If you’ve considered not renewing your professional practice group membership this year, you’re not alone. Membership in professional organizations has declined as many turn to social media and AI-driven platforms for information and connection. Still, I encourage you not to abandon professional membership in favor of options that may seem cheaper or more convenient.
In a noisy, chaotic landscape of information overload, professional practice groups remain a refuge from the storm. They offer a trusted alternative to clickbait, providing vetted expertise, meaningful connection, and true professional community.
No amount of viral TikTok videos or LinkedIn commentary can replace the depth of connection and sense of purpose that come from active engagement in a professional practice organization. And, here’s why.
What is a Professional Practice Group?
Professional practice groups, also known as professional practice organizations, are designed to advance a specific field by providing members with networking opportunities, professional development, and practice resources. In healthcare, these organizations may be tailored to the needs of a single discipline, such as the American Nurses Association, or span interdisciplinary areas of practice, like the American Diabetes Association.
Some organizations focus primarily on education and credentialing, while others emphasize leadership development and community building. Still others center their work on advocacy related to patient care, access, and insurance coverage.
Who Actually Runs a Professional Practice Group?
At its core, most professional practice groups are founded and driven by their members, with membership dues supporting the administrative needs required to operate. As groups grow, they often engage professional management or organizational leadership teams to oversee day-to-day operations such as membership services, programming, finances, legal compliance, and other administrative functions.
Strategic direction and oversight typically remain the responsibility of an elected or appointed governing body. In some cases, professional organizations may choose to hire members, transitioning them from volunteer roles into paid staff positions.
As operating costs rise, often without corresponding increases in salaries or reimbursement, many professional practice groups partner with industry or government organizations for additional financial support. These partnerships can help keep membership dues, educational programming, and events accessible and affordable for members.
Why is Membership on the Decline?
It would be easy to blame declining professional membership on COVID, but the reality is this trend started long before the pandemic. Across healthcare, fewer clinicians are joining or renewing professional organizations. Cost is often the biggest factor. When budgets are tight, many people feel forced to choose one membership instead of several. Others question whether the return on investment is still there, especially when education, networking, and professional content are now easy to find online for free.
In my own field of dietetics, I also hear concerns about transparency and alignment with the future of the profession. The move to a master’s degree requirement without a meaningful increase in entry-level pay has created real frustration, particularly for early-career professionals and those from underrepresented backgrounds. Many feel their needs were not fully considered or advocated for during that transition.
These frustrations are valid. But they are also exactly why walking away may not be the answer. Professional practice groups are shaped by the people who show up. If something isn’t working, the most effective way to change it is to get involved.
The Case for Professional Membership
Despite the challenges, the benefits of professional membership far outweigh the drawbacks, and the opportunity to influence the future of your profession is worth staying engaged.
Mentorship That Isn’t Transactional
Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Substack, and X (formerly Twitter) are great for ideas and inspiration, but they rarely offer sustained, reciprocal mentorship. Most interactions are brief, one-sided, or tied to someone selling something.
Professional practice groups offer something different. They foster trusted relationships with people who have walked the same path and understand the realities of the work. Advice is shared openly, support develops over time, and there is no sales funnel attached. It is not a transaction. It is a co-op.
Space to Grow, Not Perform
Professional practice groups offer a space to ask questions without worrying about who is watching or how you are being perceived. There is room to be unsure, curious, or quietly ambitious, especially early in your career or during periods of transition.
Unlike social media, which often rewards confidence and visibility, professional groups tend to reward competence, growth, and thoughtful engagement. The focus is less on performance and more on learning and supporting one another as professionals.
Depth Over Virality
Most online content is designed for reach, not rigor. Professional practice groups focus on depth, offering evidence-based, peer-reviewed insights shared by professionals, for professionals. It is not about trends. It is about trust. As these professional practice groups evolve, many are also opening the door to honest conversations about topics once considered off-limits, such as workplace culture, compensation, and career options.
More Than a Membership
I’ve made meaningful connections on social media and learn something new every day from tools like ChatGPT. Those platforms have their place.
But when I want to understand where a profession is really headed, I look to professional practice groups. Who is presenting the research? What study resources are being recommended? Who is mentoring, volunteering, and helping shape the future of the field? These groups create space to contribute, learn, and grow alongside peers who care deeply about the work.
I’ve always respected my work colleagues, but I truly value my professional practice peers. I hope you will, too.
References:
- Southwest journal of pulmonary, critical care and sleep – editorials – the decline in professional organization growth has accompanied the decline of physician influence on healthcare. https://www.swjpcc.com/editorials/2024/5/16/the-decline-in-professional-organization-growth-has-accompan.html. Accessed December 13, 2025.
- Why professional associations aren’t engaging young professionals – highland. https://www.highlandsolutions.com/insights/why-professional-associations-arent-engaging-young-professionals. Accessed December 13, 2025.
- Markham MJ, Gentile D, Graham DL. Social Media for Networking, Professional Development, and Patient Engagement. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2017;37:782-787. doi:10.1200/EDBK_180077.
- Cline D, Curtin K, Johnston P. Professional organization membership: the benefits of increasing nursing participation. CJON. 2019;23(5):543-546. doi:10.1188/19.CJON.543-546
About Sarah
Sarah is the owner of Sarah Hormachea: Diabetes Care and Education, LLC. She is a long-time member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES), and the American Diabetes Association (ADA). She currently serves as Webinar Chair for the Academy’s Diabetes Practice Group and is an incoming member of the ADCES Board of Directors. She is also enrolled in a women’s leadership development program through the ADA.
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