Miguel A. Perez, Ph.D., MCHES
Director, Master of Public Health Program
Fresno State
Jenette L. Smith, Ed.D. DipACLM
Instructor, Healthcare Education and Leadership
Clarkson College
Shethna (2018) describes professional organizations as “usually charitable or nonprofit organizations that seek to further the importance of a specific profession and their members” (What is a Professional Organization section), and also discusses the potential membership benefits of networking, professional development, education, discounted or free publications, seminars and conferences, resume building, job hunting, support systems, political clout, civic leadership, and insurance (Beyond the Basic Advantages section). It is, therefore, unsurprising that the professional literature suggests many positive benefits from membership in professional organizations.
Cherwin (2010) has suggested that organizational association is “synergistic” – the effect of a group as a whole is greater than a single person; therefore, the benefits of belonging to a professional organization are many (Introduction section). Rampton (2015) has identified social capital, educational resources, job opportunities, development of leadership skills, exclusive benefits of membership, and the opportunity to give back to the community as benefits of professional organization membership. Similarly, Rush (2017) lists professionalism, networking, career opportunities, grant opportunities, training, advocacy, and social benefits among those advantages of memberships and suggests student development can be enhanced through active participation in these organizations. This paper will focus on the numerous benefits afforded by membership in professional health and leadership organizations.
Areas of Responsibilities, Competencies, and Sub-Competencies
for Health Education Specialists
Students seeking to complete educational objectives are often hard-pressed to develop the skills required to enter the workforce and may struggle in obtaining entry-level employment as a result. Unfortunately, many students who are focused on their studies overlook the benefits to be obtained from membership in professional organizations, not realizing that Area V (Advocacy), Area VII (Leadership and Management), and Area VIII (Ethics and Professionalism) of the Responsibilities and Competencies for Health Education Specialists (National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, n.d.) provide the foundation for health education professionals to be active members in professional organizations. This paper explores the various opportunities afforded by professional organizations, including but not limited to Eta Sigma Gamma, the National Professional Health Education Honorary; Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success; Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE); American College Health Association (ACHA); and American Public Health Association (APHA).
Eta Sigma Gamma
Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG) is the National Health Education Honorary whose membership is earned through outstanding academic achievement. ESG’s mission is to “Promote the Health Education discipline by elevating the standards, ideals, competence and ethics of students enrolled in professional preparation programs that subscribe to and align with the national Health Education Competencies” (Eta Sigma Gamma, 2023, About section). Each year, ESG engages in a number of activities designed to enhance not only the professional, but to assist its members in developing professional skills, including the publication of a peer-reviewed journal, co-sponsorship of professional conferences, and student chapters throughout the U.S.
ETA SIGMA GAMMA
Sigma Alpha Pi
Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success, honors excellence and provides members access to a step-by-step leadership program designed to build leadership skills (National Society of Leadership and Success, 2018). While the organization uses the Greek Letters to signify its focus on success and purpose, it is not affiliated with Greek Life, but instead focuses on providing its members professional development opportunities including internships and personal success coaching. Members are usually nominated by their school based on their academic achievement.
https://www.nsls.org/sigma-alpha-pi
American College Health Association
The mission of the American College Health Association (ACHA) is “To serve as the principal leadership organization for advancing the health of college students and campus communities through advocacy, education, and research” (American College Health Association, 2022 About ACHA section). The American College Health Association publishes the Journal of American College Health, the Action Newsletter, and the Framework for Comprehensive College Health Program (American College Health Association, n.d., ACHA Publications section). In addition to its annual meeting, the ACHA sponsors leadership and health equity summits.
Society for Public Health Education
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a professional organization comprised of more than 4,000 professionals and students in health education and health promotion in the US, and 25 foreign countries. The mission of SOPHE is, “Supporting leaders in health education and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe.” (SOPHE, 2023a, Mission, Vision, and Values section). In addition to its annual conference, SOPHE sponsors an annual advocacy summit and publishes the prestigious Health Promotion Practice, Health Education & Behavior, and Pedagogy in Health Promotion journals (SOPHE, 2023b). SOPHE offers discounted membership to students.
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American Public Health Association
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is the oldest professional public health organization in the world with the stated mission to, “Improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status“ (APHA, n.d., About APHA section). APA membership offers numerous advantages, including public health resources, webinars, continuing education, public health events, and a public health career mart. Publications of APHA include the American Journal of Public Health, the Nation’s Health, and Inside Public Health, among others. APHA offers discounted memberships to students.
American School Health Association
The mission of the American School Health Association (ASHA) is “To transform all schools into places where every student learns and thrives.” (ASHA, 2023, About ASHA section). This multidisciplinary organization made up of administrators, school health coordinators, psychologists and social workers, among others, is a leader in promoting school-based approaches to improve the health of children in the United States.
ASHA
International Union for Health Promotion and Education
The mission of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) is “to promote global health and wellbeing and to contribute to the achievement of equity in health between and within countries of the world” (IUHPE, n.d., Mission section).The IUHPE is divided into eight regions (Africa, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, North America, Northern Part of the Western Pacific, Latin America, South East Asia, and South West Pacific (Regions section), each of which provides advocacy, capacity-building, and communications and marketing for their regions. The IUHPE focuses on promoting health promotion at the international level and publishes the Global Health Promotion journal.
https://www.iuhpe.org/index.php/en/
Red Iberoamericana de Mercadotecnia en Salud / Ibero-American Health Marketing Network (RIMS).
The Red Iberoamericana de Mercadotecnia en Salud (RIMS) is a professional organization comprised of academics and government representatives dedicated to “Promot[ing] knowledge and study of health management and health care marketing” (RIMS, 2022, Aims section). RIMS focuses on fostering collaboration between academic institutions and government entities to promote scientific collaboration, technological innovations, and social development related to the dissemination of health promotion and marketing efforts. In addition to its annual meeting, the RIMS facilitates research opportunities among its members.
Membership Opportunities for Professional Leadership Development
Student members in the organizations listed above, and in many others serving the profession, benefit from ample opportunities to develop skills which will allow them to meet those required by the Entry Level Competencies for Health Educators (National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. (n.d.) Student members often participate in planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of health education programs, professional conferences, and publication of peer reviewed articles. In further describing the benefits afforded by membership in professional organizations, many of those actively involved develop leadership skills as well as strong networks and lasting friendships.
Conclusion
Professional organization membership provides many professional and leadership opportunities, including the opportunity to network with state, national, and international health educators, attend professional conferences, publish research, and continue to promote the professional ethics and standards of health promotion and education.
References
American College Health Association. (2022). ACHA publications. https://www.acha.org/ACHA/Resources/Publications/ACHA/Resources/Publication.aspx?hkey=7c6f174f-ea50-4102-947e-38c2de3b7d53
American Public Health Association. (n.d.). About APHA. https://apha.org/About-APHA
American School Health Association. (2023). About ASHA. https://www.ashaweb.org/about/
Cherwin, K. A. (2010, March 23). HigherEdJobs. Why join a professional association? https://www.higheredjobs.com/articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=157
Eta Sigma Gamma. (n.d.). National health education honorary. https://etasigmagamma.org/
Eta Sigma Gamma. (2023). About. https://etasigmagamma.org/about/
International Union for Health Promotion and Education. (n.d.). The IUHPE at a glance. https://www.iuhpe.org/index.php/en/iuhpe-at-a-glance
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. (n.d.). Responsibilities and competencies for health education specialists. https://www.nchec.org/responsibilities-and-competencies.
National Society of Leadership and Success. (2018). Building leaders who make a better world. Retrieved from https://www.nsls.org/about/mission
Rampton, J. (2015, June 5). Entrepreneur. Millennials have rediscovered the benefits of joining a professional organization. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246691
Red Iberoamericana de Mercadotecnia en Salud (RIMS). (2022). Ibero American network marketing in health. https://uia.org/s/or/en/1122268988/
Rush, M. (2017, January 25). Bizfluent. What are the benefits of belonging to a professional organization? https://bizfluent.com/info-8464502-benefits-belonging-professional-organization.html
Shethna, J. (2018). 13 basic benefits of joining a professional organization. Retrieved from https://www.educba.com/joining-a-professional-organization/
Society for Public Health Education. (2023a). Mission, vision, and values. https://www.sophe.org/about/mission/
Society for Public Health Education. (2023b). Journals. https://www.sophe.org/journals/
Global Public Health 