Bio and Election Platform
My name is Anne Dang and I am a graduate of the McMaster PA Education Program Class of 2011. I have been working in outpatient Orthoapedic Surgery and Physiatry. Since graduation and over the last six years I have been busy gaining experience both on the clinical and professional fronts. I have volunteered with the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants CAPA); recently also joined the Board of Directors (BOD) for the CPAEA; presented research at the past two CPAEA poster sessions; and have participated in the PA admissions process as a PA interviewer, OSCE evaluator, and clinical instructor. I also serve as a clinical preceptor for students in Ontario’s PA programs. I am very passionate about PAs and would like to put that energy to better use forwarding the PA profession in Canada working for you as your next vice president.
Since completing my PA education in 2012, I have been volunteering with CAPA working on various initiatives, from the re-design of the CAPA website, review of the PA National Competency Profile, to CAPA’s Web Committee. I have helped CAPA develop various promotional materials to help increase awareness of the PA profession. I was recommended by a fellow PA colleague to take a role on CPAEA’s BOD in the capacity of secretary and web master. Within these roles, I have and continue to enjoy connecting with PA colleagues across the country where I am learning about their progress & challenges with PA practice and PA education.
I was also the recipient of the PA of the Year in 2015 for my involvement in PA advocacy, through volunteering with CAPA and writing extensively about the PA profession. My blog, canadianpa.ca, is a resource for prospective PAs, current PAs and PA employers. I have written articles highlighting the benefits of the PA profession and providing examples of how PAs can be better utilized within our health care system. Writing about PA integration and utilization across Canada has kept me informed about the issues facing the profession within different jurisdictions.
Before becoming a PA I served on executive committees for various organizations throughout my formative years at McMaster including Youth Donors Canada, YWCA McMaster, as well as COPE: A Student Mental Health Initiative, an award winning student organization which I founded to help connect students with volunteer opportunities in mental health facilities across the city of Hamilton. During my time as a PA, I have developed a leadership style based on mentorship, accountability, feedback, transparency and creativity. I enjoy empowering PAs, whether it’s seeing PA students exercise their clinical skills & critical thinking muscles, or coaching fellow PA colleagues on what they can do to be more empowered within their specific practice setting.
I believe PAs are an amazing cost-effective solution to increasing access while maintaining quality patient care. I have intentionally sought out different projects to enable PAs to demonstrate their value to important stakeholders as well as provide tools & creative solutions to help PAs sustain their positions. I have been involved with the McMaster PA Student Advisor Program as a mentor, providing coaching and resources to my PA mentees. I have spoken at teaching sessions to students at CAPA’s 2015 “Launching your PA Career” about what it takes to succeed as a new PA Grad, as well as facilitated sessions to new PA grads on Medical Directives, Billing, PA Supervision and Contract Negotiation. This year, with the Ontario Chapter president, we established new online Specialty Networking Groups to help facilitate networking, sharing of resources & discussion of PA integration across the province. With my creativity and knack for problem solving, I would be a useful asset to the CAPA organization to help tackle some of the challenges Canadian PAs are facing.
I had the opportunity to speak with the current BOD members about their positions to best understand where I could best serve CAPA and its members, and felt the VP position was an excellent fit. I understand the commitment of the position and have been fortunate enough to be supported by my peers and mentors in pursuing this leadership role. My hope is to continue to be a resource to those around me. I would be honoured for the opportunity to serve as CAPA’s next VP.
For more information about my professional details and CV, you can visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annedang/. Otherwise feel free to email me at annedangccpa@gmail.com for any further questions. I look forward to helping us all shape the future of PA practice in Canada.