Become an Advocate for your State!

Last week I had the privilege of having a Facetime call with Dr. Amanda Orr, PT, DPT (@ptgirl14 on Instagram). It was my first time talking on the phone with someone I met on instagram and I realized that we have a lot in common on how we like to stay engaged with the profession. I am really glad I got the chance to talk to her and I hope that by reading about her you can feel inspired to be more involved in your state!

Amanda graduated from the St. Augustine DPT program in California and she is currently studying for the October NPTE. Even though she may be busy with studying, she still attends district APTA meetings and posts regularly on her instagram story training videos for PT and pre-PT students.

Similar to many PT students, Amanda was not aware of how much of an impact you can make in the profession while being involved in the APTA. A lot of us come into PT school ready to learn to become a practitioner, but her involvement in the APTA has led her to open a door to possibilities she never would have thought of prior to PT school.

She stated that prior to entering undergrad she was shy, but made it her mission to come out of her shell and advocate for the things she believed in. It was no wonder that as soon as she learned about the APTA in PT school that she decided that it was her time to step up and advocate for her profession.

If you are interested in advocacy/leadership, listed below are some of the roles that Amanda had during her time as an SPT:

CASSIG Advocacy Chair- networking with the other PT/PTA programs in California.

CAL-PT-PAC Student Trustee- Organized events and fundraisers to support the PT-PAC.

President of Student Organization for her PT program

Class representative

Advocacy Liaison of her DPT Program

Her main focus at the moment is advocating for the state chapter, although she would like to be more involved nationally as well in the future. Learning about issues that are currently going on in California really made me realize how different each state is and how important it is for PTs to not only be active nationally, but also at a state level.

When Amanda is not busy (when does that happen?) she enjoys working on her side hustle which is digital marketing, needle work, running, working out, and spending time with family and friends. I definitely suggest you guys give her a follow on instagram because she posts great content that can be especially useful if you are a PT or pre-PT student!