DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement                       

Upon graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill’s DPT program and becoming a licensed PT, I plan to work in the outpatient orthopedic setting delivering optimal, patient centered care in the Charlotte area. I plan to use my sports, aquatic, and coaching background to enhance my future practice, in addition to pursuing my OCS or SCS. While I hold a primary interest in the active population, I plan to assist patients of all functional levels

Career Plan

Past Experiences

• May 2018: Graduate from UNC at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Art degree in Exercise and Sports Science
• August 2019: Enroll in UNC Chapel Hill Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2022

Clinical Experiences:

• UNC Chapel Hill DPT Program: 2019-2022
  • Clinical I: Access PT, Raleigh, NC – Neuro/Home Health (2020)
  • Clinical II: Pivot PT, Greensboro, NC – Outpatient Orthopedics (2021)
  • Clinical III: UNC Main Hosptial, Chapel Hill, NC- Acute Care (Ortho/Trauma) (2021)
  • Clinical IV: Elite PT, Charlotte, NC- Outpatient Orthopedics (2022)

Electives:

• Integrated Clinical Experience (Fall, 2021)
• Teacher Scholar for Intro to PT (Fall, 2021)
• Advanced Orthopedics (Fall, 2021)
• Topics in Sports Physical Therapy (Spring, 2022)

Future Goals

• 2022
  • July 2022: Pass the Federation of State Board Physical Therapy Examination
  • August 2022: Graduate from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • August 2022: Begin my career as a Physical Therapist in the Charlotte area
• 2023-2025
  • Find a mentor within my field of interest
  • Obtain my OCS or SCS certification
  • Utilize continuing education to continue to enhance my practice and provide my patients with optimal care
• 2026-2036
  • Become a certified clinical instructor
  • Open my own outpatient orthopedic clinic

Self-Assessment 

• Strengths
  • Strong interpersonal skills that allow me to effectively communicate with patients and coworkers which I believe is imperative in our profession
  • I am easily able to identify what I can improve upon and am constantly seeking to better myself and my PT practice
  • I have a significant background in sports and orthopedic PT (even going through PT myself multiple times for various MSK injuries)
  • I am able to adapt to my role while having a very calm nature that allows me to provide the PT team and my patients with the best care possible.
• Areas for Professional Development
  • I still feel like I am less capable or qualified at times – when in reality I need to understand that I have been through
  • I would like to have more experience treating athletes post-surgery
  • Getting other potential certifications (dry needling, pelvic health, etc)

Objectives

• Earn a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from UNC-CH
• Become a licensed PT by passing the NPTE in July 2022
• Obtain employment in my field of interest in the Charlotte area with a company that shares my values
• Earn an OCS or SCS

Specific Strategies

• Follow the study plan I have developed in order to pass the NPTE in July 2022
• Treat a full caseload at entry level performance during my last clinical rotation
• Attend continuing education courses
• Secure a full time position in the Charlotte area before graduation by networking with past mentors, CI’s, and professors.
• Complete a dry needling course and achieve certification within 6 months of full time employment

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Through my diversity and inclusion experiences, I have learned how to create an environment that is more inclusive which includes consideration of physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being. The readings, discussions, and educational talks that I have experienced, have given me a greater understanding of those with different experiences to my own. It is imperative to me that the principles are applied in my own practice with future patients. Given the events occurring in our nation over the course of my three year with UNC DPT, I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to not only better myself through DEI experiences, but to have been able to witness the hard work of UNC DPT staff and students to champion causes related to diversity within the program, minorities, and healthcare bias among many others. For example, learning about my own innate biases really opened my eyes to learn more about bias in healthcare. Bias against African Americans in the healthcare setting shocked me and it is something I am adamant about changing within my own practice and healthcare professions as a whole. I look forward to see how the aforementioned causes, initiatives, and programs grow within UNC DPT and how they impact future physical therapists.

Projects/Products

• Capstone – Conservative Care Recommendations and the Benefits of Aquatic Exercise for Patients with Osteoarthritis (OA)– a collaborative project with Lindsay Morrow, SPT
• Sports Elective – Achilles Tendon Rupture and Return to Sport
• Business Project – HydroHealth
• Inservice at UNC Main Hospital – Post Intensive Care Syndrome

Reflective Statement

I am so thankful I chose UNC to obtain my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from and all the experiences I have been provided throughout the course of my three years. I believe I got the hands-on experience I needed at wonderful clinical sites and in the classroom that have helped me to deliver confident, evidence-based, skilled, unbiased treatment to all patients. My capstone and business project have also helped me cultivate my passion for working with athletes and orthopedic population and have helped me develop a new interest in aquatic therapy.Over the course of my career, I hope to impact the lives of many athletes by helping them to safely and effectively return to sport and celebrating all the milestone between injury and the first time they step back in the game. Lastly, I would like to give a massive thank you to my professors, classmates, and clinical instructors for challenging me to become better and making my experiences wonderful!

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