DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement

• I want to become an evidence-based physical therapist in western North Carolina.
• I will be committed to educating my community about physical therapists being movement experts and explain to others the value and benefit of my profession through health fairs and other outreach opportunities.
• I will stay up to date with current knowledge of evidence-based practice.
• I plan on pursuing a mentorship relationship from a therapist that I would like to emulate in the future.

Career Plan

• Graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Biology, B.A/Psychology, B.A (May 2013)

• Pass NPTE and become a licensed physical therapist in North Carolina (July 2015)

• Graduate from UNC Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program (August 2016)

• Apply and acquire a job as a physical therapist in an outpatient setting (August 2016)

• Complete a residency in field of interest (2019)

• Become a clinical instructor (2025)

 

Self-Assessment

Strengths:

• Able to communicate well with patients and make them feel comfortable during a physical therapy session
• Experience in orthopedic, pediatric and acute care settings through clinical rotations
• Have a passion for educating others about the purpose and benefits of physical therapy
• Engage in continuous self assessment and goal setting in order to enhance my skills

Areas for Development:

• Increase exposure to neurological patient population, especially in the outpatient setting
• Implementing evidence based practice at point of care
• Participation in health fairs and outreach events
• Confidence in evaluation and assessment skills

 

Objectives

1. Determine what field of physical therapy I would like to pursue
   • Complete a residency and receive specific certification in specific field
2. Graduate from UNC – Chapel Hill with DPT and pass licensure exam
3. Educate local community about benefits of physical therapy during my first job
4. Create and lead fitness programs for patients with neurological conditions
5. Learn to more effectively treat and communicate with patients with chronic pain.

 

Specific Strategies:

1. Complete a 12-week outpatient orthopedic rotation to enhance my evaluation, assessment and observational skills.
2. Participate in integrated clinical experience in outpatient orthopedic setting
3. Complete elective coursework to enhance skills for orthopedic practice and neuromuscular physical therapy interventions
4. From my continued elective coursework, integrated clinical experience and final clinical rotation, I will determine which setting of physical therapy I would like to begin in and potentially specialize in.

 

Elective Coursework/Capstone Project

• Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Intervention, Fall 2015
  • Discover a deeper understanding of tissue dysfunction and its effect on mobility and patient function; increase knowledge of evaluation and treatment of orthopedic conditions
  • Final Paper: Female Urinary Stress Incontinence
• Integrated Clinical Experience, Fall 2015
  • Gain continued experience in outpatient orthopedic setting, specifically in performing initially evaluations and care for patients with chronic pain. Through this elective, I will be able to enhance my assessment, evaluation and intervention skills. I will also increase my ability to critically think and design interventions for complex cases.
• Health and Wellness, Fall 2016
  • Learned various psychological and social aspects that affect patient behavior  and methods of treatment for promoting health and wellness along with typical physical therapy care.
  • Final Paper: Community Walking Program for Patients with Heart Disease
• Advanced Neuromuscular Intervention, Spring 2016
  • Continue to learn in depth techniques for neurologic intervention that I will be able to utilize on my clinical rotation.
• Capstone Project, 2016:
  • Completed research about positive pain coping strategies and the effect on pain modulation for patients with knee osteoarthritis.
  • Created an in-service presentation directed about pain coping strategies and delivered it to people with knee osteoarthritis in the local community.
  • Capstone Website and Materials

Reflection:

Where have the past three years gone? I have grown and learned so much – both inside and outside the classroom. I not only have gained knowledge about the human movement system from a physical/body systems standpoint but also learned that a patient’s psychological, mental and motivational “systems” need to be addressed as well. I have become a better communicator, listener, and researcher due to my classroom and clinical experience. I have also learned about the physical therapy world beyond direct patient interaction such as the healthcare laws and the business aspects that govern our ability to provide patient care.

            Now, as my last few months of PT school are coming to an end, I realized that I want to become an evidence-based clinician that is focused on optimizing patient outcomes both for therapy but also for general fitness/lifestyle changes. Currently, I am torn between my interests in the outpatient orthopedic and neurological condition settings. Both are unique and challenging in their own right, and my dream job would be to see a blend of these patients. I would also incorporate health and wellness training into my practice, especially for patients with neurological conditions.

         I have changed so much in the past 3 years – from being a student focused solely on grades to becoming a clinician focused on quality patient care and evidence-based practice. I hope to continue to grow in my skills and learn from like-minded therapists surrounding me through mentorship. I also hope that my practice will be continually evolving – that I will change and utilize technology and treatment methods that will significantly impact my patients.

         I am excited to see where the 3 years will take me!

 

 

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