For Dr. Tricia Swan, her volunteer involvement with ACEP blossomed over time. She’s been part of ACEP’s Pediatric Emergency Medicine Section for many years, gathering with them at ACEP Scientific Assemblies and slowly getting involved in various section projects. Now she’s in her fourth year as the section Chair and has been instrumental in the development of many popular educational webinars, including her most recent “Advanced Airway Management in Children: Overcoming Obstacles and Optimizing Opportunities.”
Dr. Swan said one of the most gratifying parts of her volunteer role is getting positive feedback from her peers about the usefulness of the section’s educational resources. “We did some educational training, and it was posted on our website, and somebody emailed me and said, ‘I actually used that knowledge today on shift, and I saved a life.’”
Dr. Swan gives credit to the other volunteers within the Pediatric EM section who volunteer to write articles and share their expertise. “Even during the [baby] formula shortage, people were reaching out on our section’s listserv and asking, ‘How do I counsel parents coming to me that can't access formula? What do I tell them to do?’ We were communicating with members, and people were volunteering to help put together resources for formula shortages…
“When you see all the members contributing like that and volunteering, and you know that it's making an impact across the nation, it makes you really proud to do the work of the section,” Dr. Swan said.
Being part of the Pediatric EM Committee and Section has connected her with peers all over the country, and Dr. Swan said that being around them really enriches her clinical practice. “If someone has a question and I can’t answer it, I know there’s someone at ACEP who can answer those questions for them,” she said. “It's really fun to be part of this whole organization and volunteering in these spaces where you're making a difference for everybody that's involved.”
If you're thinking about volunteering with ACEP, Dr. Swan’s advice is simple: “I would tell them one-hundred percent do it. It’s the best way to connect and learn and move all of emergency medicine forward.”
Related: There are more than 35 ACEP committees with volunteer opportunities. Apply by May 15 to be considered for the 2023-24 rosters.
