DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement

Over the next ten years my goal is to become a respected physical therapist in the outpatient setting with a focus on treating patients with general musculoskeletal and sports-related conditions. I plan to further advance my knowledge by becoming an orthopedic clinical specialist and certified strength and conditioning specialist during this time. Once I have developed a solid foundation of clinical practice, my long-term goal is to own an orthopedic physical therapy clinic with an emphasis on providing exceptional quality one-on-one care to my patients.

Career Plan:

• December 2010: Bachelors of Science in Exercise Physiology, East Carolina University
• January 2011 – March 2012: Physical therapy tech, New Hanover Regional Medical Center; Wilmington, NC
• July 2015: Sit and pass National Physical Therapy Examination and become licensed in the state of North Carolina
• August 2015: Doctorate of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• September 2015: Begin working as a full-time physical therapist in an outpatient orthopedic practice
• 2017: Become a clinical instructor
• 2017: Become MDT certified
• 2019: Become an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
• 2025: Begin the process of opening my own clinic

Self-Assessment:

Strengths:

• High degree of professionalism
• Interpersonal communication with patients as well as fellow health care providers
• Leadership and development roles throughout my graduate school experience
• Organized and detail oriented
• Strong desire and motivation to learn

Areas to develop:

• Further experience needed in billing, coding, and reimbursement procedures
• Deeper understanding of surgical procedures
• Improve efficiency with evaluating complex patient diagnoses
• Knowledge of community resources
• Need to further develop my knowledge of entrepreneurship and marketing

Coursework

Health and Wellness

This course advanced my knowledge in becoming an advocate and a leader in health promotion, wellness and prevention. One particular interest of mine is taking the role of a consultant for the implementation of a health promotion program to local businesses. During this course I developed an evidence-based ‘mock’ proposal that could be used to promote increased activity of employees in a relatively sedentary workplace: Health and Wellness Proposal

Evidence Based Practice II:

For many years I have had an interest in learning about the physiological changes that occur within muscles when eccentrically loaded. My interest continued to grow throughout my studies in physical therapy school as I learned the potential benefits of eccentric loading in the treatment of tendinopathy. During this course I created a Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) on the effectiveness of eccentric loading exercises versus corticosteroid injections for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy: Critically Appraised Topic

Advanced Orthopedic Assessment:

This elective course prompted a greater understanding of different biomechanical and physiological properties of each human tissue. The knowledge I gained from this course will undoubtedly help in evaluating and implementing a plan of care for patients with various musculoskeletal conditions. During this course I wrote a research paper on the structure, function, and injury of the glenoid labrum: Glenoid Labrum

Capstone:

I knew I wanted to somehow use the research I had synthesized during the creation of my CAT, yet I felt that my clinical question was too narrow to develop into a capstone. Instead of focusing solely on eccentric exercises and corticosteroid injections, I decided to create my capstone on Achilles tendinopathy in general. Specifically, my project is intended to help current clinicians gain an in depth understanding about the causes and risk factors of this pathology, as well as the most effective treatments. The project can be found here: Overuse Tendinopathy: Assessment and Intervention Strategies for the Achilles Tendon.

Reflection:

Enrolling and completing physical therapy school is a goal that I set before graduating high school, and I am thrilled to say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My time at UNC has been nothing short of amazing. Physical therapy school has been the most challenging, yet most fulfilling time of my life. Not only have I learned an incredible amount of new information but I have also grown as a person. I have learned and developed important skills that cannot be taught in a classroom or a book: compassion, leadership, teamwork, communication, self-discipline, and time management to name a few. As things are starting to wrap up these last couple of months I can definitely see how everything I have learned is coming together. I can now say with 100% certainty that I have chosen the perfect career for me and I look forward to the road I have ahead.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the faculty and professors who gave me this wonderful opportunity and made this exciting journey possible. I will be forever thankful for their hard work and commitment in providing me this exceptional education. I would also like to give a special thanks to my family, friends, mentors, and classmates for their continual support and encouragement over the last three years.

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