Dec 03 2020

Kazmierczak, Kelsi

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Professional Goal Statement

 

As I move into the profession as a fully licensed clinician, I do not know that I will ever relinquish the title of ‘student’; in my opinion, it is not until you recognize all that you do not yet know that you earn the consideration as a professional. I will be completing UNC’s 2021-2022 Orthopedic Residency program and will practice primarily in an outpatient orthopedic or mixed orthopedic-neurologic clinic thereafter.

Within my role as a clinician, I aim to participate in and promote community wellness programs such as falls screens, exercise classes, and evidence based programs. I intend to lead by example by role modeling the health behaviors in my own life which I promote to my patients. Once I have practiced for 3-5 years, I aim to help instill my own love of learning in future PT students in the role of a clinical instructor and hope to one day take on the role of a teacher in a DPT program.

Throughout my career, I aim to embody the following quote as consistently as I can:

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

In a more thematic take, I intend to practice in a way which promotes health and wellbeing, rather than merely treating a collection of impairments deemed as a “medical necessity”. As I become more established in my career, I also aim to advocate for a health care system which allows and empowers people to make health decisions based upon what they need, rather than what it is going to cost them.

 

Self-Assessment

Strengths:

  • Interpersonal communication
  • Building a strong therapeutic alliance
  • Thinking holistically
  • Receiving and integrating feedback
  • Love of learning
  • Internal motivation / locus of control
  • Passion for my career
  • Extensive coaching and practice background in martial arts

Areas for Professional Development:

  • Time management
  • Reasonable, feasible goal-setting (not too big)
  • Effective stress-management with regard to work: life balance
  • Delegation
  • Experience with advocacy
  • Experiential knowledge and understanding of prognosis in a variety of orthopedic and neurologic populations across the lifespan

 

Career Progress & Plan 

 

Educational Overview:

  • August 2015-May 2018: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Biology (minor: neuroscience)
    • University of North Carolina- Wilmington
  • August 2018-July 2021: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
    • University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill

Clinical Experience:

  • June – August 2019 (8 weeks): Concentra – Raleigh, NC – OP Orthopedic
  • March 2020 (2 weeks): Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center – Shallotte, NC – Acute Care
  • October – December 2020 (60 hours): UNC Family Medicine Center – Durham, NC – OP Orthopedic
  • March – April 2021 (9 weeks): Craven Physical Therapy & Spine – New Bern, NC – OP Orthopedic
  • May – July 2021 (12 weeks): New Hanover Regional Medical Center Oleander Rehabilitation – Wilmington, NC – OP Neurological

Teaching & Coaching Experience:

  • December 2014 – May 2018: Martial Arts Coach – Evolution Mixed Martial Arts
  • August – December 2017: Teaching Assistant – Anatomy & Physiology – UNC Wilmington
  • April 2019 – February 2021: Personal Trainer for Client with Chronic TBI – Chapel Hill
  • July – October 2020: Teaching Assistant – Musculoskeletal II – PT Interventions – UNC DPT

Certifications & Professional Licensure:

  • February 2020 – Obtained OTAGO certification for fall prevention and balance training, 2020
  • March 2021 – Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
  • July 2021 – Sit for NPTE

Products:

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion:

  • Leadership Roles in Promoting DEI
    • 2019 – 2020 Chair of The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee of the UNC SPTA
    • 2019 – 2020 Student Representative of the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Team for the Department of Allied Health Sciences
  • Educational Experiences & Content:
    • LGBTQ Inclusivity in Physical Therapy
      • This capstone project was done by Rachael Fiorentino and includes a VoiceThread and recorded audio from interviews with LGBTQ individuals regarding their experiences with healthcare.
    • Lynda D. Woodruff Lecture: Who Do We Want to Be? Responsible Stewardship of Our Profession
      • This inaugural lecture was delivered by Gregory Hicks, PT, PhD, FAPTA where he discussed the historical burden placed upon diverse populations to advocate and educate others. Dr. Hicks and other panelists promote self-education as the primary method through which to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare and in our society.
  • Reflection:
    • A common, recurring theme which underlies both of the educational sources discussed above is that in both daily life and within health care, the burden is often placed upon those individuals within diverse groups (LGBTQ, POC) to educate others and to act as spokespeople for the diverse group to which they may belong or have characteristics in common with. This can be especially problematic when generalizing an individual’s experience to a whole group of people based upon a characteristic of their person. In the context of healthcare, we should not be placing the burden on our patients to educate us on how to best provide care for them. These experiences have only reinforced my motivation for both continued education, and for consideration of health disparities as central to holistic health care within my own practice.

 

Future Endeavors: 

 

 

Objectives & Strategies for Professional Development:

 

 

Self-Reflection

 

I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend UNC for my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, and to have spent the past 3 years alongside my amazing classmates and the most compassionate and knowledgeable group of professors, faculty, and clinical instructors imaginable. I am very proud of the progress I have made in both my personal life and in my professional career thus far, and I am proud of every one of my classmates as well. I am thankful for the lifelong friendships I have made, the connections I have formed, and every one of the experiences I have had. Finally, I am very thankful for the support of my family, and for the love and support from Walter, Boop, and Kimura, without whom I would not be here today. I am beyond excited to finally fully enter the physical therapy profession and to continue on in my learning and professional development in the years to come.

2 responses so far




2 Responses to “Kazmierczak, Kelsi”

  1.   Lisa Johnstonon 02 Jun 2021 at 2:22 pm

    Kelsi- Really great job on your portfolio! It is really nice to see some of your work displayed. I had not kept up wiht what you were dong for your Capstone so I found your work to be really interesting. Good luck to you, and I am glad to know you will be close by for a little longer! Take care and good luck! Lisa

    Reply

  2.   McMikeon 03 Jun 2021 at 8:51 am

    Kelsi,
    Thank you for sharing your portfolio, it’s very interesting to look at an overview of what you have done and what you are planning. I’ve really enjoyed working with you the past several years and am excited to have you in the orthopedic residency! Looking forward to this year and beyond as you blaze forward into your career path.

    Reply

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