Inside This Issue: • Insights from Josh

D’Angelo ’13, Former APTA Student Assembly President

• Alumni Spotlight: Latasha Thomas ’10 and Emily Main ‘12

• Commitment to Community Day

• 2013 White Coat Ceremony & Excellence Awards

• “No Shave November”

• And much more!

A Message from Dr. Costello

We welcome Dr. Scalzitti as Full Time Faculty!

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL THERAPY

NEWSLETTER Winter 2014; Vol 2

Update from the 2013APTA Walk on the Hill!

Fall Semester Highlightsfrom all three cohorts!

GW DPT Newsletter -- "1

  A  warm  felt  hello  to  all  of  our  alumni,  clinical  sites  and  instructors,  students,  faculty,  and  lovers  of  all  things  GW  related!    Dr.  Maring  is  on  a  well-­‐earned  sabba?cal  and  in  the  interim,  I  am  ac?ng  as  Program  Director  un?l  her  return  July  1,  2014.    We  are  so  very  pleased  to  announce  that  over  the  New  Year,  we  officially  moved  into  our  new  space  at  2000  Pennsylvania  Ave.  NW,  2nd  floor.  We  are  conveniently  located  right  across  the  street  from  the  Marvin  Center!    We  received  great  support  from  our  Health  Sciences  Administra?on  and  the  University  regarding  construc?on  of  the  new  space  to  meet  our  unique  needs.    We  are  proud  of  our  two  new  large  lab  spaces,  equipped  with  state  of  the  art  Pa?ent  Movement  System  as  well  as  two  lecture  halls,  student  lounge  space,  conference  rooms,  and  windows,  windows,  windows  everywhere!    We  thank  all  of  you  for  your  support  over  the  years.  In  part  the  commitment  to  our  PT  program  from  the  University  is  based  on  our  excellent  graduate  outcomes,  our  close  rela?onships  with  our  renowned  clinic  sites,  and  expert  clinicians  who  support  our  student  learning  both  in  the  clinic  and  through  classroom  teaching.    We  will  plan  on  an  open  house  some?me  in  the  Spring,  but  encourage  you  all  to  feel  free  to  visit  us  in  our  new  home!  

  Speaking  of  student  outcomes….once  again  we  are  proud  to  announce  that  our  2013  gradua?ng  class  can  boast  a  100%  first  ?me  pass  rate  on  the  Na?onal  Physical  Therapy  Examina?on.    We  are  excited  for  our  2013  gradua?ng  class  and  look  forward  to  their  con?nued  success  as  they  con?nue  their  professional  journey.                                    …con?nued  on  page  2  

  We  are  also  pleased  to  update  you  on  our  Residency  Programs.  The  Johns  Hopkins  Hospital/George  Washington  University  Orthopaedic  Physical  Therapy  Residency  had  a  wonderful  inaugural  year  with  Dr.  Jennifer  Halvaksz  as  the  Director.  We  are  proud  of  our  first  2  residency  graduates,  Maggie  Richards,  PT,  DPT,  and  Kevin  McLaughlin,  PT,  DPT,  who  completed  the  program  in  August.    We  have  expanded  our  program  to  3  residents  this  year  and  have  added  clinical  experiences  and  mentors  to  the  program  as  well.    We  completed  our  site  visit  this  fall  and  are  now  recognized  as  a  creden?aled  program  by  the  American  Board  of  Physical  Therapy  Residency  and  Fellowship  Educa?on  (ABPTRFE).    We  are  proud  of  the  excellent  clinical  and  educa?on  experiences  that  engage  our  residents  and  foster  their  growth  as  clinicians,  educators  and  scholars.      

  The  Program  is  excited  to  announce  a  new  Neurological  Residency  program  with  Dr.  Elise  Ruckert  as  Director.    The  GW  Neurologic  Residency  in  collabora?on  with  MedStar  Na?onal  Rehabilita?on  Network  is  halfway  through  its  pilot  year.  We  have  begun  the  process  of  APTA  creden?aling  and  are  star?ng  recruitment  for  our  next  cohort  of  neuro-­‐residents  to  begin  in  July  2014.      

  Our  applica?ons  for  admission  to  the  program  are  on  target  to  meet  numbers  we  have  seen  over  the  past  few  years.    We  have  over  800  applica?ons  for  our  incoming  class.    We  are  currently  in  the  process  of  conduc?ng  four  interview  sessions  in  order  to  determine  who  will  eventually  make  GW  their  home.    For  those  alumni  who  may  be  interested  in  helping  with  interviews,  please  feel  free  to  contact  me!    

  Faculty  are  involved  in  a  variety  of  research  projects  ranging  from  the  scholarship  of  teaching  and  learning  including  interprofessional  educa?on,  to  the  use  of  Bayesian  modeling  to  predict  physical  therapy  pa?ent  outcomes,    and  the  use  of  Func?onal  MRIs  to  examine  the  effects  of  dual  task  interven?ons.    Clearly  a  busy  and  exci?ng  ?me  for  all!  

  We  look  forward  to  seeing  you  at  our  alumni  party  at  CSM  2014  if  you  are  afending  (Tuesday  Feb  5th  5:30-­‐7:30pm  at  Señor  Frogs,  3300  South  Las  Vegas  Blvd).    We  have  a  number  of  faculty  and  students  presen?ng  at  CSM,  so  be  sure  to  look  for  us!  We  will  have  some  photos  of  our  new  space  to  share  with  you  and  look  forward  to  hearing  about  your  own  professional  journey!    And…  by  the  way…  have  you  been  following  GW  Men’s  Basketball?    They  are  having  a  great  year  in  the  Atlan?c  10.    Go  GDub!  

Our new home!

GW DPT Program Updates (Continued)

Map data © 2014 Google, Sanborn

Before I begin, I must admit – I’m still trying to figure out what in the world happened the past few years. Just a few weeks ago, I spent my final days as Student Assembly President at National Student Conclave (NSC). The Student Assembly is the component of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) that represents the 24,000+ physical therapy and physical therapist assistant students across the United States. I was elected, with the extraordinary support of my classmates, at NSC the year prior. My year as president was a rapid whirlwind of lessons learned in leadership, courage, and friendship. !Looking back four years ago, I chose GW’s PT program because the faculty seemed to be true educators who deeply cared about their students, both inside and outside of the classroom. My bit of passion for the profession, blended with a supportive and encouraging faculty turned out to be more dynamic than I could have ever imagined. During my first year, I began to discuss various areas I thought we could

improve our outreach as a program and profession. Quickly, I realized that putting myself out there by suggesting new ideas with a strong framework could bring incredible growth. Placing these ideas on the table allowed me, with much teamwork from my classmates and encouragement from the faculty, to start new initiatives and assume leadership roles with the program, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and eventually nationally with APTA. !During my time as Student Assembly president, I grew as an individual and leader. I worked with a Board of Directors that consisted of ten dedicated and passionate students from across the country. Together, we started large-scale initiatives including a campaign that APTA later said “surpassed any other letter-writing campaign on behalf of the profession.” Most importantly, we learned that no idea to improve our profession is too small or too grandiose; that with the appropriate preparation, support, and teamwork, we could achieve anything. !

The past few years have been the most rewarding experience of my life. I was fortunate to serve in a national position, but the foundation of my leadership abilities and the perspective I took to every discussion were formed during my time at GW. So, perhaps I am beginning to figure out what happened over the past few years – I mixed passion with extraordinary teachers and mentors and added in supportive classmates and colleagues. Along the way, I made friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. While I have graduated from GW and transitioned out of my role as president, the most exciting part of this experience is still developing: seeing current students take advantage of that same mixture to carry on and improve the traditions at GW and within APTA. !Don’t ever hesitate to put yourself out there – explore your passions, discuss your ideas, and meet new people. It’s not always comfortable, but PT is an incredibly welcoming profession. I have no doubt you will be surprised by all you discover.

Reflections on National Leadership: Insight from former APTA Student Assembly President Josh D’Angelo

Josh D’Angelo

2012-2013 APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors

Class of 2015: What’s your favorite thing about fall in

the district?

1. Hiking in Great Falls. - Lindsay L !

2. How pretty the mall gets when the leaves change! - Nicole N !

3. All the pumpkin things! Also, flag football on the national mall. - Ben H. !

4. The crisp air, football season, and the trees being painted various shades of reds and orange. - Gabrielle P !

5. Enjoying the last of outdoor food truck festivals! - Leanna B !

6. Seeing the color of the leaves changing when running on the national mall! - Zalak S !

7. Sweater and light jacket weather! -Megan S and Brittne J !

8. Substituting coffee with hot apple cider in my morning tumbler. - Amy J !

9. Ben Hayes in his Yukon Cornelius halloween costume. - Class consensus

by: Sarah LaBerge • • •

In April of this year, the APTA’s Federal Advocacy Forum was held in Washington, DC. Physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and student physical therapists from all over the country were invited to learn and advocate for the physical therapy profession. The forum lasted three days and attendees learned how to effectively lobby members of Congress on issues the profession is facing. Topics discussed this year included the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (HR 713/S 367), the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act (HR 1252/S 602), and the inclusion of the Medicare therapy cap repeal and delayed implementation of the multiple procedure payment reduction policy in any sustainable growth rate reform package.

While many of these issues are out of the control of us as students, I believe we played a vital role in introducing representatives to the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act. This legislation would add physical therapists to the National Health Serve Corps (NHSC) National Loan Repayment Program. The NHSC helps recruit

!health care professionals to serve the needs of underserved populations. In return for service, the NHSC Loan Repayment program will repay qualifying educational loans that are still owed.

As students, we were encouraged to take as active of a role as we felt comfortable. As a resident of the State of Michigan, I had the opportunity to lobby representatives from Michigan. I even had the honor of meeting Senator Debbie Stabenow and discussing the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act along with expressing my concerns of returning to Michigan after PT graduation. Overall the forum was a great opportunity to learn from other professionals and further develop our role as patient advocates. I highly recommend more students attend this years Federal Advocacy Forum.

Mark your calendars for this year’s Federal Advocacy Forum:

April 6 - 8th, 2014

March on the Hill: GWU DPT’s Unique Opportunity for Advocacy

Sarah and Senator Stabenow

What have the third years learned in clinic so far? Insights from the Class of 2014 after Clinical Internship #2

• • • !1. Don’t forget baseline vitals - everyone has orthostatic hypotension in a hospital. 2. GW prepared us really well! 3. In an environment where patient presentation can change at the drop of a hat, always be

prepared to be flexible and creative! 4. When you are the only guy in a skilled nursing facility, you can skip your gym workouts. 5. Always have a set of back-up scrubs handy just in case. 6. Don't get involved in office politics. You are just there to learn. 7. In the inpatient setting, be prepared for anything because nurses and nurses aides are

often very busy. 8. Patients love having students and appreciate the effort you put into treating them!

GWU SPT’s Give Back!

Challenger’s Little League, Arlington, VA

AIDS Walk DC S.O.M.E (So Others May Eat) DC

DC Falls Risk Screen, Ward 3

DC Falls Risk Screen, Ward 2

Introducing the Class of 2016 by the numbers:

We have 41 members, the largest class in GWU DPT history, including 12 men. The

average age is 25.1 years old, 5 of us are married, and 2 of us are proud parents.

We come from 17 states and the District of Columbia. 9 of us did not study science in

college, 2 previously earned a Masters degree, and 7 competed as collegiate

athletes. We have 16 tattoos and 26 pets between us.

2016 Fall Highlights; starting off PT school with a bang!

   With friends and loved ones in attendance, the Class of 2016 officially joined the medical community by receiving their white coats in an evening ceremony combined with the 2013 Excellence Awards. Attendees were honored with a keynote address from Nancy White, PT, DPT, OCS, and Senior Director of Practice and Research at the American Physical Therapy Association. Dr. White inspired those in attendance by addressing the role physical therapists can play in health care reform and encouraging the PT community to get involved in improving health care, cost containment and the health of the population.

Following the address, outstanding members of the second and third year classes were honored with awards of excellence, followed by the White Coat Ceremony portion of the evening. One especially positive sentiment of the evening was

having the second year buddies put the white coats on their first year counterparts, passing the torch as they took on their roles as mentors and welcoming the new students at the start of their academic journeys. “It was really nice having the second years there because it really felt like a welcome into the physical therapy world, as well as a welcome into The George Washington University community,” said first-year Lori Sako.           After donning the white coats, students and faculty joined together to recite the Health Sciences Oath, a first for the class of 2016. Following the ceremony, students mingled with friends and family and took pictures to commemorate the event. “It was nice to take a short break from all the class work and stress and remember why we are all here and what we are working towards,” said first-year Rachel Wolfe, “It was a great night.”

White Coat and Awards Ceremony • • •

Written by Katrin Cooper, Photos by Linnea Farnsworth

2 0 1 6

2 0 1 5

Excellence Awards Recipients: Nora Brody, Brittne Jackson, Rachel Reoli, Megan Scovil, Leanna Blanchard, Jeff Farnsworth

On August 29, 2013 the George Washington University Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2016 participated in the annual Commitment to Community Day. Once again, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences partnered with Kids Against Hunger DC Metro and World Relief Nashville/Memphis to help bring relief to those in need. Students and faculty of the physical therapy program set their work aside and helped create quilts, grocery bags and first aid kits for the World Relief Nashville/Memphis, portions of which were donated to Bread for the City, a service organization in the DC Metro Area. Students also participated in the packaging of nutritional meals, specially designed to help re-feed malnourished children. The students and faculty of the physical therapy program helped assemble 100,000 meals for Kids Against Hunger bound for Nyumbani’s Lea Toto, a program that provides medical support to children affected by, or living with, HIV/AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya. Students enjoyed exercising their artistic prowess and bonded over their passion for service.

Commitment to Community Day • • •

by Hanna Schlang

Students decorated grocery bags for World Relief Nashville/Memphis.

Students packed nutritious meals to help re-feed malnourished children in Nairobi, Kenya.

STUDENTS IN ACTION!

No Shave November

by Jim Buckley &

Hanna Schlang • • •

While No Shave November may seem like an excuse for men to be lazy and let their facial hair grow for an entire month, this year, the men of The George Washington University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program decided to add a benevolent purpose to it. Lead by first year Jim Buckley, a team of twelve men from the GW DPT program decided to abstain from shaving and created a team fundraising site on The American Cancer Society’s website in order to raise funds and awareness for the battle against cancer. For the month of November, the men of the GWU DPT program saved the money that they typically spent on shaving supplies, and instead donated it to the American Cancer Society. In addition, their stately facial hair served as an avenue for discussion and conversation to raise awareness about cancer and their team’s fundraiser. !

!!!!!!!!!!!! !When asked about

what inspired him to spearhead the event, Jim responded, “My Grandfather died of prostate cancer. It’s personally important to me to raise awareness to get people talk to their doctors about prostate screenings because sometimes the cancer may be developing without any symptoms.” The event was a great success with the team raising $212.61. “It was much more than I was anticipating and I want to thank everyone so much from the bottom of my heart” said Jim about the experience. Hopefully, ruggedly handsome facial hair continues to be a staple of the GWU DPT program for many Novembers to come.

THE MEN OF NO SHAVE NOVEMBER

“My grandfather died of prostate cancer so it is personally important to me to raise awareness...”

Beard Superlatives:

10/31/2013 Last Day to Shave!

11/14/2013 Half way there!

11/26/2013 In full bloom!

Best Mustache: Jim Buckley

Best Beard: Steve Matlak

Best Effort: Nick Ienni

Dr. David Scalzitti was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He loved sports from an early age, and credits his time on the high school football team for indirectly sparking his interest in physical therapy. “Football got me into working out, and working out got me interested in knowing more about the body, which got me interested in volunteering in PT, and applying to PT school,” he explained.

However, physical therapy was not always the clear path for him. As a successful high school math and science student, he had applied and was accepted to several engineering schools, as well one pre-physical program. After several positive volunteer experiences in the field, Dr. Scalzitti decided to follow his true interests and enrolled in the pre-physical therapy program at University of Illinois at Chicago.Two years later he was accepted into their physical therapy program and received his first of many degrees, a Bachelors in physical therapy.

Although now a certified orthopedic specialist, Dr. Scalzitti’s initial interests were varied. He first practiced in acute care, gaining experience in cardiopulmonary physical therapy and wound care. It was not until he moved into the outpatient world that Dr. Scalzitti discovered his

passion for orthopedics. “It had an appeal with my sports background and my interest in exercise,” he explained, “but what I really liked was getting to use my examination and clinical decision making skills to figure out my patient’s problems and prognoses, and working with them by setting goals to get them better to improve their function.”

Beyond the clinic, Dr. Scalzitti was also interested in research, and it was that particular interest that sent him back to UIC to earn both a Masters in Kinesiology and a PhD in Disability Studies. During his work on his PhD, Dr. Scalzitti became involved with the American Physical Therapy Association and accepted a job offer as the Associate Director of Research Services where he managed the Hooked on Evidence database and was responsible for adding over 8,000 articles over the course of his tenure. His job eventually grew into the Lead Specialist in Evidence Based Resources where he helped launch one the APTA’s current initiatives, PTNow. It was during his time at the APTA that Dr. Scalzitti became involved with The George Washington University. “When I was in PT school, I never thought I would pursue a career in academia,” Dr. Scalzitti admitted, but when “GW reached out to me to find out if I would be interested in

Meet Dr. David Scalzitti

Type to enter text

Dr. Scalzitti and the Class of 2015 having class with Abraham Lincoln!

With a few first years at the class of 2016 white coat ceremony

teaching a research class, I thought with GW being local and the class being an evening class, it wouldn't be that hard to just hop on the metro and come over once a week.” After a successful semester teaching the Research I class, he was asked to stay on and teach subsequent research courses. He enjoyed his time teaching so much that when an opening for a full time faculty member became available he decided to apply for the position and after a national-search was conducted he became the newest addition to the department of Physical Therapy. “It was a great chance to interact with both future and current physical therapists,” Dr. Scalzitti explained, “But really the GW students were the selling point.” As a full time member faculty, Dr. Scalzitti looks

forward to developing his research, working closely with his colleagues, and spending more time with students. In addition, Dr. Scalzitti is excited expand his volunteering and service ventures, and especially hopes continue to involvement with one service project called Challengers Baseball which connects students with a division of little league baseball for children with physical and mental challenges. Although he just joined the Department of Physical Therapy as a full time member this August, Dr. Scalzitti had been a much-loved professor for some years already and will surely continue to be in the future. Both students and faculty are excited to officially welcome him to The George Washington University.

Meet Dr. David Scalzitti

Q: What are some of your hobbies outside of the school and outside of PT practice? A: I continue to work out regularly and in the summer I am a part of a softball team, which I really enjoy. !Q: What was the first research project you ever did? A: I did the science fair. It was in 7th grade and it was something to do with does the Loch Ness Monster really exist, from a scientific approach. I think I got a second place ribbon. !Q: If you could meet any historical figure, either living, or since deceased, who would it be?  A: I have been fortunate to work with a number of well known PT’s in my career. However, if could go back in time, I would have liked to have met a number of the early leaders of physical therapy including Mary McMillan, Catherine Worthingham and Eugene Michels. !!Q: What is your favorite candy? A: It depends. A few years ago I determined that my favorite cookie is Oreos. As you will notice if you pass by my office there is different assortment of candy in my dish almost every week. If it’s chocolate, there may be a positive bias toward Twix or perhaps the potential health benefits from dark chocolate. But for non-chocolate, my favorite may be gummy bears, Skittles, Skittles are high up there, or Twizzlers. !Q: If you were not a physical therapist, what job would you like to be doing? A: I would like to manage a baseball team. !!

Q: If you were a type of research what type of research would you be? A: I would be a guideline because not only is it one of the higher forms of evidence but it incorporates many other forms of evidence. !Q: Who is your favorite Smurf? A: I would like to think I have the wisdom of a Papa Smurf !Q: What is your spirit animal? A: Maybe a moose or a wolf. !Q: If you could have a superpower what would it be? A: Time travel !Q: Who is your favorite super hero? A: Right now I would have to say Optimus prime, for my nephew William. Or maybe the old Batman, he had his own laboratory down in the Batcave with the Batcomputer. I could go with Batman. !Q: What advice do you have for the next generation of physical therapists? A: You can succeed by setting goals and having a direction in your career. But in physical therapy many doors will open up that maybe you didn't think you were interested in, such as teaching, or research or working with different patient groups. I would say at least listen when these opportunities present themselves, and be open to considering where these opportunities could take you. !

— Hanna Schlang

Getting to Know Dr. Scalzitti

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SINCE GRADUATING FROM GW PT? Dr.   Thomas:   I   worked   for  an   outpatient   orthopedic  practice   for     three   years  and   decided   that   I   wanted  to   sh i f t   my   focus   to  n e u r o l o g i c   p h y s i c a l  therapy.   During   my   :irst  three   years   as   a   physical  therapist,   I   learned   a   lot  about   the   :ield   and   most  importantly,   I   learned  about  myself   as   a   clinician  a n d   emp l oye e .   I   am  thankful   for  the  time  that  I  spent   working   for   that  company.    !Dr.   Main:   I   took   a   few  mon th s   o f f   ove r   t h e  summer  to  travel  and  catch  up  on  missed  time  with  my  family   and   friends,   then  entered   the   MNRN/GW  N e u r o l o g i c   P h y s i c a l  T h e r a p y   r e s i d e n c y  program   at   the   end   of   July  2013  and   I   have  been   at   it  ever  since!  

!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!WHY DID YOU ENTER THE RESIDENCY? Dr.  Thomas:  I  felt  that  the  residency  would  give  me  an  opportunity  to  explore  an  aspect  of  physical  therapy  in  which  I  had  lots  of  passion  but  limited  experience.  I  also  love  the  option  of  being  able  to  gain  teaching  experience  and  give  back  to  the  University  that  gave  so  much  to  me.  !Dr.  Main:  When  it  came  time  to  graduate,  I  was  undecided  on  which  setting  I  wanted  to  work  in  and  I  also  felt  like  I  still  had  so  much  to  learn.    To  me,  this  residency  was  the  perfect  opportunity  to  get  the  mentorship  that  I  so  desired  as  a  new  graduate  in  a  structured  way  and  also  gain  experience  in  various  clinical  settings.  !!!

!HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE GW PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM PREPARED YOU FOR YOUR CAREER? Dr.  Thomas:  This  program  prepared  me  extremely  well  for  my  career.  I  was  challenged  to  engage  in  goal-­‐directed  and  self-­‐directed  learning;  both  are  useful  tools  in  clinical  practice.  The  program  also  helped  me  recognize  the  importance  of  evidence-­‐based  practice  which  allowed  me  to  “re:lect”  on  my  successes  and  failures  as  a  clinician  and  move  forward  for  the  well-­‐being  of  my  patients.  It  is  up  to  each  of  us  to  go  beyond  the  basics  and  become  an  elite  clinician.  I  believe  the  GW  DPT  program  is  the  catalyst  for  the  passion  and  desire  to  become  elite.   !Dr.  Main:  GW  cultivates  an  environment   of   re:lective  practice   and   feedback.     I  think   the   ability   to   openly  a c c e p t   c o n s t r u c t i v e  feedback  may  be  the  single  most  important  skill  I  have  taken   away   f rom   the  program.     It’s  not  easy,  but  it   is   hands   down   the   best  way   to   grow  as   a   clinician.    Finally,   GW’s   program  instilled   in   me   a   desire   to  never   stop   learning   and  bettering   my   practice.   I’ve  had   some   very   in:luential  faculty   members,   mentors  and  classmates  to  thank  for  inspiring   my   outlook   and  career  choices.      !

Dr. Emily Main, Class of ‘13 Dr. Latasha Thomas, Class of ‘10

The 2013-2014 MedStar National Rehabilitation Network & GW

Neurologic Residents!

Alumni Spotlight:

MANY THANKS to our Newsletter Team:

Rachel Haman (‘15) and Hanna Schlang (‘16) for their contributions and creativity to this edition of the Program Newsletter.

Faculty Editor: Elizabeth Ruckert

1. Class of 2014 Graduation Coverage

2 . C o m m u n i t y S e r v i c e Challenge

3. Updates from Dr. Plack on h e r F a l l 2 0 1 3 S a b b a t i c a l Experiences

4 . M e e t t h e C u r r e n t Orthopaedic Residents

5. Alumni Spotlight

6. GW SPT’s at Combined Sections Meeting

Stay Tuned for the Summer Program Newsletter!

!WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS FOR THE FUTURE? Dr.  Thomas:   to  obtain  my  N e u r o l o g i c   C l i n i c a l  Specialist   certi:ication,  g a i n   m a n a g e r i a l  experience,   own   my   own  business   or   become   a  Director   of   a   physical  therapy   c l in i c   in   an  existing   practice   and   to  continue   teaching  with   an  emphasis  on  diversity  and  cultural  competence.    !Dr.   Main:   I   am   also  interested  in  continuing  to  teach   students   at   some  l e ve l ,   e i t h e r   i n   t h e  classroom  or   in   the   clinic.    As  I  gain  more  experience,  I   would   like   to   eventually  become  a  mentor  for  other  clinicians  and  students.   In  general,   I   hope   to   attend  a s   many   c on t i nu i n g  education  modules,    courses,   and   conferences  as  possible  throughout  my    

!!career  and  always  practice  using   the   best   available  evidence,   because   at   the  end  of  the  day,  all  of  this  is  for  my  patients.  !WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR CURRENT PT STUDENTS PREPARING TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE? Dr.  Thomas:  My  advice  to  every   Student   of   Physical  Therapy   is   to   humble  yourself,   glean   everything  y o u   c a n   f r om   y o u r  professors   and   clinical  instructors   and   begin  setting   goals   for   your  future   while   you   are   in  school.   I  would  encourage  each   student   to   write  down   a   goal   and   begin   to  map  out  the  path  to  obtain  the   goal.   Also,   make   sure  you   de:ine   what   kind   of  clinician   you   want   to  become.    !!

!!Dr.  Main:  Here’s  a  piece  of  advice   I   got   from   one   of  the   senior   therapists   who  I   worked   with   during   my  :inal   full-­‐time   internship.    She  told  me  “any  decision    you  make  will  be  the  right  decision.”     I   thought   that  was   great   advice,   because  regardless   of   where   you  choose   to   take   your   :irst  job,   you   WILL   learn.    There  is  always  something  to  be  learned.    Even  if  you  discover   that   a   particular  :ield   or   setting   isn’t   for  you,   that   is   still   valuable  information.     You   have   a  long   career   ahead   of   you  and   where   you   choose   to  take  your  :irst  job  will  not  de:ine   your   entire   career.    Finally,   when   you   decide  to   take   a   job,   make   sure  that  they  deserve  you!    !    By:   Megan   Scovil   and  Rachel  Haman