DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement:

I have been very fortunate to have had many interests and experiences throughout this program. I am thankful that the profession of physical therapy allows me to have flexibility to alter my career path and practice in a variety of settings as a clinician as my professional interest may change. Throughout this program, I have been interested in orthopedics, pediatrics, and pelvic health. I have had experiences shadowing and/or working in these settings. As of now, I am planning to start my career hopefully as an acute care pediatric physical therapist. With this said, no matter which settings I practice in, my overall goal as a clinician is to provide effective personalized care to each of my patients to help optimize their functional capacity and improve their overall quality of life.

 

Past Accomplishments:

• Graduated from Virginia Tech in May 2020
  • B.S. Human, Nutrition, Food, and Exercise
  • Minor: Integrative Health and Wellness
• SHAC Clinical Liaison from summer 2022 – summer 2023
  • Coordinated patient care, managed pro bono clinic schedule, and developed proficiency in EMR system

 

Clinical Experiences:

• Spine & Sport – Kearny Mesa, CA
  • Outpatient Orthopedics (8 weeks)
• Atrium Health Cabarrus Rehab, Pediatric Therapy – Concord, NC
  • Outpatient Pediatrics (8 weeks)
• UNC Hospital at Chapel Hill – Chapel Hill, NC
  • Acute Care (8 weeks)
• Integrative Clinical Experience: Family Medicine – Chapel Hill, NC
  • Outpatient Orthopedic (60 hours)
• UNC Hospital at Chapel Hill – Chapel Hill, NC
  • Acute Pediatrics (12 weeks)

 

Electives:

• Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Intervention
• Child & Family Assessment and Intervention
• Topics in Sports Physical Therapy
• Integrative Clinical Experience

 

Projects:

• Capstone Project: Pregnancy & Postpartum
  • Researched pregnancy and postpartum populations regarding low back pain to develop and present a lecture about Pregnancy & Postpartum to the 1^st year DPT cohort; in addition to developing an Evaluation Guide Final and Pregnancy & Postpartum Case Study
• Acute Care Inservice Presentation: The Relationship Between Delirium & Hip Fractures
  • delirium & hip fractures
• Informational Handout: Hip Dysplasia & Spica Cast
  • Developed informational handout regarding hip dysplasia & spica cast for parents/caregivers

 

Professional Development Experiences:

• UNC Pelvic Health Symposium
• Duke Sports Medicine Baseball Symposium

 

Future Accomplishments:

• Graduate from UNC DPT program expected August 2024
• Pass NPTE Exam in July 2024
• Obtain a job in Acute Pediatrics in Sept/Oct 2024
• Obtain specialty certification in the setting of my choice after 5 years of practice
• Become a Clinical instructor after 5 years of practice

 

Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI):

During my doctoral PT degree, I have had the opportunity to participate in a variety of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion experiences. In my first year of the program, I had the opportunity to read “Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People” in which I uncovered biases that I hold, engaged in reflective conversations with peers, and learned about the role that biases play in the healthcare field. I also had the opportunity to attend a workshop regarding Trauma-Informed Care which highlighted different factors that may impact care and how to integrate Trauma-Informed Care principles into patient encounters. I attended an Achieving Equity in Health Care workshop which discussed racism and the role it plays in our healthcare system. Through group discussions and anecdotal experiences, I learned the many ways that racism impacts patient care/experiences. These experiences fostered self-reflection and interdisciplinary discussion and taught me how to be a diligent observer as a future clinician to provide the highest quality care to the best of my abilities.

 

Interprofessional Education Activities:

Throughout my graduate educational experiences, I have had the opportunity to participate in interprofessional education activities. I have participated in an interdisciplinary experience in which many different healthcare professional students, such as OT, SLP, Counseling, Dietitians, etc., discussed patient cases and collaborated on patient care. These cases covered musculoskeletal, neurological, and geriatric-specific considerations. I learned a lot about each profession’s perspective and what patient factors are important to each discipline. These considerations/perspectives aided in my clinical reasoning skills because aided in the development of my clinical picture/presentation so that I can better predict how some factors may impact an individual’s function. These experiences have helped me communicate with other health professionals regarding patient care during my clinical experiences.

 

Reflective Statement:

I have learned so much about the profession and myself throughout this program. Each year I have gained confidence in my ability to provide excellent patient care. I am grateful for the mentorship from clinical instructors, advisors, and faculty who aided in the development of my clinical reasoning, formulation of treatment plans, establishing work/life balance, and demonstrating how to provide excellent patient care. I have gained many experiences learning how to effectively communicate with patients of all ages, peers, faculty, and mentors. I hope to build upon this foundation of knowledge and skills throughout my professional career by continually learning through experiences, events, and seminars on topics relevant to my future patient populations and maintaining an open/curious mind. As I gain additional years practicing as a PT, I plan to become specialized in the setting of my choosing to gain more knowledge and expertise so that I may continue to provide high-quality patient care. Lastly, I plan on becoming a clinical instructor so that I can provide mentorship and clinical wisdom to future PTs, just as my mentors did for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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