Page 9 - OPTA Access Spring 2020

APTA NSC: A conference for students facilitated by students . The inclusivity and overall atmosphere the National Student Conclave (NSC) supplies is unparalleled to anything I’ve experienced before . Being an active member of the APTA and OPTA allowed me to discover this scholarship opportunity, for which I am incredibly grateful . A weekend spent advocating for physical therapy with the present and future voices of our profession, reassured me why I do it . Why WE do it . All the time spent dragging more books into the library, scrubbing into
the cadaver lab, and preparing for lab practicals . It’s real . It’s personable . It’s physical therapy .
NSC emphasizes the student experience . Most conferences
(i .e . CSM, NEXT) take the traditional approach highlighting refinement of clinical decision-making skills and touching
up on current literature as an already practicing clinician .
What I discovered while attending the NSC, is the entirety of the conference centers around making the student informed; ultimately giving us opportunities to get involved . Oh, and one other thing . Enjoyment . NSC was an absolute blast with an overflowing abundance of networking and socializing. I mean that quite literally . I left the exhibitor hall with bags full of business cards, t-shirts, and many more contacts in my phone than I entered with! NSC provided me an opportunity to be with like-minded individuals who share my passion and my purpose .
With hundreds of students attending from around the country, the connections a student can make are endless . One of my favorite moments from the weekend was interacting with the previous and current Student Assembly Board of Directors (SABoD) . Hearing them stand up for students alike, to give our voices a place in the APTA was inspiring . What I’m sure they did not know was the effect they have on students like me . Their leadership roles allow them to collectively gather our pressing issues and opinions . But, they are just like me . A student . Seeing their guidance has ignited a newfound desire in me to be involved at the state and national level; to be a beacon of positivity, spreading the vision of physical therapy .
(bottom left) Gaige Rassman, SPT and fellow University of Findlay student Madison Arnold, SPT taking advantage of the NSC Photo Booth after the exhibit hall.
(bottom right) Down time after the conference was spent exploring beautiful Albuquerque, NM and the Sandia Peak Tramway at sunset!
APTA National Student
Conclave Recap
Gaige Rassman, SPT – The University of Findlay
NSC 2019 will be an experience I never forget . From the learning labs to the break-out sessions that facilitated meaningful discussion tailored to my interests . The conversations that shed light on newfound interests from PT innovators like Dr . Jimmy McKay, the creator and host of PT Pintcast and NPTE Studycast, Dr . Shanté Cofield founder of The Movement Maestro, and Dr. Josh D’Angelo co-founder of MovementX, Move Together, and PT Day of Service .
Do more . Ask more questions . Get involved . Whether that is in membership and joining academies or special interest groups,
or even looking to get involved at the state and national level . Don’t be afraid to take that leap of faith . This scholarship blessed me with opportunities and lifetime memories that I would
not otherwise ever have had the exposure to . Like-minded individuals, genuine interest in the profession, EBP, all cultivate an environment that reminds me of my “why.” We all have a common purpose and that’s because we want to help people . Whether you’re going to do that through residencies, policy, or starting a fundraiser at your university, the options are endless .
We may be SPTs and SPTAs, but we are not just students . We have the capacity to touch more lives outside of our own and represent the face of physical therapy . And that, starts now .
Guest speakers after a PT Innovator and Entrepreneurship session. Pictured Left to Right: Josh D’Angelo, PT, DPT, OCS; Shanté Cofield, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, CF-L1; Gaige Rassman, SPT; and
James McKay, PT, DPT
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