DPT Portfolios

PROFESSIONAL GOAL STATEMENT

My goal is to become a physical therapist practicing in several aspects of care including orthopedics, amputees, and geriatrics. I plan to provide evidence-based patient-centered care to efficiently help individuals return to their prior level of function. I hope to remain a strong advocate for physical therapy as a career choice among minority groups to address the need for a more diverse workforce. I am also interested in providing consulting services to traditional OP clinics about the benefits of social media for marketing purposes.

CAREER PLAN

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Areas of Strength

• Clinical rotation experience with amputee, geriatric, orthopedic, pediatric, and neuro- patient populations
• Creativity and expanding knowledge of therapeutic exercises and functional activities
• Quality documentation of patient care desired by payers
• Awareness of technological resources useful for marketing, promotion and efficient delivery of patient education

Areas for Further Development

• Manual therapy skills and techniques especially for spinal mobilizations
• Time management, organization, and sequencing of initial examinations
• Consistent communication with patient-friendly terminology
• Clinical reasoning skills and differential diagnosis of orthopedic conditions

SPECIFIC STRATEGIES

• Develop a comprehensive study plan to prepare and sit for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy Exam
• Start employment to practice in a clinical setting with a mentorship program and opportunity to work with a diverse patient population for professional development
• Attend highly recommended continuing education courses to further develop evaluation and manual therapy skills for professional growth
• Remain an active APTA member to continually be aware of impending policies and regulations, innovative therapies, EBP’s and trends in the PT industry
• Continue to effectively utilize my variety of current knowledge and extensive evidence-based practice skills to enhance patients’ quality of life
• Network with other individuals from different disciplines to further promote the profession of PT

PRODUCTS

Doctoral Project

My CAPSTONE project allowed me inform students about the potential utility of kettlebells, Swiss Balls, TRX Suspension System, and the Total Gym as exercise modalities in the rehabilitation of individuals with a lower body dysfunction. I was able to present this project to first year students in their Exercise Prescription class to help them become more aware of how to utilize certain exercise modalities that they may encounter on their clinicals. Here is a link to the WikiSite for my CAPSTONE project, where you can download and view the presentation with embedded video clips, evidence table, and feedback results.

Social Media and Physical Therapy

I presented an in-service on current and potential uses of social media by physical therapists for marketing, education, networking and advocacy through the use of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.  I was able to record and produce videos of actual patient testimonials, a virtual facility tour along with clinical staff working with patients and embed them throughout the presentation. These videos served as a live example of how video content such as patient success stories can be shared with social media to promote the profession of PT and services offered by the clinic. You can view the presentation here.

Patient education for Amputees

I was able to gain ample experience in GAIT training and mobility instruction with LE amputees at a previous rotation and develop an educational brochure this patient population. This brochure can be handed to a recent amputee after an initial evaluation to reinforce proper strategies of skin care and strengthening, and stretching of muscles surrounding the residual limb. You can view the brochure here.

Bioness L300 vs. the WalkAide

I presented an in-service about the  Bioness L300 and the Walkaide devices, which both have proven to effectively treat foot drop secondary to upper motor neuron injuries. I was able to compare and contrast the benefits and drawbacks of each device and present them to clinical staff who often worked with patient populations presenting with foot drop. The purpose of my presentation was to help clinical staff better determine which NMES foot drop device to suggest for a particular patient.

REFLECTION

I have truly enjoyed my experience as a doctoral candidate in the physical therapy program at UNC Chapel Hill. The past three years have been quite a journey of challenges with countless rewards of knowledge and experience. I believe the faculty at UNC have created an awesome environment that enables any aspiring physical therapist to be the best they can be. Their teachings have expanded my clinical interests and have allowed me to develop a framework of knowledge to build upon with further education and experience. Overall, I am grateful for the inspiration and learning opportunities provided by the faculty, my classmates and clinical instructors. I look forward to doing the same for countless others in the future as a physical therapist and as a role model for health and wellness in my community.

 

 

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