I attended ACOFP Future Leaders in 2014 in Clearwater, Florida. It was my last year of eligibility as it is structured for osteopathic physicians up to 5 years out of residency. During my first 5 years in practice, I had moved from upstate New York to Texas, was married to an active-duty Army soldier/doctor, clawed our way through fertility treatment, gave birth to two small kids, and moved again, from San Antonio, Texas, to Fort Hood, Texas. I was at work in Killeen, Texas, when a fellow Texan, Dr. Rodney Wiseman, called me. He told me I “needed” to attend Future Leaders. I gave him every reason I couldn’t. He told me he would personally sponsor my trip as he felt strongly about me going. At the time, I worked alongside long-time ACOFP supporter Sprague Taveau, DO, who said “GO! I will cover your clinical duties.” I left my family and flew to a location I had never been to before (Clearwater, Florida).
In the airport, I ran into Texans Stacy Benson, DO, and Robert DeLuca, DO, both of whom were in town for ACOFP Future Leaders and offered for me to join them for the ride. I immediately felt welcomed. During the weekend, we completed a standardized DISC assessment, a new tool for me. I learned to look at my “blind spots” and have people in my life to complete my circle of perspective. During that weekend, I also met Becca Szewczak, DO, Sean Perrine, DO, and Kate Strunk, DO, all of whom were younger than I was, but had so many life learning tips for me to grow from. That weekend, I also met Bernadette Riley, DO, who has been a consistent “conference buddy” who I look forward to seeing at ACOFP Annual Conference every year.
Since I attended ACOFP Future Leaders in 2014, we have moved cross country (again) from Texas to Pennsylvania. In our new region, I have been in hospital-based leadership and health system-wide leadership positions. From my ACOFP Future Leaders experience, I learned open communication, how to think about strategic planning, and the power of mentorship.
I have been serving as Chief of Staff of Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania, for 2 years. From Future Leaders, I learned to have people around me who are big dreamers and other people who are detail people. Communication and mentorship have been fundamental for my growth as a leader, and they were strengths I identified at Future Leaders. I have taken the growth mindset of one weekend in 2014 forward with me for ten years, and I am grateful for it. I know there will always be obstacles in the way of pursuing the “next step,” but choosing to attend ACOFP Future Leaders planted seeds of leadership in my mind, and I have been able to nurture them in so many ways in the last ten years.
The Future Leaders conference is always evolving, and in 2025 for the first time two cohorts will be able to take advantage of this career development opportunity. To support this expanded programming, please consider giving to the ACOFP Foundation's Family Medicine Forward campaign.
