May 21 2019
VerMeulen, Anna
Anna VerMeulen
Professional Goal Statement
As a future physical therapist, my goal is to be an expert in my field and possess the kind of skills and knowledge that provide my patients with the best care. I plan to begin my career as a generalist in either the acute care or inpatient rehabilitation setting. In acute care my goal is to become a therapist in the Intensive Care Unit. In inpatient rehabilitation my goal is to work with neurologic populations. I then plan to specialize my knowledge in the neurologic population through a residency. No matter what setting I am in, I hope to be a leader amongst my peers, providing not only the best service to my future clinic, but also with volunteering in my community and advocating for my profession. Most importantly, I strive to be a compassionate and empathetic provider to every patient, providing them with the best opportunity to live a fulfilling life.
Career Plan
1 year plan:
- Graduate with my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree
- Pass the NC Board Licensure exam
- Obtain employment at a level 1 trauma center in North Carolina as an acute care physical therapist or at an inpatient rehabilitation center focusing on the neurologic population.
3 year plan:
- Work as a physical therapist in the ICU or in a specialty unit at an inpatient rehabilitation facility
5 year plan:
- Begin a neurology residency
- Pass the Neurology Clinical Specialist examination
10 year plan:
- Become a clinical instructor
- Obtain employment at an outpatient rehabilitation facility
- Continue developing my skills as a clinician
Self- Assessment
Strengths: professionalism, organizational skills, time management, compassion for others, commitment to learning, variety of clinical exposures
Areas for Further Development: improve knowledge of insurance and billing, clinical experience, increase confidence in orthopedic evaluation and differential diagnosis, increase skills in treatments for various neurologic diagnoses
Objectives
- Graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and pass my NC Board Licensure exam.
- Obtain employment at a large healthcare system in North Carolina as an acute care or inpatient rehabilitation physical therapist
- Keep up to date on research in physical therapy and topics related to my area of clinical work to provide the best care for my patients
- Become a Neurologic Clinical Specialist
Areas of Interest
- Acute Care/Intensive Care Unit
- Inpatient Rehabilitation
- Outpatient Neuro
- Concussion Rehabilitation
- Vestibular Rehabilitation
Specific Strategies
- Begin a comprehensive study schedule for studying for boards
- Attend networking events in North Carolina
- Take continuing education courses in topics to further develop my clinical knowledge
- Attend an APTA or NCPTA conference
- Find a mentor after I graduate who will help me adjust to employment and help me with the first few years of being a clinician
Electives
PHYT 870 Integrated Clinical Experience
PHYT 875 Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Intervention
PHYT 885 Advanced Neuromuscular Intervention
PHYT 895 International Service-Learning Trip
Clinical Rotations
Novant Health: Outpatient Ortho, Adults and Pediatrics, 8 weeks
Mission Hospital: Acute Care, Neuro/Trauma ICU, 8 weeks
Vanderbilt Hospital-Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute: Outpatient Neuro, 8 weeks
Wake Med: Inpatient Rehab, TBI/Complex medical unit, 12 weeks
Product Examples
- ICU Delirium Inservice
- Vestibular Disorders and Anxiety Inservice Presentation
- Sarcopenia Paper (Advanced Orthopedics)
- Capstone: Clinical Practice Guideline-Concussion
Reflective Statement
Thinking back on the past three years of physical therapy school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, it is overwhelming how much I have learned; not only the curriculum, but also professionalism, time management, determination, compassion, empathy, and an unwavering desire for knowledge. It has not been easy, but it has been a challenge that I will forever be thankful that I completed. I am beyond grateful to all of my professors, mentors, classmates, clinical instructors, patients, community members, friends, and family who have challenged me, supported me, and taught me how to be the best physical therapist and the best person that I can be. I think the most important thing as I graduate and move forward to my career is to recognize how much I still have left to learn and remember that learning is never complete, especially in the world of science and health care. I am excited to soon become a practicing physical therapist and explore my passion of working with patients, especially the neurologic population. My hope is to incorporate everything that I have gained from classes, clinicals, volunteer and work experiences to treat my future patients with the best quality of care.
Anna: It has been a pleasure to get to know you over these 3 years. You have definitely grown along the way. You should be proud of all you have accomplished! Great job and good luck! Lisa
Anna,
Thanks for sharing your accomplishments and your plans for the future! I’m glad to see your interest in working with patients with neurological disorders (everyone knows that neuro PTs have the most fun)! Looking forward to seeing what you will contribute to the PT profession.
Best-
Vicki