Maryland Student Special Interest Group (SSIG) Petition

July 16, 2016

The state of Maryland is currently lacking a platform for students to collaborate on special topics, discuss evidence-based practice through different media, and engage with like-minded peers. Also, we wish to provide a place to bring up relevant issues in the physical therapy profession from a student perspective. Thus, we believe that creating a student special interest group (SSIG) for the state of Maryland will fill that void. Below is our mission, vision, and benefits for potential members:

Mission

The Maryland Student Special Interest Group (SSIG) serves as a platform by which students, and student affiliate members will collaborate to positively impact healthcare consumers in Maryland. These students may meet, confer and promote the interest of their classes and schools within the SSIG and further develop their role as a student body within the American Physical Therapy Association.

Vision

The MD SSIG will be a leader in physical therapy evidence-based practice, relevant research, and open collaboration throughout Maryland communities. Further, we hope to expand the role of Maryland PT and PTA students in the broader community through enriching volunteer opportunities and providing aid to those in need. We plan on committing to this vision via the following objectives:

-Identify and respond to issues related to student members

-Provide monthly community service for non-profit organizations to improve community relations

-Promote awareness to resources for PT and PTA students in the state of Maryland (i.e. conferences, continuing education, seminars, etc.)

-Facilitate enriched education within the profession of Physical Therapy and other healthcare profession

-Encourage member ties and dialogue through social media, blogs, forums, and our website

Benefits

-Networking opportunities with students and professionals from various PT and PTA institutions

-Discussion with statewide and regional clinical experts and leaders on important up and coming physical therapy legislative and practice news

-Opportunities to find mentors and be mentored

-Develop leadership skills

Thanks for reading our proposal. If interested, we encourage you to sign this petition to designate your support. If you have any questions or want to help out with getting this started, please feel free to reach out to us (michael.vaughn@som.umaryland.edu, michael.ukoha@som.umaryland.edu). Also, please contact Binh Nguyen, APTA MD Core Ambassador, at aptasa.coremd@gmail.com if you want to learn more about student involvement opportunities within the APTA.

Best,

Michael Vaughn, Michael Ukoha

University of Maryland-Baltimore, DPT class of 2017