|
HCAN Workforce Enhancement Scholarship Recipient Experience
Angela Nguyen, Physician Assistant at Bluestem Health, recently received a scholarship from HCAN to attend the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) Musculoskeletal Galaxy. This conference was designed to provide PAs and NPs with a well-rounded foundation on orthopedics. Sessions were led by experts across orthopedic specialties. Topics included the most common conditions of the spine, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle, and foot. Hands-on workshops included musculoskeletal injections, point-of-care ultrasound, splinting, and casting. Here's what she had to say about her experience:
Q: Overall, what was your impression of the training program?
A: This is my second time at a conference hosted by AAPA and I really appreciate the format. Each session is 1 hour and there are multiple sessions you can choose from. The sessions are recorded so if there are 2 sessions occurring simultaneously that you’d like to attend, you can go back to see what you missed. I would highly recommend any conference hosted by AAPA.
Q: How was the instructor, and what was the learning environment like?
A: The instructors were engaging and knowledgeable. I appreciated how concise they were while giving us many clinical pearls we can bring back to our practice. There were visual demonstrations and activities to help solidify learning.
Q: Can you tell us about the logistics – the location and facilities?
A: The conference center was attached to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. The sessions are held in large conference rooms with a projector screen in the front and multiple round tables for participants to sit and take notes. It was convenient being able to stay in the same hotel as the conference center. It was also located on the Las Vegas strip so it was fun to explore in the evenings.
Q: How do you plan to utilize what you learned in your practice?
A: I plan to start doing more knee and shoulder injections. I also learned new tests I can add to my physical exam.
Q: What makes this specific training unique, and what would you tell other providers considering it?
A: The injection workshop made this training unique. It was separate from the main conference so the class size was smaller. We were provided hands-on instructions on how to inject the shoulder, knee, hand, AC joint. I would highly recommend signing up for the
Confidential Information injection workshop if you are newer provider who wants more practice with injections or new to an orthopedic specialty clinic.
For more details on the training, you can visit the official event page: https://www.aapa.org/events/musculoskeletal-galaxy/
| 
