TSPTA February Update

Hi everyone, 

My name is Julie Christeen Chrisman, or JC for short, and I am the Texas Student Physical Therapy Association’s Core Ambassador. I’m here to drop in TSPTA’s February update.

A couple things to keep on your radar in the upcoming future. The first is Legislative Day. For those that don’t know, Legislative Day (Leg Day - but not just for squats/deadlifts!) occurs every two years and is an opportunity for physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and students to talk directly with legislators responsible for supporting our profession. We get to talk to them about potential bills on the horizon such as proposed House Bill 29 which will give physical therapists direct access if passed! I promise, it isn’t as scary as it looks, and in fact is FUN, a great networking opportunity, resume booster, and informative to you as a future clinician. This event is FREE for student TPTA members and only $10 for non-student members. Monday February 11th is the last day to register for Leg Day which will be held on February 19th in Austin TX starting at the Paramount Theater.

The itinerary is as follows: 

8:00 - Check in

9:00 - Welcome and Introductions

9:30 - Overview and Legislation

10:15 - Legislative Visit Etiquette

10:30- Departure to State Capitol 

11:00 - Legislative Visits (until 4:00PM) - please bring photo ID 

To review HB29:

https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB29/2019

For more information or to register: 

https://www.tpta.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=22&Itemid=115&year=2019&month=02&day=19&title=tpta-legislative-day-2019&uid=603c4ec0f6a5b57ab3e61cd5c63a0d1f

Secondly, the TSPTA is proud to offer two scholarships in the amount of $250 each for student members of TPTA to attend Federal Advocacy Forum in Washington DC March 31st-April 2nd. Federal Advocacy Forum (FAF) is similar to Legislative Day but on a much larger scale. You will get to talk to legislators on the federal level about all issues affecting physical therapy as a whole. All you need to do to be considered is fill out the application and send to tspta.president@gmail.com BY Friday February 19th at 5PM. The fee for students to attend is $100 so you can see this is a great opportunity as it can cover flight and hotel fees as well. Refer to your email for the application. 

For more information on Federal Advocacy Forum and to register: 

http://www.apta.org/FederalForum/

https://youtu.be/KaZXZH8HJ-I

Additional scholarship opportunities:

https://geriatricspt.org/awards/ - via the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy

https://aptahpa.org/page/2019FederalAffairsForum - via HPA Catalyst 

I will continue to post links for scholarships as they come. Thank you!

• Your TSPTA Core Ambassador

The 2018 TPTA Conference + Changeover

As my final post, I first just wanted to say on behalf of the 2017-18 TSPTA Executive Board, THANK YOU so much for allowing us to represent you this year. It’s been an absolute blast getting to meet DPT and PTA students across Texas and showcasing all the great work y’all have been doing to help advance our profession. Below you’ll find some highlights from this year’s TPTA conference held last month (October 24-27^th, 2018).

TPTA Cares – Habitat for Humanity

Each year, the TPTA collaborates with a non-profit in the city where the conference is held to help engage students and clinicians in the community. This year’s TPTA Cares project was with Habitat for Humanity – San Antonio, an organization that aims to promote access to affordable and sustainable housing. We just wanted to give a shout out to students from the UTEP DPT Program, the St. Philip’s College PTA Program, and the Concorde Career College PTA Program for their willingness to get their hands dirty with onsite projects to work towards the organization’s mission. We look forward to collaborations with other local non-profits in future conferences!

TPTA Student Assembly

After several months of planning, the Texas Student Assembly meeting was a HUGE success, with hundreds of students in attendance representing the majority of PT/PTA programs across our great state. Every year, the TSPTA Executive Board specifically covers topics pertinent to the interests of students, from discovering the value of APTA membership to advice about getting a job after graduation. We had an amazing panel this year, and I just wanted to personally thank Jackie Underwood, Marcos Lopez, Craig Tounget, and Erica Parazo for sharing their passion, enthusiasm, and wisdom with us and inspiring the next generation of clinicians to challenge the status quo.

TPTA Student Bowl

Another event specifically designed for students each year at the TPTA Conference is the TPTA Student Bowl. This event gives students a chance to test their knowledge and compete against other programs for the coveted championship titles. PT and PTA student compete separately, and each year two programs bring home first place after several lightning rounds of questions. Congratulations to 2018 DPT student bowl winners from the UTEP DPT Program and the PTA student bowl winners from the Victoria College PTA Program!

Once again, I want to thank you for giving me the chance to serve this year. It's been such an honor and a privilege, and I look forward to all the great things your new TSPTA Executive Board has in store this coming year. All the best and happy holidays,

Daniel Millar, SPT

UTEP DPT Class of 2018

2017-18 APTA Texas Core Ambassador

And with that, it’s my pleasure to introduce your new APTA Texas Core Ambassador, Julie Chrisman!!!

My name is Julie Chrisman or JC for short, and I am a second year DPT student at UT Southwestern. I am a Dallas native and graduated from The University of Texas in 2016 with a degree in Exercise Science. I have a passion for sports and if I’m not on the volleyball court, you can find me Saturday-Monday watching my longhorns and cowboys play. A fun fact about me, I have a long list of travel bucket list items and this year I get to cross off 2 world wonders from that list at Chichen Itza and the Great Pyramid of Giza!

2018 TSPTA Officer Promo Videos

The 2018-19 TSPTA Officer Applications deadline has been extended to
SATURDAY, October 13th at 11pm. 

Watch the videos below made for your current officer team about why YOU should apply!

Cord DeMoss
TSPTA Vice President
University of Texas Southwestern

Amanda Scampini
TSPTA Secretary
University of Texas Southwestern

Daniel Millar
APTA Texas Core Ambassador
The University of Texas at El Paso

TSPTA Officer Applications due Saturday, Oct 13th

Hello TEXAS!

Just a friendly reminder that applications to run for an officer position in the Texas Student Physical Therapy Association is coming up on Saturday, October 13th at 11pm!

Below you'll find the FIRST of a series of videos made from your current officer team covering topics such as why you should apply and what each of our roles entails, starting with your president, Cambria Carson.

PS. You can find the application link on our website: https://www.tpta.org/students-tspta