DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement

As I embark on my professional career as a physical therapist following graduation my goal is to provide patient-centered, empathetic, and evidence-based care to each patient I work with. I want to help empower patients to take an active role in their care through efficient education on their health status. I plan to remain in the greater triangle area working in an acute care facility with a variety of populations. My long-term goal would be to work with acute-trauma populations in a level one trauma center. Though this is my current interest I have been afforded the opportunity to see patients in a variety of areas with a variety of diagnosis that have left my open to other settings and other populations. Regardless of where I work, or who I am working with, I strive to provide a safe and positive environment for patients to operate within.

Career Plan

Graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Bachelor of Arts, Exercise and Sport Science
• Bachelor of Arts, History focused on Law, Policy, and Economics

Post Graduate plans

• Work as a physical therapist in a level one trauma hospital with interest in any population type in the Triangle area of NC

Clinical Affiliations:

June- July 2023 WakeMed- Raleigh, NC, 8 weeks

• Evaluated and treated patients with various traumatic, neurological (e.g. CVA, TBI, SCI) and post-surgical orthopedic conditions (e.g. TKA, THA, multi-injury trauma) at WakeMed Hospital. Contributed to interdisciplinary team meetings, patient discharge planning, and patient/family education.

February-April 2024 Durham Veteran Affairs- Durham, NC, 8 weeks

• Evaluated and treated patients with various orthopedic diagnosis of the extremities and spine at varying complexity levels in an outpatient setting. Contributed to patient discharge, interdisciplinary meetings, patient education and family education.

April-June 2024 Hugh Chatham Health System- Elkin, NC, 8 weeks

• Screened, evaluated and treated patients in the home health and hospital system associated in rural western NC. Contributed to interdisciplinary meetings regarding patient care. Worked in the step-down and intensive care units. Presented in-service project on the use of the AMPAC for discharge recommendations and reducing readmission rates.

May-July 2025 UNC Main- Chapel Hill, NC, 12 weeks

• Evaluated and treated patients in the neurology intensive care unit. 12 weeks spent across specialties with a focus on patients with neurological injuries pre and post operatively. Contributed to interdisciplinary team meetings, patient discharge planning, and patient/family education.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Participating as a member of the DEI committee and each year we have put on the exploratory day event are the opportunities I knew I would have at UNC. Engaging our profession with communities that are underrepresented in it meant so much to me and seeing that difference in full effect year after year has been ever meaningful. I spoke at length with two students at two separate exploratory day events and both have gone on to be students at UNC which shows how impactful this event can be on broadening the representation in this field. In physical therapy we have the opportunity to care for people from all backgrounds. This gives us an opportunity to consciously dive deeper with those we treat to better recognize how their lived experiences impact their healthcare. Meeting patients where they are starts with understanding and listening to where they have come from which is an important lesson I have learned throughout my education and especially in my clinical rotations. I hope to continue to broaden my understanding and recognize within myself ways that I can continue to push our profession towards even more diversity of thought and approach.

Interprofessional Education Activities (IPE)

PHYT 895 Interdisciplinary Service-Learning Trip

• Students will travel to rural communities and assist with planning, implementation, and evaluation of peer education training modules for clinical professionals. Students will be involved in direct patient care with faculty mentors as well as assisting in community building projects.

IPEP Student Scholar

• Recognizes students who exhibit excellence in the pursuit of interprofessional education. IPEP challenges participants to cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate to transform the future of health and human services. While completing the program components, participants build portfolios reflecting their experiences with values and ethics of interprofessional practice, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork.

Neurology Case-Based Learning with Medicine and Allied Health Science

• Opportunity to work collaboratively across disciplines and current working professionals in those disciplines in an acute care setting. Working with students across the medical school, school of dentistry, and pharmacy school to collaborate towards a collective goal of effective patient care.

Electives

Fall 2024

• Advanced Orthopedics
• Teaching Scholar (For PHYT 720: Introduction to Physical Therapy Interventions)

Spring 2025

• Advanced Neurology
• Interdisciplinary Service-Learning Trip

Self-Assessment

• Strengths
  • Time management
  • Interpersonal communication
  • Professionalism
  • Efficient and effective problem-solving strategies
• Areas for Professional Development
  • Expand my understanding of a wider variety of diagnosis
  • Expand my “toolbox” of patient intervention strategies
  • Improve my education strategies for patients and their family members across all communication strategies

Objectives

• August 2025: Graduate from the University of Chapel Hill with my Doctor in Physical Therapy degree
• July 2025: Pass the National Physical Therapy Exam
• August 2025: Become a licensed physical therapist in the state of North Carolina,
• August-October 2025: Begin working as a physical therapist in NC in a clinic with mentorship opportunities
• 2028: Become a clinical instructor

Specific Strategies for Objective Achievement 

• Implement an effective study strategy and plan leading up to the July 2025 NPTE dates during the 12-week final rotation
• Continue to foster connections with previous clinical instructors, classmates, mentors, and faculty

Samples of work over the course of DPT Curriculum

• Capstone
  • Building Stronger Hearts: Bridging the Gap in Heart Failure Management
  • Classroom Presentation: Building Stronger Hearts: Bridging the Gap in Heart Failure Management
• In service
  • How the AMPAC 6-CLICKS is being implemented in acute care settings & its value

Reflective Statement

My journey to becoming a physical therapist began when I was 16 years old, lying in a hospital bed with a fractured pelvis. I was uncertain of when I would be back to the sports I loved or the future I thought was ahead, leaving me scared and overwhelmed. Then, someone popped in to make sure I had every device I needed and explained the path ahead. That moment of clarity and reassurance in a time of fear sparked something in me, it inspired a sense of hope and a deep interest in physical therapy that has remained. Since then, I have pursued this path with both focus and determination.  As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I was afforded to opportunities I could have only dreamed of and the thought of leaving never crossed my mind, knowing UNC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program would allow the same. Over the past three years, in the DPT program, I have experienced tremendous growth both personally and professionally. This has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. Being a great physical therapist goes beyond the academic understanding of patient care, and I have been grateful to hone those other “soft skills” here at UNC. I have learned from faculty who are experts in their field and classmates who continue to both challenge and support me to be my best self. I am deeply grateful to be part of a program and a community that cares about me beyond the walls of a classroom. While I initially envisioned a future in sports medicine or collegiate athletics, the experiences I have had during my time at UNC have brought me back to where it all began: the hospital. I now know that my true passion lies in helping patients who are facing some of their most uncertain and vulnerable moments in the acute care setting. I feel incredibly fortunate to be nearing the end of this journey, and I remain both humbled and inspired by the path that brought me here and all of the continued learning that this profession has to offer.

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