May 01 2018
Martha Kalisz
Professional Goal Statement
My goal is to continue to be passionate and driven about the physical therapy profession. I intend to become a compassionate and knowledgeable physical therapist and advocate for my patients, using evidence based physical therapy interventions in order to build therapeutic relationships with my patients in order to help them reach their goals. I plan on working in pediatrics in a large hospital system and to practice with a patient and family centered approach. I enjoy working in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and so I plan to stay well rounded in my career and my continuing education so that I feel confident treating patients of all levels.
Career Plan
May 2015: Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison (2011-2015)
August 2015: Began UNC Chapel Hill Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
- Clinical Rotation I (8 weeks): Outpatient Orthopedics, New Hanover Regional Medical Center – Oleander, Wilmington, NC, 2016
- Clinical Rotation II (8 weeks): Acute Care with focus on Neurological step-down unit and Bariatric and Gastric Surgery, Vidant Medical Center – Greenville, NC, 2017
- Clinical Rotation III (8 weeks): Outpatient Pediatrics, Carolina’s Medical Center Northeast – Concord, NC, 2017
- Clinical Rotation IV (12 weeks): Acute Pediatrics, UNC Hospital – Chapel Hill, NC, 2018
June 2016: Attend APTA NEXT Conference
August 2018: Earn Doctor of Physical Therapy from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
October 2018: Sit for National Licensing Board Exam and become a licensed physical therapist.
November 2018: Be employed by a large healthcare system, preferably in pediatrics, and pursue a mentorship relationship from an experienced physical therapist.
2019-2020: Attend continuing education courses and conferences in order to continue to advance my education, including a course in serial casting and total motion release.
2023: Become a CI
2025: Complete a Pediatric Residency
2027: Obtain PCS (Pediatric Certified Specialist) by qualifying exam
Self Assessment
Strengths
- Ability to effectively communicate with patients and families with compassion and empathy
- Passion for lifelong learning
- Experience in pediatric orthopedic and acute care settings via clinical rotations
- Flexibility and ability to adapt my knowledge to a variety of patient situations
- Gregarious personality and interpersonal communication, including use of conversational Spanish skills during treatment sessions to effectively communicate with patients and their families
Areas for Further Development
- Direct supervision and direction of PTAs and other support staff
- Broaden understanding and competence with billing and reimbursement, including Medicaid and Medicare requirements
- Continuing education in my areas of interest, including Spanish, serial casting, total motion release, pediatric orthotic devices, and other various pediatric topics
Objectives
- Graduate from UNC – Chapel Hill with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in August 2018
- Adequately prepare for and ultimately pass the NCPTE to become a board certified physical therapist by October 2018
- Complete a pediatric residency by 2030
Strategies
- Complete graduate level courses in areas of relative weakness in order to advance my skills as a general physical therapist to best prepare myself for a career in any setting with any patient population
- Obtain a position at a large hospital system and seek out a mentorship relationship that will foster my growth and professional development as a new graduate
- Maintain APTA membership, attend conferences, and continue to seek out learning opportunities
- Electives
- Child and Family Assessment (Fall 2017)
- Integrated Clinical Experience – Orthopedic (Fall 2017)
- Teacher Scholar Program – Musculoskeletal I (Spring 2017)
Product Examples
Capstone Project: A Summary of Orthotics for the Pediatric Patient
- Doctoral level coursework to help students interested in pediatrics better understand the indications for and purposes of a selection of commonly used orthotic devices in order to better understand how to choose orthotic devices for pediatric patients.
- More information can be found at this link: http://dptcapstone.web.unc.edu/category/current-students-spring-of-2018/entry-level-dpt/kalisz-martha/
In-service Presentations
- Sensor-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty and Its Implications for Outpatient Physical Therapy
- tPA and Early Mobilization in Acute Stroke Rehabilitation
- Atlanto-Axial Instability in Children with Down Syndrome
Other Projects
- A parent education handout regarding Chiari Malformation Decompression Surgery created for elective course PHYT 880: Child and Family Assessment can be found here.
Reflective Statement
There has been a dominating theme throughout my academic career at UNC, a common thread that may actually extend from UNC DPT to link the careers of most every physical therapist: “it depends.” Hearing this phrase as a new PT student can be intimidating, and certainly made me feel uneasy and apprehensive about my future success in my ensuing career. However, over the past three years working with exceptional professors and brilliant classmates, I have been able to develop the clinical judgement and problem-solving skills to appreciate “it depends” as an opportunity rather than a complication. Throughout my educational career, I have gained exposure to a variety of patients with both common and rare conditions with varying levels of severity, guiding me to cultivate those skills. With my clinical experiences at four different large hospital systems in North Carolina, I have appreciated the smaller communities that can exist within larger, more comprehensive academic systems. As a new graduate, I plan on continuing to strive for excellence while providing compassionate, patient, and respectful care. Thanks to my professors, classmates, mentors, friends, and family, I believe I have built a foundation that will allow me to continue to succeed upon graduating.
Martha: Great job on your portfolio. Nice to see some examples of your work. I feel I can say with certainty (not “it depends”) that your future will be amazing. Good luck to you. Lisa