DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement

My professional goal is to become a confident, well rounded, compassionate and culturally sensitive physical therapist who specializes in pediatrics. I hope to improve my base of knowledge and skill in patient care and evidence based practice through my clinical experience and continued education. I strive to become a resource for patients and their families and help provide them with support and quality care regardless of their background. Throughout my career as a physical therapist, I intend to work towards making the profession as diverse as the patients we serve.

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Career Plan

• May 2015: Graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise and Sport Science
• August 2015-2018: Attend UNC Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program
  • Clinical Affiliations:
    • Southeastern Orthopedic Specialists, Greensboro, NC- Outpatient Orthopedics (8 weeks)
    • Randolph County Schools, Asheboro, NC- Neuro, Pediatrics, underserved population (8 weeks)
    • UNC Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC – Acute Care: Surgery Trauma (8 weeks)
    • Duke Health at Meadowmont, Chapel Hill, NC – Outpatient Pediatrics (12 weeks)
• April 2018: Attend Service Learning Trip in Guatemala
• August 2018: Graduate from Doctorate of Physical Therapy program
• October 2018: Sit for and pass NPTE
• November – December 2018: Begin working as a physical therapist in a pediatric setting
• October 2018-2023: Consider a pediatric physical therapy residency program to facilitate becoming a Pediatric Certified Specialist
• January 2019: Become fluent in Spanish to better serve Spanish speaking patients
• October 2019 and beyond: Become a Clinical Instructor

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Self-Assessment

• Strengths
  • Strong communication skills
  • Professionalism
  • Cultural competency
  • Compassionate
  • Experience in a wide range of clinical settings from my clinical experiences
• Areas for Further Development
  • Handling skills with pediatric patients
  • Knowledge of neurological disorders and interventions
  • Further experience with pediatric physical therapy in outpatient setting and acute care setting
  • Spanish fluency
  • Improving understanding and application of evidence based practice
  • Direction and supervision of PTAs
  • Involvement with APTA and other physical therapy professional organizations

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Objectives

Areas of interest: pediatric physical therapy, school based physical therapy, under-served and underrepresented populations, cultural competency and diversity initiatives in physical therapy

• Graduate from the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program in August 2018
• Become a board certified Physical Therapist in October 2018
• Obtain a job in the pediatric setting by November- December 2018
• Become fluent in Spanish by January 2019
• Become a Clinical Instructor in 2019 and beyond
• Become a Pediatric Certified Specialist by 2023

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Strategies

• Develop a mentor relationship with a pediatric physical therapist during my third year to better prepare for future employment
• Start a study schedule to improve my Spanish
• Create a detailed and specific study plan for the board exam throughout my third year and the months following graduation
• Attend an APTA or NCPTA sponsored conference to improve my involvement with professional PT organizations

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Electives

Fall 2017

• PHYT 880: Child and Family Assessment and Intervention
• PHYT 754: Research Experience – Prevalence of Implicit Bias in Practicing Physical Therapists with Dr. Dana McCarty and Bria Dunn

Spring 2018

• PHYT 885: Advanced Neuromuscular Intervention
• PHYT 895: International Service Learning

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Academic Product Examples

• Addressing the Blind Spots: Strategies to Address and Combat Implicit Biases
• Critically Appraised Topic – Implicit Bias Education in Physical Therapy Curricula
• Arnold Chiari Malformation Summary and Arnold Chiari Malformation Toolbox
• Dandy Walker Paper

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Reflective Statement

The past three years have been a journey and an amazing ending to my seven years of education at UNC-Chapel Hill. While I’ve learned an immense amount of information about physical therapy, the most beneficial part of this journey has been learning more about myself with help from my classmates, professors, friends, and family. I’ve known for quite some time that I wanted to be a physical therapist and had the inkling that working with children would be best for me. My time in this program has solidified my passion for pediatric physical therapy and provided me with amazing opportunities to seek more specialized knowledge while gaining a generalist education.

The support of my peers, professors, and the Allied Health Ambassadors has also helped me to further my passion for cultural competency and diversity initiatives in the field of physical therapy. I’ve had the privilege of presenting to many community and campus organizations that focus on the education and uplifting of minority populations about the field of physical therapy. I did not meet a physical therapist who was a person of color until my first clinical affiliation so it is my professional and personal goal to show as many people as I can that DPT can indeed look like me. I plan to use my passion for cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion to guide me in my future of advocating for patients and their families, especially those whose voices are not as often heard.

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