Feb 25 2013

Camilleri, Nicholas

Published by

Nick Camilleri

DPT Portfolio

Professional Goal Statement

My goal is to become a successful geriatric Physical Therapist and manager of a large geriatric specialty rehabilitation facility. My facility will emphasize continued learning and education for all therapists in order to maintain the highest standard of evidence-based therapy and care for our patients. I will maintain a high-level of working knowledge in orthopedic and neurological care with an emphasis on geriatric-specific treatments in order to enhance the quality of life of my patients.

 

Career Plan

  1. Bachelor of Science in Exercise Biology 2010
  2. Completed 3 clinical rotations including experience in acute, geriatric/neuro, and outpatient orthopedic settings as well as underserved areas
  3. Graduate with DPT from UNC in 2013
  4. Pass the National Physical Therapy examination and attain license to practice 2013
  5. Employment in an entry-level position that allows further development of my confidence and skills while gaining valuable experience in a range of areas while exposing me to a wide variety of patient populations 2013
  6. Consistently take continuing education courses with an emphasis on geriatric care
  7. Become a clinical instructor for students to help give back to the physical therapy profession
  8. Obtain specialty certification in geriatrics from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties
  9. Begin taking on a role that includes more managerial tasks as well as patient care
  10. Become the manager of a geriatric specialty rehabilitation facility.

 

Self Assessment

 

Strengths Areas for Professional Development
  • Good understanding of how to identify high-quality research and perform comprehensive literature reviews
  • Have internship/clinical and volunteer experience with an emphasis on geriatric care
  • Good at establishing rapport with geriatric patients and finding ways to motivate them
  • High work ethic and professional attitude that will help me in achieving my goals
  • Good baseline education in financial and structural management of a physical therapy clinic
  • Lack of clinical experience as an autonomous practitioner
  • Lack of exposure to more complicated diagnoses
  • Need to improve my knowledge of the responsibilities of a clinical/rehab manager
  • Currently lack network connections in the field of physical therapy
  • Need to expand my knowledge of geriatric-specific intervention strategies
  • Could improve efficiency and time management skills in order to maximize productivity without sacrificing quality of care for my patients

 

 

Objectives

My areas of interest include geriatric care, clinic management, and orthopedic treatment.

  1. Develop the areas and skills that I need to improve to be a well-rounded and skilled Physical Therapist
  2. Improve my examination and evaluation skills to be able to confidently perform a high level examination of patients with more difficult and/or less common diagnoses
  3. Expand my knowledge and portfolio of orthopedic treatment options and intervention strategies
  4. Graduate from the UNC DPT program
  5. Prepare for and sit the National Physical Therapy examination to become a licensed Physical Therapist
  6. Develop my ability to utilize support staff effectively and delegate tasks in a way that improves efficiency without sacrificing quality of care
  7. Improve understanding of all aspects and roles of rehabilitation management and strategies that maximize the effectiveness of managerial staff

Specific Strategies

  • Continue to actively seek opportunities during my final clinical rotation to expose myself to a wide variety of patient populations and diagnoses as well as unique treatment techniques and strategies
  • Utilize UNC’s career services to ensure my resume includes all relevant information to maximize my chance of obtaining an entry-level position that will meet my needs and allow me to progress towards my career goals
  • Begin utilizing classmates, professors and clinical instructors to effectively network within our field to further develop my knowledge and increase awareness of opportunities related to my clinical interest area
  • Research and increase involvement in local community programs and volunteer opportunities to work with older adults
  • Devote a minimum of 8 hours per week to studying for the NPTE particularly focusing on identified areas of weakness to give myself the greatest chance of passing the exam and obtaining my license to practice

 

Clinical Coursework related to Goals

  • Ortho 875 Elective
    • This elective allowed me to develop and hone my knowledge and evaluative skills for a variety of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. By educating me on the specific properties of different tissues and encouraging me to use a tissue-based perspective when examining and treating orthopedic injuries. The course also focused on the aging process and its effect on tissue properties and healing, which will be essential information that I will be able to utilize when treating older adults. As part of this course I also completed a detailed research paper on meniscal fibrocartilage pathology and rehabilitation. This research will be valuable in assessing and treating meniscal injuries throughout my career, which is a very common pathology in older adults.
  • EBP 752
    • Identified and performed a detailed literature review that examined the link between gait speed and falls risk in older adults as well as assessing the effectiveness of a task-oriented approach to increasing gait speed in this population. As a result of this research I compiled a number of finished products to help utilize this information including an evidence table and a summary paper.
  • Capstone
    • For my capstone project I chose to investigate the current rehabilitation model for treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and how this model relates to the pathophysiology of the disease. I performed a literature review on an innovative new treatment technique that has shown potential to be effective in treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and compared the results to more traditional treatment methods. I established a case study report as well as a Powerpoint presentation detailing the results of my research, which will be utilized as supplemental material for future UNC DPT students during their neuromuscular education.

Reflection

When I began my journey in the UNC DPT program 3 years ago, I had a very limited grasp of the multitude of ways in which our profession can positively effect the live of our patients. My experience with physical therapy was limited to outpatient orthopedic settings and while I still enjoy the work we do in this area, my love and appreciation for our profession has grown immensely as I have explored the impact we have in other areas. The education I have received has given me a wonderful foundation of knowledge and the skills that I will need to continue to build upon this base throughout my career. Through my clinical experiences I have gained valuable experience in evaluating and treating patients, as well as interacting with and learning from peers and colleagues who have been willing to share their knowledge with me. The opportunities throughout our 3rd year education have allowed me the flexibility to focus on clinical interest areas and develop skills that I will utilize throughout my career as I journey towards my professional goals. I am extremely appreciative of all my classmates, professions, and mentors who have not only helped me through this journey but who have also played a part in creating wonderful memories that I will continue to treasure throughout my career.

 

 

4 responses so far




4 Responses to “Camilleri, Nicholas”

  1.   Michelle O'Neillon 12 Jun 2013 at 1:00 pm

    Hi Nick! It’s been fun seeing you around UNC and I had no idea of your lofty ambitions! That’s awesome. I know you would be the perfect person to run such a facility and wish you luck in pursuing this. Keep up the good work around UNC! -Michelle

    Reply

  2.   Lisa Johnstonon 27 Jun 2013 at 5:58 pm

    Nick:
    Excellent job on your portfolio. It is nice to see you articulate where you are and where you want to go in the future. You are going to do great things. Good luck and nice job on the portfolio.

    Lisa

    Reply

  3.   Debbie Thhorpeon 01 Jul 2013 at 8:00 pm

    Nick
    I enjoyed reading your portfolio and seeing how far you have come in this program. I met your brother-in-law? on a plane flying in/out of Atlanta (I think;) not long ago. He spoke very highly of our program….thanks to you, I am sure:) We were equally impressed with you!! A small world…make it yours!!
    Congratulations and welcome to the profession! You will make a great PT:)

    Good luck!
    Best
    Debbie

    Reply

  4.   websiteon 17 Jun 2020 at 1:46 am

    great points altogether, you simply won a brand new reader.
    What would you suggest in regards to your publish that you just made a few days ago?
    Any sure?

    Reply

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply