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Why Should I Join a Professional Medical Organization?

Why Should I Join A Professional Medical Organization
What are IAHCSMM, CBSPD, AANA, AMA, APNA, and AAMA? Alphabet soup? Random letter groupings? None of the above. These acronyms represent professional medical organizations. What are the benefits of joining the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM), the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD), the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), or a similar organization?

What do you know?

For people who work in healthcare, education does not end when formal schooling ends. In order to remain current in their fields, many healthcare workers must engage in a variety of activities, including reading journals, attending conferences, and fulfilling continuing education requirements.

Professional medical organizations can be very helpful on all of those fronts. GradSchools.com explains, “Professional associations publish journals, newsletters, and websites with valuable information on up-to-date issues and developments in your specific field of interest.” That’s good, but there’s more: “Professional associations frequently also coordinate professional development conferences replete with industry-related trade shows and facilitated networking opportunities.”

Nice to meet you!

People who work in healthcare can get to know their coworkers, but it can be helpful to broaden the circle of professional acquaintances even more. The conferences, trade shows, and networking opportunities noted above are important, but virtual acquaintances can be useful, too. An article named Why join a professional nursing organization?, in the journal Nursing, examined this issue. As a member of a professional medical organization, “you’ll probably have access to online chats or forums at your association’s website.”

The article notes that these opportunities can be very valuable. “Not only can you network with your peers and other professionals, but you can also hear how others are handling some of the same issues you face.” These connections can be a sounding board for dealing with day-to-day work issues and concerns, and they can also be great resources for helping with a job search or deciding whether to go back to school for additional certifications.

Power in numbers

One individual may not have a voice on the state or national level, but a professional medical organization can be the voice of its members. IAHCSMM, the International Association Of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management, highlights several benefits of membership.

  • Provides educational, professional development, certification, communication and representation opportunities for Central Service professionals
  • Profession’s leader for high-quality, comprehensive and informative textbooks
  • Help accelerate your learning and your career

Achieving your career goals

Keep in mind that each organization sets its own membership fees. For students or those who are just starting out, some of the fees may seem intimidating, but it’s important to weigh the cost against the benefits. These organizations can be very helpful to you as you work to achieve your career goals. At 365 Healthcare Staffing Services, we can be helpful, so give us a call at 310-436-3650. We’d love to work with you!

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