APMA News - May/June 2024 - 15

resources, informed the creation of the ELP. APMA
designed this intensive leadership program to support
young physicians with a vested interest in future leadership
opportunities within the profession. As part of
the application process, candidates applied to receive
sponsorship from their state component societies,
educational affiliates, and/or related organizations,
and in turn, APMA offered a cost-sharing grant to
help with expenses associated with attending the
in-person kick-off event and leadership training.
In October 2022, ELP participants traveled to
Chicago to meet in person and kick off the program.
Joined by the Young Physician Leadership
Panel (YPLP; APMA's steering group for young
physician programming); Young Physician Trustee
Rebecca Sundling, DPM, MPH; Laura Pickard, DPM,
then-president of APMA; and APMA staff, the group
enjoyed an immersive, all-day training including
discussions on leadership theory and the most pertinent
issues affecting the profession. Participants
identified potential gaps within the podiatric profession
affecting the leadership journey of young
physicians. The feedback from this session helped
to solidify the next phase of the program: the capstone
project
The ELP not only allowed APMA to learn more
about the young physician experience but also
provided a forum to develop strategies to address
issues affecting young physician involvement in
leadership roles. The in-person event provided a
platform for participants to share their experiences
as advocates for the profession, and the capstone
project served as an opportunity to develop guidance
on how APMA could continue to support its
young physician members.
Based on conversations at the fall 2022 event,
participants and APMA staff identified three avenues
for further consideration within the young
physician experience: the APMA governance
process, young physician committee involvement,
and the approach to young physician engagement.
ELP participants formed small groups based
on their interests and, throughout the winter of
2022 and spring of 2023, collaborated with YPLP
members to brainstorm and develop strategies
to address these topics. With travel scholarships
from the American Board of Foot and Ankle
Surgery (ABFAS), participants attended the APMA
2023 Annual Scientific Meeting (The National) in
Nashville, TN, and met with the APMA Board of
Trustees and ABFAS Board of Directors to present
their recommendations and ideas-some which
had already come to fruition. At the 2023 House
of Delegates (HOD) earlier that year, Bradley
Jimerson, DPM, along with members of the
ELP cohort, sponsored a budgetary action item
(BAI) to send five young physicians to the 2024
HOD as observers. Thanks to this effort by ELP
participants, five young physicians traveled to
Washington, DC, in March 2024 for a firsthand
look at the APMA governance process.
In the remaining months of the program,
participants met virtually to discuss various
leadership topics, including strategic thinking,
the business of leadership, decision making, and
conflict resolution (the materials that informed
these discussions are available at www.apma.
org/elpresources). Participants offered guidance
on young physician and student programming
at The National. They shared their thoughts
on practicing gratitude, showing appreciation,
and keeping an open mind after reading Amer
Kaissi's Humbitious: The Power of Low-Ego,
High-Drive Leadership. ELP participants attended
conferences, applied to join APMA committees,
supported advocacy efforts, furthered their
involvement in their state component societies,
and solidified their dedication as stewards of the
podiatric profession.
By the conclusion of the program, participants
had built and refined a foundation of leadership
skills and experiences to aid them in their goals for
involvement in the profession, all while forming
lasting peer relationships. APMA looks forward to
supporting and engaging these young physicians
as they advance in their careers and guide the profession
forward. Congratulations to the following
individuals on their completion of the ELP!
*
Elizabeth Ansert, DPM, MBA, MA
* Robert Charles Barton II, DPM
* Jenna Brkich, DPM
* Brandon Brooks, DPM, MPH
*
*
Nicholas Butler, DPM
Sara Davidovich, DPM
* Shahzad Ghori, DPM
*
Timothy Miller, DPM
Bradley Jimerson, DPM
* Stephanie Kane, DPM
* Marian Kavanaugh, DPM
*
* Kelsey Millonig, DPM, MPH
*
Niral Patel, DPM, MS
* Tyler Sten, DPM
* James Whelan, DPM
*
Faiza Zahid, DPM
APMA thanks PICA and ABFAS for their generous
sponsorship of the ELP program.
Want to be a part of the next cohort of the APMA
ELP? Visit www.apma.org/elp to learn more.
APMA.ORG
apmanews
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APMA News - May/June 2024

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