DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal statement:
Upon graduation from the UNC DPT program, I aspire to pass the NC licensure exam, and initially practice PT in either an acute care or skilled nursing facility setting. Either of the above-mentioned settings will increase my exposure to working with individuals with a variety of medical conditions and will increase my experience working with geriatrics. I look forward to later specializing with the geriatric population. Following graduation I plan on further challenging myself addressing self-limitations, taking applicable continuing education coursework, being a valuable interdisciplinary member and patient advocate, as well as considering future opportunities to specialize such as potentially applying to a geriatric or acute care residency program. I also look to increase my community involvement such as with promoting community health programs and working with local wellness centers.

Career Plan:
May 2009: Graduated from UNC-Greensboro, B.S Exercise Sports Science
Fall 2011 to Fall 2012: Worked as a PT technician at a private outpatient orthopedic clinic in Lillington, NC
Spring 2012 to Fall 2013: Worked as a clinical aide with WakeMed in both inpatient and outpatient settings
Fall 2013: Began UNC DPT program
Fall 2016: Graduate from UNC DPT program
Spring 2017: Take the NPTE Board Examination, attend the 2017 APTA CSM conference
Spring 2017: Obtain PT position in: acute, sub-acute, or at a geriatric facility (SNF/ALF/ILF)
Summer/Fall 2019: Apply for geriatric residency program
Summer/Fall 2020: Graduate from geriatric residency program
Spring 2021: Take geriatric residency specialization examination

Self-Assessment:
Strengths:
Accountable- I am dependable and accountable.
Professional- I hold myself to high standards.
Detail oriented- I complete DPT coursework and clinical affiliation work in a thorough manner.
Dedicated- I continuously apply myself to the best that I can, incorporating feedback from others.
Background- I have a B.S. in Exercise Sports Science, along with high school and collegiate experience of being an injured athlete with rehabilitation.
Interpersonal relationships- I am able to connect and establish relationships with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Areas to further develop:
*Communication: Emphasis: being clear, brief, and concise
*Evaluation/Examination: Emphasis: Fluidity and efficiency
*Diagnosis/Prognosis: Emphasis: Effects of various co-morbidities, increasing use of evidence based practice and review of relevant clinical material
*Professional development: Emphasis: limitations with my scope of knowledge, incorporating increased use of evidence based practice
*Outcome Measures: Emphasis: Increasing use of evidence based outcome measures to supplement PT interventions in various PT settings
*Continuing Education: Emphasis: geriatrics/aging, neurological interventions
*APTA: Emphasis: increasing my involvement with the APTA, continuing to volunteer with various community opportunities, becoming a patient advocate

Objectives:
*My special areas of interest include: geriatrics, aquatic therapy, lymphedema, and the neurological population.
*Increasing my involvement and participation with the APTA: continue being an active APTA member following graduation, and attending the 2017 APTA CSM conference in San Antonio, Texas.
*Pass the NC licensure exam
*Continue to increase my involvement with available PT volunteering opportunities, especially with geriatrics and under-served populations in order to further promote PT and give back to the community.
*Increase my involvement with patient advocacy by taking part with APTA patient advocate initiatives such as with the dry needling initiative.

Specific strategies to address my interests and needs:
*Select coursework directed towards the geriatrics population including the ICE elective during my third year.
*Plan on attending at minimum 1 APTA conference within the next year such as the APTA CSM conference February 15th through 18th 2017.
*Increasing my involvement with geriatric population such as volunteering with geriatric population PT opportunities like CHAMP.
*Create short term and long term goals as part of a study outline and pass the NC PT licensure exam in 2017.
*Updating my resume and increasing my involvement with available networking opportunities in 2017.
*Investigating available NC geriatric residency programs.
*Continuing education possibilities: manual therapy for the elderly patient course, courses with an orthopedics, lymphedema, or aquatic therapy focus
*Take part in APTA initiatives for patient advocacy and legislative opportunities

Third Year Timeline:
• Electives taken Fall 2015: 3 credits PHYT 870 Independent Clinical Experience (ICE) outpatient orthopedic focus
• Electives taken Spring 2016: 1 credit PHYT 754 Research Experience elective with Vicki Mercer with emphasis on geriatric population with arthritis and the impact of OTAGO based exercise programs, 1 credit PHYT 895 International Service Learning Trip Elective in Antigua Guatemala
• Fall/Spring 2016 Curriculum: 4 credits PHYT 820 Advanced Patient Management I, 4 credits PHYT 752 Evidence-Based Practice II, 3 credits PHYT 824 Topics in Health and Wellness; 4 credits PHYT 822 Advanced Patient Management II, 2 credits Advanced Practice Issues, 3 credits PHYT 854 Capstone Project

Capstone Project:
Although I have not yet completed my capstone project, my focus for the project involves the geriatric population and appropriate shoe wear. Vicki Mercer PT, PhD is my capstone project advisor. The end product will be a narrated PowerPoint presentation which will be used with the CHAMP (Community Health and Mobility Partnership) program established by Vicki Mercer. Current capstone committee members include Michael Gross PT, PhD with UNC faculty and Nick Cameron DPT. I look forward to completing my capstone and enhancing the knowledge of PTAs, PTs, and other volunteers involved with the CHAMP program on the topic of appropriate footwear for the older population. My current PowerPoint presentation name is Footwear & the geriatric population.

Several examples of UNC DPT volunteer experiences 2013 through 2016:
• Volunteer at a Special Olympics FUNfitness screening
• Volunteer with MS Step Up
• Bridge to Care presenter (importance of being physically active to local community members)
• SHAC volunteer at local Chapel Hill health clinic and at health fairs with the local Spanish community
• CHAMP volunteer
• Volunteer to assist local Chapel Hill individual severely impacted by MS diagnosis with her HEP at local community center with other DPT students
• Volunteer with UNC’s interview day (Spring 2015)
• 2016 NCPTA Legislative Day participant

Reflective statement and assessment of my progress in the UNC DPT program:
Upon entering the UNC DPT program in the fall of 2013, I was excited to begin a new adventure and challenge. Graduate school has been very different than I imagined. I knew it would not be an easy feat, but it has been a rewarding journey. PT school has challenged me in a variety of ways, and it has made me appreciate the new friendships I’ve developed while in the program. I also sincerely appreciate the family and close friendship support I have received outside of school. UNC has been a wonderful experience for me. I feel very lucky to have been selected to be a part of the 2016 cohort, with the acknowledged faculty, the availability to volunteer and assist the community through many different opportunities such as: the Special Olympics, Bridge to Sports, SHAC, MS Step Up, Bridge to Care (to name a few), our UNC facility Bondurant L100, and my compassionate classmates.
Each year in the program has included its own successes and challenges, and as each quarter of the year passes I continue to surprise myself with the amount of growth I’ve undergone since I began the program in August of 2012.
I look forward to what’s to come as a UNC DPT graduate. This past spring I suffered from a mild concussion as the result of a car collision. I have undergone some setbacks this year, but I especially look forward to completing my capstone and final clinical affiliation. This fall I plan to continue preparing for the NPTE Board Exam by studying relevant material and taking practice examinations. As a future UNC alumni, I look forward to later specializing in a specific area which can potentially include: geriatrics, aquatic therapy, lymphedema, and neurological populations.

Product Examples:

PHYT 752 Evidence Based Practice II CAT Assignment
Focused Clinical Question: In a 65 year old male with history of falls ((≥1 fall within past year) and unsteady balance (Berg score ≤45) is non-supportive shoewear or decreased proprioception a greater predictor of increased falls risk?
http://dptportfolios.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2565/2016/04/Rutz-CAT-Assignment-EBP-II.docx

PHYT 824 Health Promotion Program Proprosal
http://dptportfolios.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2565/2016/04/RutzM_Assignment-4-PHYT-824-Health-Promotion-Program-Revised-Proposal.docx

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