When Kate Moore, a current student and aspiring occupational therapist, received an email and learned she was nominated, she was stunned. Kate was nominated and later selected for the Most Promising Pediatric Clinician Award, or MPPCA for short.
“I was so surprised to be nominated for such a prestigious award,” Moore said. “I put a lot of effort into my studies and it feels amazing to be recognized in this way,” she added.
The MPPCA recognizes the most promising students in the fields of speech pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. The selection committee has a very clear picture of who deserves this recognition.
“We seek students with a passion and commitment to serve pediatrics in their career, who display incredible people skills, excellent academic skills, a strong capacity for leadership, as well as advanced maturity and professionalism,” says Amanda Timmerman, an experienced speech pathologist who advises and provides feedback on the speech nominees.
The MPPCA, which was launched just a few years ago, has become the most prestigious award that a future clinician can receive.
In addition to the recognition and status gained from receiving the award, winners also receive a $500 honorarium toward their academic pursuits.
Candidates for the award are cultivated from hundreds of university professors in each student’s respective fields. All of the nominees are then reviewed, discussed and debated, ranked, and interviewed by several experienced clinicians in their respective fields before a final decision is made and the MPPCA is awarded.
“These candidates are the best of the best”, says Karen George, one of the founders of the award. “We are often picking between candidates who are incredible and those who are even more incredible.” George believes that even nominees who are not selected to receive the award should feel honored they were nominated by their professors.
Nominations opened on January 30th and will be open until February 15th. Candidates will be reviewed and interviewed over the following weeks. Winners will be announced in April.
