Page 23 - OPTA Access March 2018

OPTA | March 2018 | 23
APTA National Student Conclave Recap
Katie Phillips, SPT - University of Toledo
Due to the generosity of the OPTA, I was given the opportunity to attend the 2017 National Student Conclave (NSC) in Portland, Oregon NSC is a unique conference, organized entirely by students, that offers a wide variety
of interesting sessions throughout the day and a multitude of interactive events in the evening By incorporating sponsored events outside of the conference and within
the community, participants have the chance for continued networking with future employers, professionals within the career, and hundreds of other DPT and PTA students I believe that this conference concept directly correlates with the world of physical therapy, as it encourages students
to explore the profession as well as the surrounding city With a vast availability of settings within the PT scope of practice, NSC guides students to nd the role in which he or she best ts. I was unaware of the impact attending this conference was going to have not only on my professional development, but my knowledge about opportunities within our eld of practice. This memorable and bene cial trip is one that I will be grateful for and cherish for years to come as I start my professional career
Pictured here
Katie Phillips (left), Megan White (middle), and Megan Vogelsong (right) are students in the DPT program at the University of Toledo excited for the NSC events ahead!
The opening ceremony of the conference included a handful of physical therapy professionals presenting “Ignite” talks These short, ve-minute speeches are unique to NSC and hold the purpose of sparking an interest in the student population for the weekend ahead The topics covered varied from dealing with stressors in our daily lives to how communication is the currency of our profession as physical therapists. However, one speci c ignite talk that stood out
to me was titled, “If it’s not a Hell Yes, then it’s a Hell No ” The speaker emphasized that decisions made today will shape the future that lies ahead, and that these decisions need to excite us if we are hopeful for a rewarding career
and life Due to the multitude of physical therapy settings, she highlighted the importance of nding passion and using that passion to better the lives of our patients and peers Additionally, she discussed nding that “hell yes” experience as a student may be dif cult and to keep searching for that unique path in life because the result will be worth the wait
Pictured Megan White (left), Megan Vogelsong (middle), and Katie Phillips (right) showing their #ChoosePT pride!
After being inspired by the rst night of the conference, I was excited to see what the individual breakout sessions had to offer The main topics that interested me included building a successful career in traveling PT and an innovative approach to networking All the topics covered asked us, as students, to re ect on our time in the classroom and use the resources we have been provided
to create a successful future These sessions truly put
into perspective the eld of physical therapy and further explained that there is more to our profession than understanding the motions of the muscles in the body or how to properly perform the Timed Up and Go Furthermore, one particular session that discussed strategies, tips, and secrets to keeping your foot out of your mouth as a PT
truly resonated with me Communication is one of the key aspects of our profession, yet the art of properly portraying our message to patients is never addressed in the school setting If we are unable to discuss our thoughts and concerns with patients of all ages, we will never truly be successful clinicians The fact that this topic was discussed during
NSC reminded me the importance of taking a step back from the classroom to evaluate my life as a student physical therapist. NSC forced me to re ect on my life choices from the second the conference began, and because of that I would recommend this experience to all students furthering their education in the eld of physical therapy.
I would like to thank my professors at the University of Toledo DPT Program, Michelle Masterson, PT, Ph D , for sending information regarding this scholarship opportunity, and Lucinda Bouillon, PT, Ph D , for assisting with the application process Additionally, I would like to send
my deepest appreciation and gratitude to the OPTA for making this trip possible Those individuals who aided this experience for me have truly impacted my life as a student and as a future clinician in ways that I did not know a conference could accomplish
STUDENT ESSAY WINNERS RECAP