Plus, expanding your student experience thru involvement.

May 27, 2021

Inform

Message to This Year's Graduates From APTA CEO Justin Moore

APTA CEO Justin Moore, PT, DPT, provides a hopeful, yet ambitious, message to the class of 2021.

Video: APTA Live - Expanding Your Student Experience - Student Involvement

Hear from your fellow student leaders about their professional involvement experiences, their favorite parts of being involved and engaged, and why they think you should get involved as a student.

Video: APTA Student Social - My Professional Involvement Journey

Guests discussed their experiences getting involved in the physical therapy profession as students and the doors that can open when you do!

APTA Member Benefit of the Month: APTA Specialist Certification - Governed by ABPTS

After graduation you will have the opportunity to join more than 30,000 of your PT colleagues who have pursued career advancement as board-certified clinical specialists. The 10 specialty areas offered by ABPTS are a recognition of the increasingly vital role physical therapy plays in optimizing movement to improve the human experience. With your APTA membership, you receive a discounted rate on specialist certification testing fees, in addition to discounts on CEUs and other requirements needed to pursue and maintain your certification. Check out all APTA member benefits.

Engage

Join Us for the APTA Knowledge Bowl, June 30

This may be one of the most entertaining events you will participate in as an APTA student member! This high-energy event allows students from DPT programs across the country to test their knowledge and prep for the National Physical Therapy Examination. Learn more and RSVP today!

APTA Student Social: Why Representation Matters in Physical Therapy, Happening June 13

This month's discussion is about the lack of diversity in the physical therapy profession and how students can use their voices to represent minority populations. RSVP to attend by June 12 through APTA Engage.

Survey Seeks Perspectives on Physical Therapy Education

APTA, the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, and the APTA Academy of Education need your input on current and future physical therapy education. The three organizations, working together with other education stakeholders as the Education Leadership Partnership, have created a survey aimed at collaborative visioning and planning for the future of physical therapy education. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. Responses are due by midnight June 8.

CAPTE Seeks Your Responses to an Important Call for Comments

Every five years, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education is required to collect input on the adequacy of the Standards and Required Elements for accreditation of PT and PTA programs to evaluate the quality of those programs and their relevance to student needs. Students are among the constituents CAPTE needs to hear from. Your comments are critical to the success of PT and PTA education, and to the readiness of students like you to provide quality care to patients and clients. To help ensure a strong response, please share this call for comments with your fellow students. Comments are due June 20.

Write a Perspective Article for APTA's Website

Like to write? Have a story to tell? APTA is looking for members to contribute perspective articles for apta.org.

Core Ambassador Spotlight: McKenzie LeBlanc

As Louisiana's Core Ambassador, I have been busy encouraging student involvement and professional development this spring. In addition to social media posts and monthly newsletters to all PT and PTA students in the state, I have worked with APTA Louisiana's SSIG to create a virtual student conclave as a part of the chapter's spring Sports Symposium. This conclave included student research presentations, guest presentations about clinical rotations and post-graduate options, an APTA value talk, elections, and student business topics during the membership meeting. Additionally, I have led my school in a record-breaking Marquette Challenge week with several fundraising events, including a "Walk, Run, Swim, Bike, JUST MOVE" Virtual 5K, a "Kickin' It for Research" kickball tournament, a "Let the Deaux Fly: Pie a PT in the Face” event, and a t-shirt sale. Upcoming events include an interactive panel of future employers, traveling to PT and PTA schools to give value talks alongside our APTA Louisiana president to encourage awareness and involvement, and working with APTA Louisiana's Student SIG to update student bylaws. I have thoroughly enjoyed this position and the activism and advocacy opportunities it brings — thank you for allowing me to represent our national organization and my state professionally.

Note From the Vice President

Hi, everyone,

Let me start by saying congratulations to all the 2021 graduates! PT and PTA school is anything but easy, and I am so proud of your dedication and resilience, especially throughout this past year. I hope you take some time to truly celebrate this huge milestone, and I cannot wait to see all of the amazing things you accomplish in the future. To everyone still in school, congratulations on making it through another year; you are one year closer to being an amazing PT or PTA!

I also want to say welcome to all of the new Core Ambassadors who began their term this May. I am so excited for all the work we will get to do together to promote student involvement in the APTA throughout the next few months. I am especially excited to see all of the APTA National Advocacy Dinners that have happened or are set to happen in the next few weeks. It is inspiring to see so many dedicated student leaders continuing to engage in our professional organization despite the busyness of school and the challenges of a virtual environment during the pandemic.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at any time! I am here to support you throughout your student leadership journey.

Happy summer!