DPT Portfolios

Angela Lauten – Professional Portofolio

Professional Goal Statement

My goal is to provide quality orthopedic physical therapy services to various populations of North Carolina, with the hope of taking these services to an international level within ten years of receiving my doctoral degree.  I strongly desire to work in a clinical setting that espouses the ideas of compassion, evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary and comprehensive care.  I want to empower my patients to take ownership of their bodies and their potential, no matter what level of function they are beginning at, and I want to do so with an element of joy and fun.

Career Plan

Self Assessment

Objectives

• Special Areas of Interest
  • Orthopedic assessment
  • Prosthetics and orthotics
  • Applied manual therapy skills
  • Community service learning experiences
  • International service learning experiences

• Main Objectives
  • Continue to develop my working knowledge of orthopedic diagnoses, evaluation, and assessment
  • Participate in more service learning opportunities through local health fairs, community safety awareness or health education events, participation in SHAC and faculty clinic
  • Become more active in legislation and advocacy for the profession
  • Attend a service learning trip in Spring 2013
  • Pass the National PT Board Exam

Specific Strategies

• Participate in elective courses that will encourage deeper understanding of orthopedic diagnoses, evaluation, and treatments
• Identify clinic/faculty mentors to observe that have the knowledge, skills, and professional values I wish to emulate
• Utilize doctoral project information as a platform for future in-depth learning of other orthopedic pathologies, as well as presenting this information to other PT students and clinicians
• Begin discussion with specific faculty in regards to service learning projects and opportunities both during 3rd year and post-graduation
• Participate regularly in local NCPTA meetings and continue discussions with state lobbyists

Relevant Courses and Product Samples

PHYT 875 – Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Intervention

In this course, I expanded my knowledge of orthopedic issues, beginning with the basics of the healing processes of musculoskeletal tissue.  I was particularly drawn to the biomechanical and physiologic properties of each tissue and why this matters as we evaluate and implement a plan of care for each patient.  This course exposed me to various surgical procedures and tissue pathologies that were previously unknown to me.  Because my brother has recently gotten into triathlons (Sprint, Olympic, and Half Ironman distances), I decided to write my research paper on a Trifecta of Injuries in the Triathlete, discussing rotator cuff tendinopathy, Achilles tendinopathy, and plantar fasciitis.

PHYT 752 – Evidence Based Practice II

This course afforded me the opportunity to develop a PICO question within my interest base and perform a thorough literature review on the topic of ACL grafts.  Namely, I was interested to see if an allograft or autograft would better return a middle-aged active individual to their previous level of function and athletic activity.  In case you are interested in the results, here are the links to the evidence table and research paper I wrote.

PHYT 732 – Musculoskeletal Interventions I, Teaching Assistant

Being able to TA during the spring semester was far more rewarding than I could have imagined.  It challenged me to know and have good command of common musculoskeletal pathologies of and assessment strategies for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, the sacroiliac joint, and the shoulder.

PHYT 854 – Doctoral Capstone Project

For my Capstone project, I collaborated with Kyle Hoppes to create a comprehensive presentation of ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation.  His research during our 3rd year centered around the more advanced phases of rehab and return-to-play criteria, while I was more interested in the graft tissues, their biomechanical properties, time for healing, and the implications for early to mid-phases of rehab.  We created a Voicethread presentation with the intent to have it used as a supplemental resource for the Musculoskeletal Interventions II class in the fall semester of 2nd year; however, our hope is that our presentation will be useful to all levels of students, as well as practicing clinicians. Here is a link to my Capstone website, which includes links to all of the materials, but if you’d like to take a quick glance at our slides, then you may do so here.

PHYT 895 – Guatemala Service Learning Project

This service learning trip proved to be one of the most invaluable experiences in all of PT school.  I was able to identify the detrimental effects of malnutrition as it relates to and has an impact on neuromusculoskeletal conditions.  I was able to put my knowledge into action and practice physical therapy with very limited resources, yet with consideration for cultural/familial values.  Although I have only taken 1 Spanish course (PUBH 610 – Introductory Spanish for Health Professionals), I was challenged to incorporate my Spanish speaking and listening skills while being immersed into the Guatemalan culture.  I believe this trip has laid the foundation for the passion I have to continue participating in international service trips.

Reflective Statement

It’s hard to believe that my time at UNC as a student is winding down.  The relationships I’ve built and experiences I’ve had here are priceless – countless hours of studying, great conversations with classmates and professors, squeezing out as much knowledge as I could possibly think or write in a 3-4hr time period, clinical rotations all over the state, professional development opportunities at CSM and legislative meetings, and the list could go on.  But the thing that will stick with me the most is the passion and the pursuit of excellence exuded by the department and every single one of my classmates.  I could not have handpicked a better group of people to learn from.
As graduation quickly approaches, I feel that I am equipped to begin my career as a physical therapist.  I know and am excited about the fact that I will never stop learning – there are always new research opportunities and ideas being born, and I am so thrilled to be a part of such a progressive and integral profession in the face of our changing healthcare system.

 

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