Radhika Rawani ‘22, a member of Clarkson University’s Physician Assistant (PA) program, has been elected as a student delegate to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) House of Delegates (HOD).
Rawani, who serves as the AAPA Student Academy Representative for Clarkson, was one of 28 student delegates elected by the AAPA Student Board.
“The Student Academy leadership team shared their experiences from past years and it motivated me to get more involved with the AAPA and gain some valuable leadership experience,” she said.
The AAPA advocates and educates on behalf of the profession and the patients that Physician Assistants serve. It works to ensure the professional growth, personal excellence and recognition of Physician Assistants and also enhances their ability to improve the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered healthcare.
The HOD student delegate contributes to meaningful discussions that shape the PA profession. By staying apprised of the issues raised at the HOD meetings and by relaying those updates to their PA student society members, the student delegate helps foster engagement on key issues and aid in the representation of those ideas to the broader delegation. After attending the annual conference, the delegates relay updates on what resolutions were presented on the House floor and the decisions made or actions taken toward them.
Rawani said she is excited to get started in her new role and is eager to meet with her fellow delegates at her first HOD meeting, which will take place in May in Indianapolis, IN.
“My interest in applying for the student delegate position stems from my desire to become more aware of the issues that my profession faces and more importantly, participating in creating solutions to tackle these issues,” Rawani said. “Being a student delegate will allow me to actively partake in these discussions with my fellow classmates and provide a voice to our ideas. I am also passionate about dissecting the disparities that minority and underprivileged applicants often face during the PA school admissions process and am hopeful that I can foster conversations about how to increase diversity in the classroom and by extension, in the workforce.”
Any Physician Assistant student who has an interest in volunteer or leadership opportunities with the AAPA should visit the organization’s website, aapa.org.