DPT Portfolios

Professional Goal Statement

• Upon graduating from the UNC-Chapel Hill Doctor of Physical Therapy program I plan to complete an orthopedic physical therapy residency to continue developing my practice and specializing my skillset to this population. I am especially passionate about encouraging my patients to be lifelong athletes by helping them to remain active and involved in sports/activities that they enjoy throughout their life. I also plan to pursue continuing education for the assessment and treatment of climbing injuries which is a particular area of interest I have.

Career Plan

• Education
  • Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts Exercise and Sport Science – UNC Chapel Hill; Highest Distinction (2016-2020)
  • Psychology Department Exchange Program – Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (2019)
  • Spanish for the Medical Professions Minor – San Jose, Costa Rica; UNC program in conjunction with the University of Costa Rica (2018)
• Previous experiences
  • The Climbing SIG (2022-2023)
  • Habilitation Technician for child with autism – Wilmington, NC (2020-2021)
  • Habilitation Technician for child with cerebral palsy – Durham, NC (2019-2021)
  • Byoung Physical Therapy Office Administrator – Apex, NC (2019)
  • Helping Kids with Hemiplegia Camp Volunteer – Chapel Hill, NC (2017 and 2019)
• Clinical Experience
  • Clinical I: Freedom Concentra Urgent Care Charlotte, NC – worker’s compensation (2021)
  • Clinical II: Novant New Hanover County Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, NC – acute care (2022)
  • Clinical III: UNC Chapel Hill Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation, Hillsborough, NC – neuromuscular (2022)
  • Clinical IV: Vertex PT Specialists, Cayce, SC – sports/ortho (2023)
• Future plans
  • Sit for and pass NPTE exam (2023)
  • Graduate with Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (2023)
  • Complete ortho residency at University of Southern California (2024)
  • Obtain a job in an outpatient physical therapy clinic (2024)

Self-Assessment

• Strengths
  • Work ethic and adaptability
  • Always seeking new learning opportunities
  • Able to bridge language barrier with Spanish speaking patients
  • Collaboration with an interdisciplinary team
  • Openness to feedback
• Areas for Professional Development
  • Continuing to progress clinical reasoning skills and plan of care development
  • Documentation efficiency
  • Experience with assessment and treatment of the rock climber

Objectives

• Take the NPTE – July 2023
• Graduate from the DPT program at UNC Chapel Hill – July 2023
• Receive PT license – August 2023
• Start ortho residency at the University of Southern California – August 2023
• Become an Orthopedic Certified Specialist – October 2024
• Obtain a job in an outpatient orthopedic clinic – October 2024
• Become a clinical instructor – by 2029

Specific Strategies

• Follow study plan for NPTE
• Research potential employers and contact those of interest to inquire about job openings
• Find and utilize mentors in the clinic
• Attend continuing ed events and conferences
• Join Rock Rehab Community, a special interest group for medical providers who treat climbers
• Establish connections with local climbing gyms

Electives

• Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Treatment
• Topics in Sports Physical Therapy
• Integrated Clinical Experience with an orthopedic caseload at UPT Durham
• Lab Experience with the ReGain Lab’s Parkinson “Getting Started” gait initiation study

DEI Reflection

• The various DEI readings, talks, and podcasts that I read and listened to over the course of the program changed the way I approach my role as a PT. I have learned that the issues of society permeate deeply into healthcare. Patients are affected by the implicit biases of their medical providers and the systemic injustices of the larger health care system just like they are in other societal realms. This knowledge will help me to hold an awareness of these issues in my practice and to evaluate how I am serving my patients. Not all patients will be coming from the same background and have the same privileges and it will be my responsibility to pick up on this and do my best to fill gaps whether in taking extra time for patient education or on working with scheduling to accommodate transportation challenges. I will constantly strive to keep my patient’s health and goals at the forefront of everything I do.

Samples of Work

• Capstone project on climbing injuries
  • https://dptcapstone.web.unc.edu/2023/04/26/rock-climbing-injuries/
• Sports elective final presentation on pregnancy considerations for strength training, running, and other athletic activities
  • Powerpoint
  • Presentation Recording

Reflective Statement

• Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID pandemic and those inherent to completing a DPT program, we made it! Coming out the other side, I have been able to see so much growth in my knowledge and skills application in clinic. I took away valuable knowledge and lessons from each class and clinical I completed that I will take with me and apply throughout my career. I was also able to pursue many additional learning opportunities such as shadowing in aquatics and in the NICU, attending national PT conferences, and participating in special interest groups. Another large part of my time in the DPT program was my participation with the UNC climbing team with a high point of getting to share my Capstone project with them at the end of my last semester. In the future I hope to network with climbing gyms to bring some of this patient population into my practice. One day far along in my career I could see myself taking on this niche and working out of a climbing gym. However, over the next several years, I want to work alongside and learn from other physical therapists treating a variety of patients. I would ideally work with an active population in an outpatient setting consisting of a range of orthopedic issues and injuries. I have found that my goal of lifelong performance of my sports and activities carries into my practice with a passion to help my patients accomplish this goal as well.

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