DPT Portfolios

 

• Professional Goal Statement

After successfully graduating from the DPT program at UNC-Chapel Hill, my professional goal is to become a well-rounded physical therapist and truly embrace being a generalist for the first 3 years of my career. I plan on accomplishing this by working as a traveling physical therapist for two to three years. My plan is to seek jobs in various settings and use the knowledge and skills I have acquired to treat patients across the lifespan. Being able to work in different settings and working with and learning from many different physical therapists will further develop my PT skills in becoming a generalized PT. After traveling, I plan to become more specialized and pursue my passion of pediatric physical therapy. I will strive to provide child and family-centered care through evidence-based practice so that I can build trusting relationships and provide positive lasting outcomes.

 

• Career Plan

Past accomplishments

• May 2013: Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Exercise Science from Syracuse University
• 2013-2015: front desk manager/office coordinator/technician for Dunn/Breakthrough Physical Therapy in Apex, NC
• August 2015: Enrollment into Class of 2018 UNC DPT Program
  • Clinical affiliations
    • June 2016 – Acute orthopedic rehabilitation, North Carolina Specialty Hospital in Durham, NC
    • March 2017 – Outpatient pediatric rehabilitation, Child and Family Development in Pineville, NC
    • May 2017 – Outpatient orthopedic and sports rehabilitation, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC
    • May 2018 – Early intervention, Children’s Developmental Services Agency in Boone, NC
    • June 2018 – Acute pediatric rehabilitation, Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC

Future goals

• Graduate from UNC DPT program August 2018
• Pass the Federation of State Board Physical Therapy Examination October 2018
• 1-5 years
  • Work as a traveling physical therapist all across the U.S.
  • Become fluent in Spanish so that I may better serve the Spanish speaking population
  • Obtain a position as a pediatric therapist in an outpatient or inpatient setting and develop my skills as an expert pediatric therapist
• 5-10 years
  • Become a certified clinical instructor
  • Pass the Pediatric Clinical Specialist (PCS) exam
• 10 years +
  • Become an adjunct professor for a local university
  • Become a pediatric clinic manager

 

• Self-Assessment

Strengths

• Interpersonal communication skills with all ages
• Strong desire to always improve clinical skills
• Receptiveness to constructive feedback and implementation of feedback
• Patience with difficult patients and high stress situations
• Experience working as front desk manager/office coordinator which has given me insight to better understand the organization of a PT clinic and the involvement of insurances

Areas for further development

• Manual therapy skills
• Knowledge of pediatric adaptive equipment
• Writing letters of medical necessity
• Becoming more active with PT advocacy

 

• Objectives
  • Graduate with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in August 2018
  • Pass the Physical Therapy Licensure Exam in October 2018
  • Work as a traveling physical therapist within 2 months of passing the board exam
  • Obtain a position in an outpatient or inpatient pediatric rehab facility 2021-2022

 

• Specific Strategies for addressing your development needs and interests.
  • Participate in ICE to improve my evaluation, treatment, and clinical reasoning skills in the orthopedic and neuromuscular settings
  • Complete a capstone project related to pediatrics with bleeding disorders to further my knowledge of pediatric care
  • Complete a 4-week pediatric clinical rotation at the Children’s Developmental Services Agency 2018
  • Complete an 8-week pediatric clinical rotation at Duke University Hospital 2018
  • Prepare for the licensure exam through an effective study plan
  • Attend an APTA and/or NCPTA sponsored conference that has a focus in pediatrics

 

• Electives
  • Fall 2016
    • PHYT880: Child/Family Assessment and Intervention
  • Spring 2017
    • PHYT 896: International Service Learning Trip
    • PHYT 870: Integrated Clinical Experience

 

• Product Examples
  • Capstone Site
    • I created a presentation for children in high school who have bleeding disorders that encourages them to participate in physical activity, but to choose safer activities and to wear appropriate safety equipment
    • I created another presentation for students and clinicians about bleeding disorders and what the role is for a physical therapist who is presentedwith a child with a bleeding disorder
  • Rare Diseases found in Pediatrics
    • I created a chart of 10 rare diseases that pediatric therapists may come across during their time as clinicians. The chart details how the disease is inherited, common characteristics of the disease, and treatment considerations

 

• Reflective Statement

I cannot believe it has been 3 years since I first began the DPT program here at UNC. When I think back, I am so grateful for all the new amazing relationships I have built. From the faculty, to my classmates, and to my clinical instructors, I cannot thank everyone enough for making this entire process enjoyable. UNC’s DPT program has challenged me to new heights which has given me the confidence that I will succeed as a PT and will always strive to improve my skills and expand my knowledge. I came into the program open minded about where I wanted to end up, but through the core coursework, electives, and rotations, I felt myself gravitating more and more to wanting to work in pediatrics. UNC helped me realize that this is where my passion lies and where I can have the greatest impact in people’s lives. I cannot wait to get started in the field and see what the future has in store for me. Thank you Carolina!

 

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