Donah Crawford, BS, MA, Research Coordinator, The Arthritis Group, Philadelphia. Committee member: ACR Ethics and Conflicts of Interest. Previous committee assignments: ARHP Membership and Nominations Committee, ARHP Practice Committee, and ARHP Research Committee.
FTC: How does serving on an ARHP committee help you achieve your professional goals?
Crawford: I am a card-carrying member of the ARHP, and I can attest that joining a committee is the best thing you can do for your career. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people at the annual meetings over the years, and that is not as insignificant as it sounds. It’s perfect for me to have the companionship, and to exchange ideas and collaborate with my fellow ARHP committee members. The principal investigator at my site thought it would helpful for me to become a member and get involved in the ARHP since I work in a freestanding private practice. The people I met during my time serving on committees have really supported me in following the right legal guidelines. As a result, I’ve developed training classes devoted to legal guidelines. I could not do what I do without all the links and support from the ARHP. These members are just bright people who have great ideas. As a research coordinator, I spend a lot of my time following a protocol, so when I meet with my committees and discuss ideas, the experience is invaluable. I actually don’t know if I could work in my profession without the support of my friends in the ARHP.
Alyssa Dufour, PhD, Biostatistician, Hebrew Senior-Life, Institute for Aging Research and Harvard Medical School, Boston. Previous committee assignments: ARHP Education Committee and ARHP Clinical Care Text Editor Search Task Force.
ARHP: How does serving on an ARHP committee help you achieve your professional goals?
Dr. Dufour: As a graduate student, I thought it was really great to be exposed to the background of the ARHP and fun to see what goes on during the committee meetings. I met so many wonderful people and developed relationships even before obtaining my degree and recently after graduating. The networking opportunities at the ARHP were ideal for me, as I was working on figuring out where I wanted to be in my future career. I look forward to being more involved now that I am a full health professional member of the ARHP.
ARHP leaders do a phenomenal job of finding good members to serve on committees.
Elizabeth Schlenk, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh. Committee member: ARHP Executive Committee and ACR Committee on Finance. Previous committee assignments: Rheumatology Research Foundation Scientific Advisory Council, ARHP Education Committee, ARHP Research Committee, ACR Committee on Research, and ARHP Outcomes Measurements Resource Task Force.
ARHP: How does serving on an ARHP committee help you achieve your professional goals?
Dr. Schlenk: Serving on various ARHP committees and being a liaison on ACR committees is very rewarding. It keeps me abreast of current issues in rheumatology that affect both practice and research. Working on committees also allows me to get to know and collaborate with colleagues from many disciplines who share my interests in improving the care and treatment of patients with rheumatic conditions. ARHP leaders do a phenomenal job of finding good members to serve on committees who are willing to attend meetings and conference calls, and handle committee work outside of regular work hours to complete the committee’s program of work. In addition, they try to find the best fit for each member on a committee, based on the member’s background and interests, and other teaching, research, service, and practice commitments at the time of the committee appointment. ARHP staff members do a marvelous job of providing administrative support for the committees, such as taking minutes, liaising with other ARHP/ACR staff, and offering suggestions based on their experience. Serving on committees allows me to stay connected with other ARHP members during the year, as well as at the Annual Meeting. Serving on committees as a member and chair has advanced my own leadership skills. I look forward to the Leadership Development Conferences each January to learn new knowledge and skills, including negotiation techniques and use of various electronic means of communications. Serving on ARHP committees has provided me with a network of colleagues whom I could list as potential external reviewers for my promotion and tenure materials at my university.
