• Review the professional organizations listed in the Learning Resources.
• Research additional professional organizations that might apply to your career goals.
• Explore some of the professional organizations’ sections, events, resources, publications, and educational opportunities that might help you develop professionally as well as contribute to the field. 

Post a comprehensive response to the following:

• Which professional organization(s) appeal(s) most to you and why? Include the name of the organization, the URL to its home page, and a brief summary of the purpose of the organization. (Note: You can choose organizations that are not listed in the Learning Resources.)
• In what ways would joining the selected organization(s) help you to develop professionally as well as contribute to the field? Explain.
• Why should you consider membership in this organization as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent?

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Welcome to week 4 – you are halfway through the course! Only 3 weeks to go!

This week’s discussion allows you investigate Professional Membership Organizations and explore how membership can add value to your career and how they contribute to enhancing the knowledge base in the field.  

As you will learn in this week’s discussion, membership in professional organizations really can add value to health-related careers in a wide variety of ways. I have benefited tremendously in my career from the networking, professional development, and learning opportunities that my professional memberships allow me. I am a member of the American Bar Association, American Public Health Association, and the American Health Lawyers Association.  

I look forward to learning from each you about how you think membership in an professional membership organization can  he helpful to you and forward in your careers!  

****Remember, CDC and WHO are not professional membership organizations–they are federal government agencies, and places of employment. What we are looking for in this week’s discussion are professional membership organizations where you’d pay dues and reap member benefits.