DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement

My professional goals continue to change as I reflect on intentions that I initially set when I began in the physical therapy program at UNC and those that I have since adopted through experiences encompassing the broader scope of clinical practice. As I reflect on my education and the passions that have grown from the stream of content, one aspect has remained at the root of my evolving goals: my intention to teach. Upon completion of my Doctorate in Physical Therapy, I will pursue another degree as a means to both enhance my ability to teach effectively and to support students in a physical therapy program, may that be a Masters in Education or Doctorate of Education. I hope to further live into that value of education and student belonging through a faculty development residency or fellowship program in order to gain the tools necessary to be a competent mentor and educator for students of all backgrounds. 

Though teaching experience is relevant to providing exceptional education, clinical experience is equally important. UNC has provided opportunities to experience PT in different contexts, including inpatient rehab. IPR encompasses multiple aspects of physical therapy, representing unique components of both the outpatient and acute settings, while embodying the importance of patient communication and care. Working in IPR will grant meaningful experiences to maximize care as I practice in that setting and will subsequently impact my ability to educate students on personalized physical therapy. 

Career Plan

Education

B.S. Exercise Science | University of Delaware | 2022

Doctorate of Physical Therapy | University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill | 2025

Career Goals

• Work as an Acute Care PT

• Become a clinical instructor

• Transition to an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility

• Work as a Clinical Faculty Member in an accredited DPT program

• Work as an Assistant Professor in an accredited DPT program

Self Assessment

Strengths 

• Lifelong learner with a strong commitment to academic growth by actively seeking new knowledge and sharing it with others.

• Fosters improvement by openly receiving constructive feedback and thoughtfully providing it to support others’ development.

• Self-motivated to create and provide quality products and care by maintaining a high level of accountability for deliverables.

• Building and facilitating connections by creating meaningful relationships and fostering collaboration.

• Strong visual formatting and design abilities to translate information into clear, visually engaging designs that enhance understanding.

Areas for Professional Development

• Strengthen self-assurance in decision-making and professional interactions to contribute more effectively and build confidence.

• Professional advocacy by promoting the value of the profession to other providers and the community through education opportunities and the APTA.

• Enhancing timeliness and consistency of communication across professional contexts.

• Focusing on prioritization and planning strategies to increase efficiency and meet deadlines.

Objectives

• Obtain my Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, successfully pass the National Physical Therapy Exam, and obtain licensure in North Carolina.

• Consistently seek out quality literature in order to provide informed, evidence-based care for patients and relay findings to other clinicians as applicable.

• Continue staying involved in my community and organizations that increase physical therapy services to those unable to obtain them.

• Develop a community-based program for patients with Parkinson’s disease, incorporating my background as a Yoga instructor.

• Contribute to the academic and professional development of future PTs, with a particular focus on mentoring and supporting students as they transition into graduate-level education and as they prepare for successful entry into clinical practice or post-graduate opportunities.

• Serve as a dedicated professor in a DPT program, committed to fostering student success and professional growth while actively pursuing advanced certifications and continuing education to uphold high standards of clinical competency.

Strategies & Timeline

• Establish both academic and clinical mentors to solidify my goals and a pathway to achieve them

• Consider developing my acute care practice through an Acute Care Residency Program

• Seek out opportunities to present in-services and lectures related to my clinical practice and experience 

• Become PWR! or LSVT BIG certified 

• Consider developing my practice working with neurologic populations through an NCS, possibly through a residency program

• Consider furthering a background as an educator through a M.Ed. or Ed.D. program

• Consider enrolling in and completing a Faculty Development fellowship or residency to better capture the relationship between PT education and clinical practice

Interprofessional Education

Developing inter-professional practice outside of clinical rotations has been enriched by diverse opportunities to collaborate with students and professionals across multiple healthcare disciplines. Through course projects, I engaged in patient case scenarios with dental, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing, medical, and pharmacology students, gaining valuable insights into each profession’s role in delivering care across the continuum. These projects included a geriatrics case, a TBI case, and a multiple-sclerosis case where I was further able to recognize where and when interprofessional collaboration is feasible and when referral alone is the most beneficial for reimbursement and patient convenience. These experiences were further supported by inter-professional collaboration meetings organized by the rehabilitation therapies clinical education team, which fostered team-based problem-solving and mutual respect among disciplines. Those rehab-specific collaboration meetings were especially helpful in developing relationships with other UNC rehab providers who I may work with as a clinician in the future. Additionally, serving as the PT Student Representative for the Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) allowed me to work closely with medical students and faculty in the triage room, where we discussed and identified patients who would benefit from physical therapy services at the pro-bono clinic. That weekly interaction gave me the unique privilege of advocating for our profession to medical students who can now (hopefully) better recognize the role that PT can play in the care team as they move on to their professional practices. These experiences and others have deepened my understanding of settings for interprofessional collaboration and reinforced the importance of coordinated, patient-centered care.

Professional Growth

Clinical Experiences

• UNC Health Main Hospital, Surgical Trauma Critical Care | Chapel Hill, NC – Acute, ICU | May 2025 – July 2025

• Novant Presbyterian Medical Center | Charlotte, NC – Acute Care | April 2024 – June 2024

• UNC Rehabilitation Center | Hillsboro, NC – Inpatient Rehabilitation | February 2024 – April 2024

• Pivot Physical Therapy | Pittsboro, NC – Outpatient Orthopedics | June 2023 – August 2023

Electives

• Teacher Scholar | Gross Anatomy (CBPH 791)

• Teacher Scholar | PT Modalities: Theories & Applications (PHYT 722)

• Advanced Orthopedic Assessment & Intervention (PHTY875)

• Advanced Neurological Intervention (PHTY885)

Extracurriculars & Opportunities

• Attended APTA CSA 2025, Houston

• PT Aide to Person with Quadriplegia 

• Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) PT Student Representative 

• UNC DPT Clinical Education Graduate Assistant 

• Yoga Instructor, Corepower Yoga & Recess Yoga Studio 

Products & Projects

Educational Presentations

• Functional Neurological Disorder Inservice Presentation

• Functional Electrical Stimulation Teacher Scholar Presentation

• APTA Membership Infographic

• Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency Infographic

Capstone

• The Effects of a Hybrid Interprofessional Clinical Preceptor Training on Preceptor Confidence & Capacity – Poster

Reflective Statement

Since beginning the physical therapy program, I’ve experienced tremendous growth—both professionally and personally. My understanding and representation of the profession have expanded greatly as I’ve been exposed to the wide range of practice settings and the many ways physical therapists intervene across body systems to help people find comfort and joy in their movements. While my academic knowledge has certainly deepened, I’ve also come to better understand myself, recognizing the importance of caring for my own well-being outside of professional demands. I’ve learned that maintaining balance and prioritizing my mental and physical health not only sustains me but also enhances the quality of care I provide and the education I hope to share in the future. When I arrived in North Carolina three years ago, I was lucky to know one person. Throughout my time at UNC, surrounded by the talented peers in my cohort, my professional network has grown much stronger. More than that, my personal community has expanded due to the wonderful friendships and support I have in each of those (future) PTs.

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