Creative Presentation Proposals? We’ll Drink to That!

When I visit my wife’s family, my mother-in-law always has a chilled Dr Pepper in the refrigerator for me. No one else in the family likes Dr Pepper, but she remembers how much I enjoy this elixir, so she has a cold 12-ounce can waiting for me when we pull into the driveway. She is a very thoughtful, kind person.

As the chair of the PAEA Conference Council, my team and I would like to make sure we have something for everyone’s tastes at this year’s Education Forum. Traditionally, the council receives numerous Forum proposal submissions designed to meet the needs of those new to PA education. As the roster of ARC-PA-accredited programs continues to evolve and many programs recruit new personnel, a need clearly exists for presentations to address the concerns of this part of our PAEA family. We must nourish and nurture our new colleagues and those who may be moving to new roles within PA education.

While the cabinet is historically well supplied with proposal submissions to satisfy the tastes of novice educators, the PAEA Conference Council typically experiences a virtual dearth of sessions targeting experienced members. In this area, sessions are often in short supply and high demand. It pains the Conference Council to hear folks comment, “I have been a clinical coordinator/PD/faculty member for five years, and there do not seem to be sessions to benefit me.” Ouch! Hearing this from our membership is painful, so we’re asking for your assistance.

Consider submitting a Forum proposal this year that targets an audience that may have already “walked a few miles” in their PA educator shoes. Challenges arise at all levels of program management and all levels of experience.

If an aspect of your job perplexes you, consider that others in the same role may likewise be wrestling with similar challenges, and generate a Focused Discussion Session on that topic.

Have you successfully navigated a few PA education obstacles, and are you now interested in sharing your road map with others? Maybe a Panel Discussion would be right for you.

Has your research interest led you to some nuggets of wisdom from which you feel others would benefit? A Spotlight Presentation might be the perfect choice.

Post-Forum surveys generated the following topics as “things we would like to see presented at the Forum.”

• Teaching/Learning styles and strategies
• Remediation
• Educational technology/Flipped classroom
• Curriculum design
• Program evaluation and analysis
• Diversity in PA education and the profession
• Simulation
• Clinical site development
• Academic law and legal concerns
• Admissions
• Faculty burnout
• Management and leadership
• Research on PA education and the PA profession
• Primary care

If this list does not help you, feel free to contact me at twoods@francis.edu. I welcome the opportunity to chat with you about potential submissions.

It is up to PAEA to make sure there is plenty of Dr. Pepper for consumption during the Forum, as well as a host of other brands of tonic to appeal to the most diverse and discerning tastes. It is up to the PAEA membership to make sure we have education session offerings that are likewise as diverse. The Forum is a meeting for the PAEA membership, created by the PAEA membership. I invite you to think outside the box and be creative in your Forum submission proposal audience and topic choices.

The PAEA Conference Council and the PAEA membership appreciate your efforts — cheers to you!

Forum presentation proposals are due Monday, June 1st. Submit yours now.