Apr 10 2016
Scott, Korre
Professional Goal Statement
It is my goal to graduate from UNC Chapel Hill having acquired all the tools to become a successful entry-level clinician. I intend to become a licensed physical therapist working with patients with neurological conditions in the inpatient rehabilitation or outpatient settings. I hope to provide an evidence-based approach to my future patients. I recognize my role as a lifelong learner and teacher to patients, family members, therapists, and other healthcare providers, and hope to serve as a CI for physical therapy students in the future.
Career Plan
Past History:
- B.S. Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Tech, May 2013
- Worked as Habilitation Technician for children with special needs (CP), August 2013 – present
- LSVT BIG Certified, June 2015
- Assisted a man with Parkinson’s Disease with his pre-determined exercises, activities of daily living, and walking, August – December 2015
- Presented a poster at the 2016 UNC Human Movement Science and Biomechanics Research Symposium – February 2016
- UNC Physical Therapy Outreach Service-Learning Trip to Guatemala, April 2016
Current Goals:
- Sit for and pass National Physical Therapy Examination, July 2016
- Earn Doctorate of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, August 2016
- Submit manuscript (from capstone project) for publication, fall 2016
- Acquire job in inpatient or outpatient neuro setting, fall 2016
- Maintain APTA membership
- Obtain Neurologic Certified Specialist (NCS) certification, 2019
- Become a clinical instructor for physical therapy students, 2019
Self-Assessment
Strengths:
- Positive interactions with and compassion towards patients, family members, and other members in the workplace
- Experience in a variety of clinical settings: outpatient orthopedics, inpatient neuro rehab, SNF, acute care as part of the oncology/pulmonary team
- Experience working with a boy with cerebral palsy throughout duration of PT School career
- Organization, time management, ability to anticipate needs
- Strong belief in equality of treatments for all patients
Areas for Professional Development:
- Increase knowledge of community resources to benefit future patients
- Seek out mentors in neurological rehabilitation
- Setting-specific understanding of insurance, billing, and coding
- Stay up to date on evidence based practice
Objectives:
- Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination in July 2016
- Shadow therapists who currently work in the neuro setting: acute, inpatient, or outpatient
- Publish manuscript and/or present abstract from my Doctoral Capstone project at a national conference
Strategies for Success:
- Submit manuscript for publication by December 2016
- Acquire an engaging job after graduation in a hospital-based setting that emphasizes ongoing education
- Become a member of the APTA Neurology Section to stay up to date on evidence based practice
Product Examples
Samples of my work from the curriculum include:
- Critically Appraised Topic on the effect of cognitive-motor dual-task interventions on hemiparetic gait
- Poster presentation that was presented at UNC’s Human Movement Science and Biomechanics Research Symposium
- Manuscript draft, which can be found here on the Capstone website
Progress to Date
Clinical Rotations:
- Outpatient Orthopedics – Cone Health (Greensboro, NC): June – August 2014
- Inpatient Neuro/SNF – Rex Rehab and Nursing Care Center (Apex, NC): March – April 2015
- Acute Care (Pulmonary and Oncology Team) – Greenville Memorial Hospital (Greenville, SC): April – June 2015
- Inpatient Neuro Rehab – UNC Hospitals (Chapel Hill, NC): May – July 2016
Third Year Electives and Coursework:
Fall 2015
- Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Treatment (PHYT 875):
- This course allowed me to gain a better understanding of how the structure and function of different tissues within the body affected recovery within physical therapy. I chose to investigate patellofemoral pain syndrome in the final paper for this course.
- Evidence Based Practice II (PHYT 752):
- In this course, I completed a review of the literature and formulated an evidence table on the following PICO question: “In a 60-year-old patient with hemiplegia due to stroke, does distraction through a cognitive task, compared to focusing exclusively on gait during a treadmill gait training intervention increase affected step length?” I created a Critically Appraised Topic on this information, which can be found above.
- Research Experience (PHYT 754):
- This course taught me about research within physical therapy, including submitting proposals, data collection/processing/analysis, and synthesizing the evidence. I worked alongside Mike Lewek and Kelly Hewitt on a project that became my Doctoral Capstone project.
Spring 2016
- Doctoral Capstone Project (PHYT 854):
- This project expanded upon PHYT 754 and aimed to determine how to make walking more energetically efficient for individuals with chronic stroke. This was a single session intervention that involved implementing a cognitive-motor dual-task intervention to a walking condition designed to increase paretic limb propulsion throughout the swing phase of gait. I presented a poster presentation at the UNC Human Movement Science Research Symposium and wrote a manuscript based on our findings, which can be seen above. This process would not have been possible without my research partner, Kelly Hewitt, and project advisor, Mike Lewek, who were both invaluable resources throughout this entire process.
- UNC PT Outreach – Guatemala Service Learning Trip (PHYT 895):
- Traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, with a group of students, professors, and clinicians to collaborate with Guatemala physical therapists and students in a long-term care hospital. We also had the opportunity to host two health fairs within local communities and talk with locals about blood pressure, hygiene, low back pain, nutrition, and others.
Other Professional Activities
- APTA Combined Sections Meeting, 2015
- NCPTA Legislative Day, 2016
Reflection
Looking back on the past three years, I couldn’t be happier to have called UNC my home. I came to learn the clinical skills in order to become a licensed physical therapist, but will be leaving with much more than I had imagined. I was originally drawn to this program based on how students were considered as individuals with various beliefs, values, and backgrounds, which was seen each day in the classroom as we all shared with and learned from each other. I’ve made relationships with people who inspire me to be a better therapist, and relationships that will continue to be my “support system” long after graduation. I feel grateful that UNC gave me ample opportunities to find my clinical interests and then explore them further. I’ve grown as both a professional and a person and am appreciative of all of those who helped get me to where I am today. Beginning this new chapter is somewhat bittersweet, but I’m excited to be able to go forward representing UNC DPT with all that I’ve gained these past few years.