and magazines, online education is not going to do away with face-to-face networking, immersive learning and conferences! Part of the solution is to marry the two (online and in-person) such that the sum of both is greater than the individual parts.
For the first few years of my career, I was indifferent toward the APTA or state chapter, and I did not give of my time and self toward volunteering. I thought that being part of a professional organization and volunteering was only for those who were social and for those who had the time. I quickly ruled myself out, thinking it was better to just focus on my work. I had my reservations about what any involvement with the local state chapter could do for me.
All that changed after I attended a local conference to learn about "The Gait Cycle Through the Continuum of Life," and "Early Mobilization in the ICU," both of which were offered by PT educators and authors. I was surprised at the few hundred people who were there that weekend, all connected to the practice of physical therapy as students, clinicians, faculty, vendors, exhibitors, poster presenters and state- and even national-level leadership. The venue was a beehive of activity, and I realized by the end of that day that there was this vibrant world of physical therapy that I was not a part of, by choice. There were volunteer opportunities that were being taken fast, exhibitors and vendors to visit, people to talk to, things to do and places to be at the venue. Lunch was delicious, the business meeting engrossing and the silent auction inviting.
In a five-minute interaction with one of the vendors, I purchased a back support that I use to this day in my car seat. I have yet to find another one like it even on Amazon. At the silent auction, I bid $10 for a painting of irises that I cherish to this day. One of the auctioned items was the registration to a 2-day weekend intensive on Orthopedic Manual therapy at Regis University. As I looked at it, a lady standing behind me said, “You should bid on that. It’s really good.” I found out later that she was Dr. Barbara Tschoepe, the founding Dean of the DPT Program at Regis University. The opening bid was for $100, and I thought that since I was the first bidder, someone else would surely bid $101 or more. Well, no one else did, and so I won. I did not feel like a winner as I paid the $100. However, I attended the course a few weeks later, learned much, met students, colleagues and faculty that only inspired me further and also discovered that I had paid only about 5 to 10 percent of the cost for the outstanding educational weekend intensive. Practically free. Ever since then, I have been hard pressed to resist a silent auction!
I tentatively stepped forward after that day, to give an average of one hour of my time per month, toward the Professional Development Committee, also known as the programming committee in some states. Since I had never done this before, I sat rather silently at the meetings and listened, absorbing information and learning how conferences are put together. The brainstorming and post-event discussions on ideas for improvement made sense. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I could contribute: even if it was to go through the post-survey results and compile them, or contact vendors to say thank you, or prepare the meeting room for the meeting, or man the registration desk for an hour on the day of the conference. What I learned by listening was priceless.
I look back and wonder at how fortunate I was to have attended that one conference. I am still reaping its benefits: education and all. What started as a tentative adventure into the world of volunteering proved to be tremendously beneficial. It was through simple attendance and involvement at the local meetings that I grew professionally. A chance meeting with a faculty member that led to a mentoring relationship, the opportunity to encourage a student, finding mentors that had specialized in areas I was interested in, hearing of new resources for practice and study, the discovery that I enjoy volunteering because I could choose the amount of time and the area of service that I was interested in, learning about the workings of the various committees, the budget, how speakers are contacted and chosen, how caterers are chosen, all of these and more.
To VPTA members who are wondering if volunteering is for you, I say, step in and try it. Prove to yourself that this is something good. Whether you are a clinician, student, faculty member, or new to the profession, don’t make the mistake I made by being initially indifferent to the APTA and local chapter. Your patients will thank you for being the kind of well-rounded clinician who gives, serves and learns in the context of a larger community. I mistakenly thought I would lose time by volunteering, not realizing that the longer I waited to step in and rise to the occasion, the more I lost in learning and experience.
There is an aspect of volunteering that aligns with your natural preferences and that you will enjoy within the VPTA. Yes, even if you have never done anything like this before. Taking the first step is as simple as contacting us via email or phone to say, “I’m in. What can I do?” I was valued by the team and leaders when I began volunteering only 2 hours every alternate month. Of course, for me that has evolved into a happy addiction of sorts, but remember that as a volunteer you will decide how much time you can give, you are not forced, and it is your willingness and initiative that will take you far and help you to help others. You may be surprised to discover that this is fun and professionally rewarding, This, feels like winning!
Again, thank you for making the VPTA Fall Summit 2018 successful. Let me know if there are any questions I could answer, to help you step in. To your future.
Sincerely, Mona
vpta@apta.org
Mona Fazzina, PT, DPT
Education Chair, Virginia Physical Therapy Association
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy (GCS)
Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults (CEEAA)