DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement

My goal is to start my career in an outpatient setting that focuses on manual therapy and advanced orthopedic conditions.  I am aspiring to work with athletes of all ages.  I enjoy this population because I can push them and they want to return to their sport as quickly as possible.  This program has taught me to incorporate Evidence Based Practice techniques into all of my interventions in order to provide the highest quality of care possible.   It is important that I work in a clinic that focuses on these techniques, inter-disciplinary care and the overall wellness of the patient.

 

Career Plan

• Exercise and Sports Science/Spanish double major- UNC 2010
• APTA Orthopedic Sections Member- 2011-present
• Complete an orthopedic, manual therapy focused final clinical rotation
• Pass the PT Board Exam in the summer of 2013
• Obtain my license and graduate in August of 2013
• Work in an outpatient clinic in North Carolina that focuses on manual therapy and one-on-one treatment sessions
• Continue to expand my clinical and conversational Spanish skills
• Plan to sit for the OCS Exam in 2-3 years
• Consider returning to an orthopedic/sports residency program in 2-3 years

 

Self Assessment

Strengths	Areas for Development
Good knowledge of orthopedic special tests Skill in finding research articles and studies for various interventions and diagnoses Experience at the Athletic Training Facility at UNC Gain manual therapy techniques during final clinical rotation Good communicator and strong work ethic Compassion for patients Professional Commitment to the profession of Physical Therapy	Need more experience with advanced sports/orthopedic patients Connections to therapists in the sports field and orthopedic field Need to become more active with the APTA Complete clinical hours in order to sit for the OCS exam Continue to improve Spanish skills Billing and insurance changes

 

Objectives

1. Pass the National PT board exam
2. Gain experience in an outpatient clinic that focuses on orthopedic issues and advanced manual therapy
3. Become a Board Certified Physical therapist in Orthopedics and/or Sports

 

Specific Strategies

• Complete a thorough review of pertinent text books and prep materials in order to adequately prepare for the National Physical Therapy Exam in July
• Expand on my manual therapy, orthotics and advanced orthopedic skills during my final rotation at Comprehensive PT
• Use my connections at the UNC Wellness Center, UNC Hospitals and Comprehensive PT in order to get a job in an outpatient setting
• After working for a few years, gain the necessary amount of clinical hours to sit for the OCS exam

 

Product Samples

Advanced Orthopedics:

I chose to take this elective in the fall of my 3^rd year to expand my knowledge in the area of orthopedics.  This course gave me a better understanding of the various tissue mechanics and how the different tissue properties can impact your treatments.  Here is my final paper for this class: The Role of Warming-Up and Stretching to Prevent Injuries: With a Focus on Muscle Strains

Health and Wellness

In this class we focused on the overall health and wellness of all patients.  Our final paper was a wellness program that benefited a specific community.  For this project I collaborated with Sarah Yancey and created a proposal that looked at increasing physical activity in older adults through the use of a walking program.  The name of the project is “85 and Kickin’”.  The techniques and research we found for this project can be used with a variety of populations.  A copy of this wellness proposal is attached: 85 and Kickin’

Evidence Based Practice II

During this class, I focused my research on an initial PICO question, which then expanded into my capstone project.  My evidence table and final research paper looked at the effectiveness of pain provocation tests for the sacroiliac joint and the order they should be completed in order to improve their clinical usefulness, since a gold standard for diagnosing sacroiliac joint pain is not available.  Here are copies of my final evidence table and final paper: evidence table  final paper

Capstone Project:

For my capstone project, I focused on the evaluation and assessment of the Sacroiliac Joint.  This is currently a controversial and highly debated topic in Physical Therapy.  I wanted to expand my knowledge in the area and create materials that would be helpful for other students in future years.  My project focused on the research and evidence that supported various components of a sacroiliac joint initial evaluation.  Here is a link to my project: http://dptcapstone.web.unc.edu/category/current-students-spring-of-2013/larowe-joanne/

Guatemala Service Learning Trip:

Although I do not have a specific product from this trip, I wanted to write a little about it because I thought that this trip was a great experience.  I would recommend that any future students go on this trip if they can.  We were exposed to a completely different health care system and saw severe cases of cerebral palsy in pediatric, young adult and geriatric populations.  It was a great opportunity to practice our health professional Spanish skills and expand on our handling and positioning techniques for pediatric patients.  Outside of the hospital, we were able to learn about the Guatemalan culture, hike a volcano and go zip-lining between two mountains over a lake!  This trip was an awesome experience and I hope future students continue to take advantage of this opportunity.

 

Reflection Statement

Going into undergrad I had no idea what career I wanted to pursue; I only knew that I loved sports, science and how the human body functions.  This lead me to exercise and sport science and then to Physical Therapy school.  Although my initial interests are still the same (orthopedics/sports), I have had many great opportunities to be exposed to a variety of fields within PT (especially inpatient rehab on a spinal cord team).  I feel that our program has prepared us to treat all types of patients with evidence based skills and knowledge.  I cannot wait to get out into the profession and see where it leads me.  Thank you to all of my classmates and faculty.  I know that DPT ‘13 is going to do great things!

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