Student Leadership Vital for the PA Profession

By Jennifer Marquez
APAP Student Member at Large

As the newly elected APAP Student Member at Large, I am looking forward to fostering relationships with APAP leadership and PA educators. I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself to the APAP membership and to express my goals for the upcoming year.

I am a second year student in the Arcadia University Physician Assistant Program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I received my Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a major in physiological sciences and a minor in chemistry from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Before PA school my health care experience was mainly volunteer work in the emergency department of the University Medical Center, the pediatric department of a local hospital, and with a local hospice. I also worked as a certified nursing assistant at a local nursing home and assisted living facility and participated in FACES, Fostering and Achieving Cultural Equity and Sensitivity in Medicine, a program that provided pre-medical students with medical experience while emphasizing the importance of cultural competency.

My passions and career interests have always centered around health, the human body, and interpersonal relationships, making it natural for me to pursue the field of medicine. My appreciation for the PA profession began in high school, as I realized the PA philosophy to practicing medicine was how I wanted to execute my career. Physician assistants have been able to remember that the patients are the reason we chose this field, and we have managed to prioritize communication with, and the education of, our patients as a vital part of health care. I believe the PA profession is the best choice in health care.

Before beginning PA school, I was also aware that I wanted to become involved at a national level to contribute to the promotion, development, and expansion of the profession. I served as representative from my PA program to the Assembly of Representatives and, in March 2003, was appointed SAAAPA Northeast Student Diversity Committee Chair. My involvement with SAAAPA has enriched me with the knowledge of the tremendous accomplishments made by student leaders.

My belief in their potential of students to become leaders and the contribution students make to the advancement of the profession are the main reasons for my interest in the position of APAP Student Member at Large. This is a position within SAAAPA that has extensive involvement in developing and recognizing student leaders. It is vital that students step forward early in their careers so that the next generation of physician assistants will continue to grow, be accepted, and further the involvement in community and political efforts.

One of my goals this year will be to encourage and assist PA faculty in the development, growth, and involvement of student societies and student leaders. If program faculty support and convey the importance of community service and involvement in professional organizations, then students’ interest in these activities may increase. I encourage any program director or PA educator to contact me for ideas about how they can encourage their students to become leaders and for ideas about how a student society can start to become more involved.

I am also excited to be the new APAP Student Member at Large because I will be on the board of APAP, an organization whose mission is to “assist in the instruction of highly educated physician assistants.” I recognize education’s ability to open doors and fulfill dreams and am honored to be part of an organization that works to ensure that our PA educational system is the best it can be. I am genuinely interested in many of the current issues facing APAP, including the PA national honor society, international PA education, and the work of the recruitment task force. I look forward to discussions on these issues and the chance to bring new ideas to the table.

As SAAAPA’s representative to the board, I would like to express the student organization’s thanks and respect for APAP’s efforts on behalf of PA students. SAAAPA places a high value on its relationship with APAP and looks forward to its continued growth.

I anticipate a productive and exciting year as the APAP Student Member at Large. Please contact me at apapsmal@aol.com with any concerns, questions, or suggestions.

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