By: Erin Walsh, Standardized Patient Educator, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL

Receiving a scholarship to attend the 2024 ASPE conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada, was a profound honor. The theme of this year's conference, “Inspiring growth, motivating change, and creating opportunities,” resonates with me during this time of intense change in politics, education, and training. This last year was challenging professionally when my mentor, Barbara Eulenberg, retired. ASPE helped me shift my focus from looking at these major changes in the negative to reframing them as opportunities for growth and change.

Recalibration can be difficult, but it can also have amazing results. ASPE helped build my optimism and strengthen my outlook that there are good things on the horizon. I was deeply moved by the presentation “Unpacking ‘What-about-this-ism:’ Inclusive Conversations About Lived Experience with Bias.” It was quite a revelation to realize how many “isms” the group encounters in our everyday lives, including in the workplace. Hearing the lived experiences of peers and their stories of addressing difficult issues in the workplace was inspiring. In addition to learning about the main topic, I took notes on the way the presenters created a safe space for all participants. I am currently in the process of training a new class of PETAs and have incorporated some of their techniques into the training sessions. After attending “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Case Development: Optimizing Psychological Safety” I feel more confident in creating focus groups with SPs to gain their input so that psychological safety is enhanced. I appreciated that the presenters walked us through their process and explained it in manageable terms. Attending the ASPE conference is not just about professional development; it is also a source of inspiration. Being surrounded by passionate and dedicated individuals reinvigorates my own enthusiasm for standardized patient education. This experience serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of our work and reinforces my commitment to excellence. I return from the conference with a renewed sense of purpose, eager to apply what I have learned and continue contributing to the advancement of our field. I am grateful for the opportunity to attend the 2024 conference with the support of the scholarship. I am excited for this new scholarship initiative and am looking forward to meeting the 2025 recipients. 

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