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Reaching Across the Borders —
A Global PA Profession?
By David Wood
APAP Student Member at Large
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself
as the new APAP Student Member at Large for 2005–2006 and to
discuss my plans for the coming year. I appreciate the warm welcome
the APAP board has given me as I settle into my new role. As a member
of both the Student Academy and APAP boards, I hope to continue the
hard work that both of these organizations have ahead of them this
year, and I want to continue the strong relationship developed by
my predecessors among APAP, AAPA, and SAAAPA.
My involvement with PA student affairs started as a
first-year student when I was selected by my class to be the representative
to SAAAPA’s Assembly of Representatives (AOR) at the Las Vegas
conference in 2004. While there I was very impressed with the structure
of the governing body and with the influence students can have and
decided I wanted to be involved with AAPA and SAAAPA. I was appointed
director of on-line affairs for SAAAPA and served in that capacity
until being elected to my current position at the recent Orlando conference.
While in PA school, I have actively promoted PA students
and the profession. I had the chance to present “SAAAPA, AAPA,
and You” to the Interservice PA Program at Fort Sam Houston,
Texas, to help strengthen student relations. One of the highlights
of my clinical year was the experience of being selected to attend
a neurology clerkship at the world-famous Institute of Neurology and
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, England.
To my knowledge, I was the first PA or PA student to serve in that
hospital — though hopefully not the last!
This brings me to some of the goals I would like to
share to with you. As many of you know, the topic of international
rotations has been hot for quite some time, but is becoming more so
with the increasing global outlook of the PA profession. At the recent
conference in Orlando, I had a chance to meet with Lucas van Rossen,
president of the Netherlands Association of Physician Assistants and
a fellow PA student, and I see the tremendous opportunities the PA
profession has in terms of global growth. I would like to see these
opportunities grow and feel that one way is through the development
of international rotations for students. When applying for my clerkship
in London, I felt the frustration of the limited resources available
to PA students who wanted to investigate international rotations.
My clerkship was actually designed for a fourth-year medical student,
but I was able to convince the hospital to accept me as its first
PA student. The AOR this year charged me and the student board with
many activities related to international student affairs, which indicates
to me that this is a hot topic among the PA students around the country.
I would also like to strengthen the bond PA programs
and students have with the Student Academy. Leadership is a key objective
learned during our time as PA students and one that is emphasized
by SAAAPA and the AAPA. There are many opportunities available for
students willing to participate that bring a sense of belonging to
those involved with a greater cause.
Again, I look forward to a fun and productive year as
the new APAP Student Member at Large and I welcome any comments, suggestions,
or feedback as I continue the great work of becoming a physician assistant
and serving the students — and now the members and board of APAP.
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