Times Like These

Author: Jon Starr, SPT-3
Date: 3 APR 2020

Here we are, diving headfirst into a new decade. Spring of 2020. Spring. We typically associate this season with new life, new beginnings. But man, oh man…what a curveball we’ve been thrown. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become a household term associated with the complete opposite of what spring stands for. Over 1 million cases worldwide, nearly 250,000 here at home in the United States…tens of thousands losing their lives because of this illness. What in the world are we experiencing??

As a Christian, a husband, a new father, and a third (and final) year DPT student, COVID-19 has become a catalyst for some of the best change I could have ever imagined. Obviously, this sounds really weird or strange to hear right off the bat but hear me out. One of the biggest takeaways from all of this is this: perspective is everything. While large social gatherings are banned for the time being, we GET to see the truth behind what church really is. We are the church. Not the building or the act of going to a building, but the people who call themselves Christians are the church. We GET to have our faith tested. We GET to grow together in unexpected ways (thank you Zoom!) As a husband, this is the first time in a long time that I have been able to spend a significant amount of quality time with my wife. We might be adhering to a stay-at-home order…but truthfully, we GET to stay at home together. This same governor-mandated order hasn’t pushed my terminal clinical rotations back. Instead, I GET to spend this extra time watching my newborn grow daily. I’m not forced to stay inside and study for my licensure exam. I GET to make time to focus on what I feel called to do (…just have to pass this exam first.) It’s all a matter of perspective.

If you’re like many of us, you have the news on…constantly. I hope that through all of the darkness we are experiencing, we continue to see stories of hope and love come to the forefront. It’s incredible that times like these have been the driving force behind our first responders, medical personnel, small businesses…the list goes on, are shown the appreciation and respect they truly deserve. We see strangers coming together, not physically but instead in solidarity, against this invisible monster that’s wreaking havoc on our daily lives. It’s terrible but it’s times like these that have helped the best in people to shine its brightest. From one of my favorite songs, the chorus of “Times Like These” by the Foo Fighters put it best:

It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again

I pray that these times allow us all to grow and appreciate each day we are fortunate enough to experience. I pray that we come together to enhance the human experience of those around us in ways beyond those in the clinic. And most of all, I pray that whoever is reading this is healthy/well and finds hope to continue to put things in perspective through all of this. We will get through this. God bless.

Learning How to Juggle

Author: Jon Starr, SPT-3
Date: 6 MAR 2020

What exactly does it take to learn how to juggle? Can anyone and everyone learn how to do this? Can I do this? These questions might seem a little strange at first, but right now, I can’t stop reiterating them in my head.

Ever since I can remember, my parents have helped me to realize that I have been blessed with the ability to learn quickly. Don’t get me wrong…I’m most definitely human and have had/still have my fair share of experiences that lead me to believe otherwise. Whether it’s a new physical skill or attaining a new understanding of information, I would like to believe I never consider backing down. This new chapter in my life has allowed me to no longer question that belief in myself but instead has me experiencing something reinvigorating. This is the fact that there is no backing down right now.

After meeting my now-wife and realizing she’s the one person I want to spend the rest of my life/start a family with, I began to pray that having kids would be in our future. Fast forward to just a couple of weeks ago and we were blessed to welcome our daughter into the world. All of the excitement of becoming a parent…a dad!…had me over the moon. When we got to come home from the hospital, it hit me that this is game time. I never once considered putting my family on the back burner so-to-speak, but I knew that I would have to learn how to juggle being in my final year of PT school, studying for my licensure exam, and all of my new and awesome duties that come with being a dad.

While I’m still working on figuring out this whole new role of being a dad, I’m thankful to know I have the support of my friends and the faculty at my school. Everyone has lifted up my family in their prayers/sent good vibes to us which I know has made this transition much smoother than I could’ve otherwise expected. I have been given a ton of great advice centered around time management and learning to be flexible. A mentor I look up to (both literally and figuratively) gave me a piece of advice that I really valued: from here on out, life is a series of reactions; all you have to do is react to it to the best of your abilities. I’ve come to take this to heart recently since I have just started to chip away at licensure exam prep work while still making sure my family knows they are priority one to me. Although I haven’t mastered it quite yet, I have faith that I will learn to juggle my responsibilities to the best of my ability all in due time.

How to Nail the Practical Exam

Author: Abby Lewis, SPT-2
Date: 28 FEB 2020

Even as a 2nd year physical therapy student having completed multiple practical exams as well as working with patients in my first clinical, just the thought of practical exams terrifies me. My first practical exam in PT school was like nothing I had ever prepared for in my undergraduate degree; to say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. I always overthink everything and attempt to perfect every skill in preparation for them while forgetting to appreciate the reason why we have them in school – to imitate real-life scenarios with patients. While they aren’t the ideal representation of real patient scenarios, I was able to learn more about myself as a future physical therapist in the way that I interact with patients and demonstrate my knowledge and skills with each practical exam. Despite continuing to get nervous before practical exams, here is my method to tackling them:

1. Practice for the practical like you are taking the practical – don’t joke around when practicing with a partner and actually say what you say to a real patient in the scenario. Also, it helps me to have someone observe you working with the patient to provide feedback about performance.
2. Give honest feedback to your partner when practicing. It is better to learn that you have your hands in the wrong place or that you name wrong special test when you are practicing rather than when you are taking the practical exam. I promise, your partner will thank you later even if you feel like you are being overcritical. 
3. Breathe! It ALWAYS helps me to take a few seconds when I walk into the room to gather my thoughts and take some deep breaths before beginning. I tend to think a lot clearer and it enables me to calm my nerves down some before I attempt to word-vomit all of my knowledge to the professor.
4. It’s okay to make mistakes! If you realize you are working with the left side when the scenario was actually for the right side, just correct yourself. I know that the practical exams are normally graded based on perfection, but not every physical therapist will have a perfect treatment session for every patient. If you are able to correct yourself without prompting, usually your professor will appreciate it and see that you are demonstrating learning. 

If nothing else, just remember that you are a student and that if you were already a licensed PT you would not be in this program. Your professors aren’t expecting you to be perfect! These practicals are designed to be learning experiences to shape you into an awesome physical therapist when you graduate, so all you can do is try your best.

Time: When It Seems There Is Not Enough

Author: Lauren Scott, SPT-2
Date: 21 FEB 2020

When most people find out that I’m a single mom in graduate school their next comment looks something like this…. How do you manage raising a daughter and keeping up with the demands of PT school?  Well let me tell you it’s not easy but it is doable. Here are my top 3 tips for managing your time and not falling behind in school whether you’re a parent or not.  

1. Keep a schedule: I use google calendar because its free, easy to use and they have an app for access on my phone. Below is an example from a week during the fall semester in October 2019. Yes, I’m aware it looks crazy and hectic, but hear me out. Yellow is things that I must do every day like get ready, work out, and travel to school. Orange is my scheduled class times, gray is exam times, blue is studying, pink is my personal time, red is intramural games and purple is my class’s online calendar for important assignments or classes. In short, color coding can really help you to see where you’re devoting your time. I always add more time to my study block then I think I need. I do this because I know I always underestimate the time I think it takes to complete a task; therefore, I normally use the entire time. Keep in mind that you need to be flexible with your schedule because things come up all the time and that’s just a part of life. I write everything out but that doesn’t mean you have to, find what works for you and stick with it!
   
2. Task list: Create a list with deadlines, this will help you to know where you need to focus your time. I also use google task for this because it works so well with the google calendar system that I am already using. With google, I only include my hard deadline for assignments, projects and tasks needed to be completed for involved organizations. Plus, there is just so much satisfaction checking off each task as it is completed. For things that I need to review from previous weeks, I have a running sticky note on my desktop. This reminds me to review specifics that I did not understand or to review my Quizlet flashcards for the course.
3. Work smarter, Not harder: Instead of cramming for multiple hours before the exam then dumping all that information, study in short bursts. I repeat, study every day or almost every day especially for your more difficult courses. This allows your brain to process and retain information better. It also reduces your stress before an exam because you’ve touched the information so many times that you’re comfortable with the content. Remember the amount of time spent studying doesn’t always equal success.

One Clinical Down, Two More to Go!

Author: Nikita Patel, SPT-2
Date: 14 FEB 2020

 

This past week, I finished my very first clinical of the program. I spent the past six weeks at a VA outpatient clinic in Fayetteville, NC, working with both the retired and active duty military population. The diverse socioeconomic backgrounds of patients were interesting to see, along with the diversity of diagnoses. There would be times when all I saw throughout the day was chronic neck, shoulder, and low back pain. Other times, I would see CVA, total joints, or Parkinson’s patients. If it was a slow day, I would get to observe or treat with active duty personnel. No one day was ever the same, which in turn kept me on my toes and constantly thinking of how to evaluate, treat, and progress patients. 

I also cannot leave out the amazing staff that I had the pleasure of working with. My CI was part of a team of PTs, PTAs, and OTs. It was an adjustment for me as I have never worked with PTAs and OTs. I learned how to communicate with them about patients I had evaluated, while also taking the time to learn from them. 

Coming into my first clinical after completing one year of PT school felt both exciting and nerve wracking. I had to understand that at my current level, it was alright to not always know the answer. I have not yet learned about most of the special populations; however, I did learn about simpler musculoskeletal and post-operative populations. This clinical was truly about fine tuning my examination skills, while also learning about new techniques and patient populations. 

If I were to give any advice about the first clinical, it would be this: be a sponge and absorb what you can. This is an excellent opportunity to adjust your clinical techniques and learn about topics that you will not always be taught in the program.

PT Has a Place in Every Setting

Author: Ryan Vrindten, SPT-2
Date: 31 JAN 2020

Before I started my journey in the Campbell DPT program, I was working as an aide in an outpatient clinic and loving every minute of it. It was fast paced, exciting, and exactly what I imagined working in the physical therapy field would be like. I understood that there were different settings, but I knew I wanted that classic outpatient orthopedic setting incorporated in the path I chose to follow for my professional career. Fast forward to our six-week clinical experience the DPT 2’s are wrapping up and my perspective has changed. 

I have learned that physical therapy has a purpose in every setting you can probably imagine, and each setting offers something special that will fuel your fire in becoming a Physical Therapist. I am currently in a skilled nursing facility, which I’ll be honest, I had never heard of prior to entering school here at Campbell. Working in this environment has brought a new and meaningful perspective to how different populations receive and utilize physical therapy in my eyes. Many of the patients have a difficult time performing some of the activities we may take for granted such as bathing ourselves or taking a walk to the mailbox which makes living alone for them unsafe. For this population of patients, most require physical therapy five times a week, as well as other disciplines to return to their prior level of function. In a different frame of mind, it is very intense for these patients to come in every day and work to reach their goals. But for all of them the reward is worth the work no matter the angle you look at the situation. 

Through their hard work and determination, I have not found a day yet during this clinical where I must look for motivation to work with my patients. Sure it may be a little slower than an outpatient clinic, but the excitement seen within my patients when they achieve their goal and their appreciation for what we do as Physical Therapists never leaves a dull moment. Now I’m not here saying that I will be doing a complete 180 come graduation on what area I want to pursue. But this experience has opened a new perspective for myself that I think everyone should consider during their journey into the physical therapy field. Don’t knock it until you try it. Every setting is different, some may overlap, but there will always be something that you can find to remind yourself why everyone should #choosePT. 

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Clinical

Author: Seraphina Wong, SPT-2
Date: 17 JAN 2020

To preface: beyond shadowing, I have not had any clinical experience prior to this, so some of the points may not be as applicable for those who have worked in a clinic.  As a young health care professional on their first clinical rotation, these are some of the things I wish I knew before I started:

1. The first week will be overwhelming.  I kind of already expected this, but I suppose it hit me harder than I expected. Between meeting everyone in the clinic, acclimating to a new environment, and having to wake up my brain from a long winter break, it was stressful.  I advise spending some time before your first day reviewing some information.
2. The practical exams and OSCE’s I did in preparation will be nothing in comparison to real people.  There’s no script, no easy diagnosis, and no clear direction for the “right” answer. This isn’t to say that those exams are a waste of time – they still prepared you for the clinic as best as they could while still staying in the confines of an objective assessment.  Just be prepared for things to not go your way.
3. Your clinical reasoning and way of thinking will be stretched in ways that it could not have been in the classroom.  You will learn new practice philosophies that you may or may not agree with but will nevertheless make you a better and more well-rounded clinician. 
4. The free time is phenomenal.  Once you’re done for the day at the clinic, you won’t have to go home and study or work on assignments.  You can catch up on all those shows you said you would watch but never did, or read a book, or pick up a new hobby…maybe cook yourself some real food.  Don’t get too used to it though; the 6 weeks will be over before you know it.
5. This will be a very rewarding experience and you’ll re-realize your love for the field.  When you’re in school it’s easy to get caught up in the due dates and books and forget the big picture.  Every day I get to see patients leave the clinic with less pain than when they came in and hopeful that they will be able to return to their previous level of function.  Every day I get better at what I do and slowly get on the path to be a more autonomous physical therapist.

‘Tis the Season

Author: Jarrett Barts, SPT-2
Date: 6 DEC 2019

Exams are over, the building is empty and it is time for a much-needed break. Approximately 176 days of classes after the year began, it is now over. This year has been long and grueling with countless papers, exams, projects, practicals, and miscellaneous assignments. Each had their own challenges, but now that it’s over it makes it so much more rewarding. Now after some relaxation and enjoyment we must prepare for what’s next. Campbell is graduating another DPT class of amazing clinicians in the coming days. Ten weeks of classes stand between the rising 3rd years and their final two clinical rotations while the rising 2nd years begin their first six week clinical with the new year. We also get to welcome the newest class of future physical therapists to Campbell with the new year, the class of 2022. ‘Tis the season of growth and change. From myself and all of us at Campbell, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Hip, Hip, Hooray Because it’s Going Tibia Ok!

Author: Nikita Patel, SPT 1
Date: 22 NOV 2019

Today marked the last day of class for my first year. To be quite honest, I am still in
shock. It feels just like yesterday that I was walking into my 1st lecture, eager and excited to start the next phase of my PT journey. Now, I have finished my last semester of my 1st year and am gearing up for my 1st clinical internship. Thinking about where I started and where I am now, it is clear to me how much I have grown as an SPT and as a person. I have gained a greater appreciation for the profession and have made connections with fellow SPTs from the state.
If I were to give any advice to the incoming class, I would tell them 3 things. 1. It is no
longer a competition. Once you are in the program, everyone is here to grow and grow together. Your fellow classmates and faculty members are your greatest assets and WANT to see you succeed. 2. Never forget to take care of yourself. If you cannot take care of yourself, how can you take care of others? I am a huge advocate for mental health and that has only gotten stronger after I started the program. Graduate school is a whole different beast compared to undergrad, and just knowing that it is ok to have some setbacks or not always get the grade you want will help you in the long run. We are humans and we are here in this program because we want to treat other humans. 3. Do not let studying consume your life. You can effectively study and still be able to hang out with your friends or do something fun on the weekends. It will be a process to find your groove and really know how to study the information, but asking others how they study or being open to the fact that not all classes use the same study method will again help you in the long run. Also, the professors are more than willing to talk to you about study strategies for their respective course.
I am extremely thankful for to all my classmates and faculty that have helped me through this first year. I can say that I have a second family who looks out for me and genuinely cares about me as a person and as an SPT. As my first year comes to a close, I look forward to honing in my clinical skills for 6 weeks at the beginning of next semester!

My First time at the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (AAOMPT) Annual Conference

Author: Sarah Hanvy, SPT-2
Date: 15 NOV 2019

Recently, I traveled to Orlando, Florida with several of my classmates to attend AAOMPT 2019. This conference is an annual meeting that highlights the forefront of research in orthopedic and manual physical therapy. Prior to this experience I had attended last year’s North Carolina Physical Therapy Association state conference in Greensboro, NC. At this conference, I presented a small research project, which was the highlight of the conference for me. I attended several breakout and information sessions, but it felt like I was back in the classroom at school – not at all what I thought a conference was going to be like.  As such, I was slightly nervous to travel so far and spend a good chunk of money on something I might not find interesting. However, this conference far exceeded my expectations.

I’m currently considering pursuing an orthopedic residency and as so I wanted to see what the forefront of orthopedic manual therapy was like, so I made it a point to attend AAOMPT. In order to be a full voting member of this organization, you must be a fellow of manual physical therapy – not an easy feat to achieve as it is the highest level of certification for this form of therapy. I attended workshops on manipulation skills, seminars on running protocols, and even research presented by our faculty members. All of the sessions were engaging and interactive, plus every person I met was kind, supportive, and willing to take the time to foster and inspire my passion for the field. This is significant to note, as students do not normally attend this conference, so the leaders in this field were literally taking the time to talk to a student. 

One such example that sticks out in my head was after I attended a breakout group about empowering women into leadership roles in Physical Therapy. One of the members on the panel was Elaine Lonnemann, the current president of AAOMPT. Each member of the panel took time to chronicle their journey into leadership and the fine nuances that come with being a woman in a field of therapy (which is often considered male-dominated.) After their presentation, I went up and had a personal conversation with Dr. Lonnemann about woman leadership in physical therapy. She patiently answered my questions and gave me suggestions for where to seek a mentorship for my future career. I was blown away that one of the key members of this conference took time to personally talk to me and give me advice. I felt this conference helped confirm that orthopedic manual therapy is something I want to continue to pursue in detail after physical therapy school. I hope I get to attended AAOMPT 2020 next year.

Assistive or Not-So-Assistive Devices

Author: Seraphina Wong, SPT-1
Date: 8 NOV 2019

During one of our labs this week, we took various assistive devices to Campbell’s main campus to experience what it is like to have to live with one.  We brought wheelchairs, walkers, various types of canes, and crutches. Let me tell you, living with an assistive device is hard.  It is tough work to have to push yourself around in a wheelchair on a surface that looks flat but isn’t.  It’s even harder trying to push yourself up a steep ramp or try to finagle your way into a narrow bathroom stall.  I think it is safe to say that it was an eye-opening experience for everyone in my class. It gave us a new appreciation for what our patients have to go through once they’re sent home with an assistive device.  We only used it for 20 minutes at a time, but we were already exhausted and sore. At the end of the class, our professor brought us together to have a discussion and told us, “How cool would it be if, instead of teaching our patients how to use an assistive device during our treatment session, we start teaching them how to stop using it.”  The amount of energy they consume just trying to use an assistive device is likely much higher than if they weren’t using one in the first place. Not to mention, without one they’d be a better mover and more independent.

Running the Race and Fighting the Good Fight

Author: Jon Starr, SPT-2
Date: 1 NOV 2019

Being in a doctoral program has been a marathon, to say the very least. While I’ve only completed one actual marathon, the past year and 10 months has felt eerily similar to that fateful morning running through Disney World. There have been numerous portions of this new academic race that have felt like casual straightaways followed by nice, rolling hills (so to speak…considering Florida is definitely flat almost everywhere you go.) And yet, I’ve found myself reliving the “mountainous”, uphill climbs from the race (okay, so really we just had overpasses to run up) throughout my time in PT school. Was I really subjecting myself to all of that, all over again??

Recently, I came across something while I was doing my daily devotion that really left me thinking. It was a short quote from a man named Smith Wigglesworth who had encountered quite a lot of hardship during his lifetime. He said, “Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.” While I have been extremely fortunate to live a life free of legitimate hardship, his quote still resonated with me and how I have felt as I’ve made my way up to this point in our program. I have always been one to fight to the finish of projects or tasks, no matter how pretty the outcome may or may not be. This quote made me remember that my faith has brought me through some really tough fights and I continue to run the race each and every day.

I know the finish line is only a few semesters away. So I intend on finishing as strongly as I can, helping those around me run their race as best as they can, knowing all of this is going to create a great testimony of a great triumph.

When PT School Pushes You To The Maxilla

Author: Abby Lewis, SPT 1

Date: 25 OCT 2019

Right now as a DPT 1 student, we are over halfway through with the fall semester. Leading up to this point, we all heard horror stories from classmates above us about how difficult it was going to be. Taking 8 different classes and keeping up with all the assignments and tests has been the most challenging schedule of our academic career so far. While we are up to our necks in learning MSK special tests, neural pathways, and total joint replacement precautions, it’s hard to find the time to breathe much less take care of ourselves. However, what I have learned through this semester is that if I don’t take the time to rest and do things that I enjoy outside of school, I tend to do worse academically. This just leaves me exhausted, upset, and stressed even more than I already was. It is so important to allow yourself to take breaks and let your body recover from the overload of information you are being hit with at school throughout the week. Having a day or even an afternoon that you set aside to give yourself a break from school can make all the difference. So, watch a movie, play basketball, take your dog to the park, or whatever you enjoy doing, and I know you will see the benefits in your personal life and at school!

Not If…But When

“There are only a few inevitable situations in life: death, taxes, and low back pain”

This was a joke that a professor of mine loved to make during my undergraduate education. And while these three situations may be unavoidable in life, I have since found more since beginning physical therapy school as well. 

1) Your “plan” gets thrown out the window. 

I think it’s safe to say that many of us don’t get this far without adhering to some sort of self-made plan. Maybe it was to get into a specific school, or maybe it was getting into school right after undergrad. Maybe it was to stay close to home, or maybe it was to take an extra year. Whatever the example may be, I can tell you that no matter what “your plan” is, PT school and life will find a way to take you on a few detours you weren’t expecting. 

2) Your interests for future practice will change.

I came into school with a very strong background in athletics. My entire life I’ve dreamed of being a sports medicine practitioner and working with a young, athletic population. When it came time for my first six-week clinical to begin, I found myself placed at a nursing home. I became discouraged and was dreading the thought of having to work with the opposite population I was hoping to someday work with. Following my clinical and returning to the didactic work of the semester, I was again discouraged when I found the heavy amount of school work dedicated toward learning neurological physical therapy. I didn’t care about strokes, spinal cord injuries, or traumatic brain injuries! I didn’t care about falls prevention or total hip replacements! But after spending the six weeks at the nursing home and six weeks of didactic neurological work, I soon found myself enjoying working with neurological patients and geriatric patients. I realized that the power training I used to work with sprinters was the same type of power training geriatric patients need for stair climbing, or that the shoulder stability training I’ve used with baseball pitchers matches the needs of a patient after suffering a stroke. 

3) You question your decision to become a physical therapist.

PT school is hard – very hard. It requires long hours spent in the classroom, studying or preparing for an exam or future class, papers, and/or group assignments. It takes a toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health, almost to the point where you’ll be sitting in your 35th hour of lecture for the week on a Thursday afternoon, learning about the complexities of gait when all of a sudden you’ll get a sinking feeling in your stomach that says, “If I can’t even understand this, am I even good enough to become a physical therapist?” Or maybe it’s after you’ve began working with patients either through Campbell’s Pro Bono Clinic or our volunteer patients we get to treat during class, and no matter how hard you try applying the lecture material from class that day, you just can’t seem to make a difference. “Am I even doing this right? Maybe I can’t make a difference. Maybe I should have chosen a different path.” But fear not, while these feelings of doubts, insecurities, and regrets begin to build, they’re often accompanied by one last inevitability. 

4) You witness how physical therapy can change a person’s life.

Just as it seems your back is against the wall, and you begin to question why you decided to start the journey of becoming a physical therapist, you either hear a story or work with a patient that affirms your decision. It could be small, like improving a patient’s balance to make it safer for her to garden in her yard again, or it could be big, like seeing a patient’s wife cry tears of joy after watching her husband walk for the first time in 6 months after suffering from a stroke. These moments, whether big or small, are sprinkled in every treatment session you have with a patient. Each of these inevitabilities can make it seem like you’ll never make it through the day, the week, the semester, or even the year. However, we must remember how lucky we are to be physical therapists and keep our eyes open for our confirming moments. 

Some days it will seem like these moments will never come – that we will never get to see first hand how we can change a person’s life. But never forget, it’s not a matter of if they’re going to happen, it’s a matter of when.

#CHOOSEPT

Author: Jordan Keaton, SPT-2
Date: 4 OCT 2019

The month of October is National Physical Therapy Month, which is a month to raise awareness of the benefits of physical therapy! 

Every year there is a specific focus chosen and this year’s focus is the opioid epidemic and chronic pain! With the ever-growing amount of people taking opioids to mask their pain, it’s so important for us to take the initiative to spread the word about what we can do as physical therapists to better the lives of those living in chronic pain! As the APTA campaign states, “Pain is personal, but treating pain takes teamwork.”

So, what can we do to be a part of celebrating the career path we have chosen? 

SHARE. Use #CHOOSEPT in social media! Share information and resources about physical therapy from our professional organization, American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Tell family, friends and even strangers what we can do to improve their mobility, help them recover from injury, manage chronic illnesses and prevent future injury and chronic conditions!

GET INVOLVED. Join the APTA (FYI students get a discounted membership rate)! Get involved in the political action committee (PAC) to further the scope of practice for our career! Participate in the PT Day of Service on October 12th. Stay up to date on the latest news related to physical therapy and healthcare in general; as of October 1st, in North Carolina, we can officially perform spinal manipulations without requiring referral from a doctor! 

So, this month, take the time to appreciate the career path we have chosen, celebrate how we can impact our communities and educate others on everything that physical therapists can do! 

Choose more movement. Choose better health. Choose Physical Therapy!

Not Just an Impairment

Author: Lauren Scott, SPT-1
Date: 27 SEP 2019

Patients go to see physical therapists every day due to a variety of conditions. It could be someone who recently had an ankle sprain while playing soccer or a patient who was recently discharged from the hospital after a stroke.  Every patient’s story is different. While the patient is seeing you due to physical symptoms, it is important to examine emotional factors. The soccer player could be upset that she is missing the initial playoff games but is still motivated to get better quickly. On the other hand, the patient with a recent stroke could be depressed because she now must move to a nursing home due to her increased level of care.

Emotions matter in the patient-therapist relationship. Drawing out your patient’s emotions and allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings can lead to better outcomes. Emotions can disrupt our thinking and lead to faulty decision making. These emotions of suffering should be welcomed as it can facilitate a therapeutic alliance. If a patient believes that you care for them and are concerned for their well being, they are more likely to place their trust in your hands. This can lead to improved adherence to the treatment plan and result in better outcomes.

Healthcare providers may be hesitant to subject themselves to the pain and heartbreak of others for the fear of these emotions may crush them. This is a valid concern but as the APTA’s core values state, it is important to be altruistic. Putting the needs of others before your own can lead to burn out if you do not tend to your own emotions. It’s important that you “fill the tank” by practicing self-care techniques. When you don’t take the time to fill it with what nourishes you, the tank remains empty leaving you incapable to tend to your patient’s emotions. So, fill up your tank and see the patient as a whole and not just as an impairment.

All is a Miracle

Author: Sarah Hanvy, SPT-2
Date: 20 SEP 2019

I was wondering what to write for this blog post, and recently I’ve been struggling in school. To be frank, sometimes if can be very frustrating. I ran across a quote this weekend by chance and it reminded me that I need to live in the moment and focus on what I can control: myself. The quote read:

 “People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on Earth. Everyday we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child- our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh

As you might be reading this post hoping to get into PT school or just have been accepted to PT school, I would invite you to think about all the people, events, and things that have brought you to this place. That when met with disappointment or adversity, as all are from time to time in life, to handle it with grace and the knowledge that you are strong enough to withstand it and still enjoy the sky, grass, and trees. 

I can honestly say the family I have at Campbell has made every day worthwhile. I’ve been a part of many clubs, cohorts, teams, etc., but none have touched my heart as deeply as the friendships I’ve made over the last two years in Physical Therapy school. We are bonded together by our successes and failures, and by a fellowship to lift each other up to achieve our full potential. Through this community, I realize that it is a miracle to have met such wonderful individuals and to have my life touched everyday by these special people. I believe things happen for a reason; although I may not understand why or how I ended up at Campbell, it has singularly been the best decision of my life so far. 

Graduate School: More than Academics

Author: Lauren Scott, SPT-1
Date: 13 SEP 2019

After spending six or more hours in class you’re expected to spend more time at home reviewing content. Each night I review lectures, prepare for tomorrow’s classes, study for quizzes, and oh, don’t forget that paper or group project that is due next week. As a physical therapy student, I have a whirlwind of assignments, projects, tests and quizzes. During the summer semester, you would have found me in the medical school’s study rooms, library or spending extra time in the lab. Every waking moment was devoted to studying. But then I started to think, what happens if there is more than making good grades? What happens if the grades wouldn’t make me the clinician that I desired to be?

At Campbell, we are encouraged to spend time self-reflecting. During this time, I started questioning what could I do to become a more well-rounded student and be a better therapist for my patients? Many answers came to mind, but confidence seemed to be the most significant skill I was lacking. I quickly realized I was too worried about how others would perceive me; I was afraid of being vulnerable. How could I possibly expect my patients to be open and honest with me if I couldn’t do it with myself? Little by little I started reading books, listening to speakers and attempting to implement confidence in my day to day life. Through all of this, I realized that I was afraid of being rejected and my fear of being rejected lead me to isolation. This hindered my ability to take risks, make mistakes in class and learn from them. Confidence is not something that comes naturally for everyone. You must work at it. The more you practice, the easier and more natural it becomes. I am now able to make connections more easily with others. I can listen with the intent to understand and not worry about my response.  

I challenge you to reflect on your own role as a student, professor, healthcare provider, parent, sibling or friend. Ask yourself these questions: what impact does my actions have on others? What do I need to change about myself? What is holding me back from making a change? With reflection, you can make a change in your life one step at a time. 

Patient Friendly Language

Author: Ryan Vrindten, SPT-1
Date: 5 SEP 2019

Imagine this scenario: A 57-year-old male presents to you in an inpatient setting with a left-brain stroke that is experiencing right hemiparesis. You must safely transfer the patient from supine to a wheelchair using a slide board. The patient is scared due to his current condition. You must effectively instruct the patient on what you will be doing today. 

Now I want you to think about that scenario and how you will accomplish those goals. This is just one of the many scenarios that we as students practice everyday to work on improving the communication we have with our patients. A surprising fact that some do not know is that the average American reads at an 8th grade level and 1/5 Americans are illiterate. These statistics are so important for physical therapists to understand because of the instructions we must give to our patients while working with them. My patient is going to have no idea what is going on if my explanation for this scenario is, “Sir, you have experienced a cerebrovascular accident which resulted in strength deficits mainly affecting your right upper and lower extremity…”. One of the most important skills I have learned thus far is the ability to use patient friendly language to make my client feel more comfortable. Try and think back to a time before you were exposed to medical terminology and think about how confused you were when the medical professional tried to explain something to you. 

As physical therapists we speak in a foreign language that most of the general population will not understand. If they can not perform an activity because they can not follow our explanation, it is not their fault, it’s ours! We as future clinicians need to make sure that any activity provided to patients is explained clearly and with confidence to ease any concerns they may have. Our patients are looking for someone who has expertise in human movement but deserve an overall satisfactory experience by not feeling embarrassed for not knowing some of the language we use. 

“Hello Mr. Thompson, I understand you had an accident and it has affected the strength on the right side of your body. I am here to help you sit up and into the wheelchair to feel more comfortable. Is that ok?” 

Make things short, sweet, and to the point when working with your patients. Empathize with their situation after being told they have an impairment that may have short term or even long term consequences in their daily lives. Some of the best physical therapists that I have worked with in this program thus far all have the same skill of keeping it simple and easy to understand. So, when you get to school and the stress is on, remember: Speak simpler, not smarter.

A Day in the Life of a DPT Student

Author: Nikita Patel, SPT-1
Date: 30 AUG 2019

The daily life of a DPT student is nothing compared to what I had experienced during my time in undergrad. Classes typically start at 8am and may go as late as 5pm. There are days that have a late start and others that have an early end. Also, within the week, there are what are known as “exam blocks.” Basically, scheduled times during the week when exams can be given. That’s right, we do not take exams during class period. And why is that? Well, as a graduate program, there is a lot of information that must be covered in a given amount of time. Furthermore, IPE days (inter-professional education) and major holidays tend to change our schedules, which in turn leads to make-up classes. 

So then are there any days that are the same? Not really. But that’s the best part about PT school. Yes, there is a lot of information that needs to be taught and learned, but if everyday were the same, wouldn’t that be boring? For example, I have 2 days during the week that are 7:30am to 4pm days. I have a day where if I have no exams, then I’m done at noon. Other days have a start time later than 8am. And that is just what the 1st year schedule looks like. The 2nd years have a different schedule, but a similar structure. Again, why? Well, as you progress through the program, there are different skills that you need to work on. I am currently in the last semester of my 1st year. At this point in the program, I need to start integrating all the information that I have learned over the last two semesters and apply it during patient treatment. The current 2nd year DPT students are widening their scope of practice to be able to treat any population: pediatrics, geriatrics, neurological, orthopedics, etc. 

So, my Tuesday schedule may not be the same as any other day during the week, but that is alright. Why? Because it keeps things interesting and, as I learned during my 1st semester: “the new normal is the abnormal.” 

Cadaver Lab: It’s Going Tibia Okay

Author:  Abby Lewis, SPT-1
Date: 23 AUG 2019

We recently completed our 2nd semester of school in which we had the incredible opportunity to dissect and study cadavers in our anatomy course. I didn’t know what to expect on my first day of cadaver lab as I was feeling both excited and nervous to what I would walk into later that day. As we walked into the lab, I quickly rushed into panic mode as I saw the body bags on the table, and my excitement faded away. I felt sick to my stomach the whole first day as I thought about who this person was and how I had to be in there for 16 hours a week for the next 10 weeks. When I got home that evening, I remember being completely distraught about it as I told my husband about my first day. He told me that I needed to look at it as an opportunity to learn and become a better physical therapist rather than focusing on the person. While it was scary, seeing what is inside the human body was crucial in understanding how people move, which is what physical therapists specialize in after all. I walked into lab that second day with a new mindset. Obviously, the anxiety didn’t go away immediately, but the more that I was in the lab the more comfortable I became with it. I became fascinated with the intricacy of the human body and was the first one in my group to jump into dissection everyday because I couldn’t wait to learn more. Looking back, I am so thankful that I had this opportunity to work with cadavers, and it has been my favorite part of PT School thus far. More importantly, I am thankful for the people who invested in my education by donating their bodies to science. Walking out that last day I was overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge I had gained from that one course. Even though the experience was terrifying at first, I have learned so much from it and would encourage anyone to take full advantage of the time you have in cadaver lab to not only help get a good grade but help to become a better future clinician. 

Keeping Your Goal in Mind

Author:  Seraphina Wong, SPT-1
Date: 16 AUG 2019

Last week I sat down at a coffee shop with a large cup of freshly brewed coffee, a scone from the bakery down the street, and a blank Word document pulled up on my computer.  It was the first time I had been further than a 15-minute drive from my house in nearly a week and I was determined to be productive with my time and get some stuff done. You see, it was the last few days of our “summer break”, a two-week hiatus following the summer semester before beginning what many have called our toughest semester.  In those final days of relaxation, I had decided to attempt to get ahead on as much work as possible and mentally prepare myself to throw myself back into my studies. Writing this blog post was the perfect way to get my head back in the game. Yet, I sat there on a Thursday afternoon in front of a starkly white Word document with no ideas about what to write for the blog.

I looked out the window behind me that was causing so much glare on my laptop and reminisced about the past seven months of school.  It was hard to believe that I, and the rest of my class, had already survived seven months and two semesters of our first year in PT school.  And that is when it hit me. Wait, I am in PT school.  The past semester had been such a blur of anatomy and physiology and wound care management that I had kind of forgotten why I was in school and what I was in school for.  Even with the sprinkled in clinical experiences during the semester, I had become so focused on keeping afloat that I had forgotten about my final goal. I had forgotten that one day I would need to be able to apply the things I have learned to a real patient in a real clinic with a real impairment in order to improve their quality of life and give them the tools to be more independent.  

During our first day of class, our professors came to meet with us for a few minutes.  They came to give us encouragement and celebrate how far we have come since the beginning of the year.  They asked us: what are you most excited for this semester? Immediately, a classmate raised his hand and explained how he had felt almost bogged down in all of the science-based courses we took last semester and that he was excited to finally pull this information forward and begin to apply it in a physical therapy setting.  There were a lot of nods in agreement. 

Now, I sit at the same coffee shop with a large cup of freshly brewed coffee, no scone, but a filled Word document pulled up on my computer.  My study buddy and I have already fallen back into our groove and we have barely even finished our first week of class. I look forward to this next semester as we begin to apply what we have dedicated the past half of a year to learning.  We finally get to start learning how to be physical therapists. After all

, that is what we are all in school for. It is vital to our success that we keep that final goal in mind, to never lose sight of our passions, and to always encourage each other when the going gets tough. 

Taking Mental Breaks

Author: Nikita Patel, SPT-1
Date: 9 AUG 2019

As the two week break comes to an end and the curtain for the fall semester is about to rise, I realized just how important taking a mental break from school is. Between each semester of the program, students are given about two weeks off. Some like to travel, see family, or just go home and relax. During my first break, I went back home to Lansdale, Pennsylvania and played the catch up game with my former coworkers and my friends. During this past break, I first went to Asheville with my family and then traveled to Orlando, Florida to spend time with my best friend at what is arguably the happiest place on earth: Disney. Now the hardest part of those breaks was trying not to think about school.

I have always wanted to be a physical therapist ever since both of my parents went through physical therapy. I was ecstatic when I was offered a seat in Campbell’s DPT program. And you could say I have been living the dream, though the classes are not easy. Graduate programs are graduate programs for a reason. They exist to challenge your thought process and prevent you from just memorizing facts for a test but instead to process and apply those facts onto a real person. Just because I was not in school during my breaks does not mean I would forget everything I learned. It was the opposite. 

During my first break, everyone I saw would ask how school was and what I like most about it. Most of the time, I ended up talking about all the topics I had just learned. Now, my most recent break was better. I focused more on the vacations and less on school. Part of that was due to my travel companions. My family and best friend already knew how stressed I was during the semester, that they tried not to bring anything up about it. Due to this, I found myself enjoying the memories I made with them and it helped me calm down, de-stress, and recharge. 

Trust me when I say that graduate school is no walk in the park. First semester felt like a speed dating night between my classes and learning styles. Summer semester was like drinking out of a fire hose with two exams per week for seven weeks of a ten week semester. It took a toll on me, both mentally and physically. Having those breaks between semesters was like a breath of fresh air for my brain. It allowed me to focus on recharging and taking a much needed mental break from school.

Learn to be Adaptable

Author: Ryan Vrindten, SPT-1
Date: 2 AUG 2019

Before entering the Doctor of Physical Therapy program here at Campbell, I was determined to hit the ground running from day one. Constantly during my undergraduate career, I heard the stories of how difficult the work would be, but I was determined to work my absolute hardest to achieve the goal I had worked so hard for thus far. I was going to take all the best elements of my study habits and put them to good use. Reviewing material every night, flash cards, I was not going to miss a beat the entire first semester to start off on the right foot. I was set to succeed with the techniques that I had, taking the mentality, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”.

In hindsight, I would not recommend this technique. I was so overwhelmed in my first semester trying to write down every note card and get every little detail that it burnt me out. I came out of that semester doing well, but I was so stressed out I almost ran onto the plane back to New Jersey to escape the feeling of stress from schoolwork. Something needed to change and fast if I was going to survive the following semester, let alone my time in the program.

Fast forward to the first anatomy lecture of our summer session where our professor gave the introductory lecture on how the class would work. His final suggestion to us was related to study habits that I have since applied to just about everything I do now during school that has helped me tremendously. Skip the flash cards and start to focus more on the active learning with the help of study guides to organize the material you learn. Being successful in a graduate program requires you to make connections and understand the material beyond a point of memorization. I personally found using the objectives in the beginning of every lecture as a great way to bring together all the main concepts for each unit. There is a time and place for remembering important facts and numbers, but in the end, what finally made everything click was getting a global perspective on the unit material we were focusing on. Everything from that point on would just become clear because I could compare it to a larger picture.

Moving away from my old study habits was hard, though in the end it was the best decision I could have made. It allowed me to reduce the overwhelming stress I had experienced first semester. This program will be hard there’s no sugar coating it. Learn to adapt. Learn to grow. In the end, you’ll be surprised at how efficient and successful you can become, if you just open your mind to the strategies that have worked for others.

Treat the Impairments

Author: Olivia Bloom, SPT-2
Date: 19 JUL 2019

Finishing up the summer of second year it feels as though many things are becoming more clear to me. It seems like the aspects of physical therapy that our professors have harped on are coming to fruition the more that we have opportunities to treat in Pro Bono, see patients every week in labs, and treat neuro patients weekly. First of all, a patient is a patient. Somebody that you need to help return to their function- they are not an orthopedic patient or a neuro patient. They can fit any and all of those labels and also none at all. While we have heard this time and time again, seeing it and treating these patients has enlightened me as a student and future clinician. In this program we have learned to treat the impairments and that is what makes the difference.

In a nutshell, a patient may have Parkinson’s disease but their largest limitation is truncal rigidity and hip pain due to a hip replacement. So is it neuro or ortho? The best part about physical therapy is that the patient is just human, a human with impairments that need to be addressed. So while their diagnosis may be contributing to truncal rigidity and disturbing their postural control and balance, they also have decreased range of motion in their hip and need to have that worked on as well. This patient needs a physical therapist to evaluate and treat their impairments, not treat them as a Parkinson’s patient or a patient with just a total hip replacement. You simply cannot pull out a Parkinson’s evaluation template or a hip replacement evaluation- you need to look at the person in front of you and do an evaluation fit for them.

This is what makes this education fun and challenging: each patient is a puzzle and our job is to figure out what is contributing to their limitations and how we can help them not only improve their impairments, but also get them back to participation in their life.

Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Author: Jon Starr, SPT-2
Date: 12 JUL 2019

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” This was the first piece of advice I received from my boss on my first day of work at Fort Bragg. As a “non-traditional” student, having taken off a handful of years after undergrad before coming back to start graduate school, I have since learned to accept the fact that this fair warning has turned into a life lesson.

Without cramming this post full of cliches, I sincerely believe we only grow once we step outside of our comfort zone. Graduate school is an entirely new beast that an undergraduate student could only dream of taming. I have been forced to refine my old study habits into true learning and the dividends this change has provided are immeasurable. It’s not easy to accept life hitting you from every angle while still trying to stand your ground during a tough 3-year-long battle of sorts, but it’s absolutely vital. Life may come at you in the form of your car breaking down two days before a big round of exams, leading you to sacrifice critical study time to deal with making sure you can actually travel to school/take the aforementioned exams. It may also come in the form of not quite reaching the bar you’ve set for yourself when grades come back after having to deal with said car issues. But at the end of the day, after embracing the uncomfortable feelings associated with all of this, life goes on. Hopefully, assuming we are wise enough to approach situations like these in this kind of fashion, you have LEARNED from it. Having learned, you have grown.

I’ll be frank, the situations I just mentioned happened to me this past week (surprised?) It is incredibly easy to accept success for what it is but let it fade in an instant. “Failure” on the other hand tends to sink in and sting just a little bit more. Life winning the round in this boxing match only leads you to want to shake it off and do something different for the upcoming round. This is a 12-round fight that we are in and there’s no way I will let one round cause me to give up. Becoming a physical therapist is what I believe I am called to do. This is all just a test to help my real character shine through.

Yesterday, after enduring a marathon of exams, we watched a video of a pediatric physical therapist who spoke about the use of robotics in the clinic. She discussed a very young patient who had a developmental delay leading to an inability to walk. The use of robotics in therapy made a tremendous impact on this young child to the point of bringing tears to the PT’s eyes. The emotion she showed while discussing this life-long change she helped impart on this patient reminded me that this is what it’s all about. I have no doubt the professors in our program have the same passion as this PT in particular. They stand next to you in the great times and in the not-so-great times. They offer up true encouragement when life tries to throw you off of your groove. They truly care about shaping us into being the best clinicians we can possibly be. THIS is why I love our program and will continue to embrace these times of being uncomfortable. The team around me at our program is helping me to grow into being the best clinician I can possibly be by “teaching us how to fish” rather than “fishing for us” as so many of our undergraduate professors likely did. My gratitude for this fact alone helps to continue to embrace the uncomfortable times, knowing the growth is flourishing from them.

Returning to School After the Gap Years

Author: Katie Kaiser, SPT-1
Date: 5 JUL 2019

I graduated from college before most of my classmates started high school. That fact terrified me before starting PT school. I was worried about fitting in and being able to keep up with everyone. When I was in college, we still took notes by hand and there definitely weren’t any Google Docs to share for group work. We also wrote out flashcards and didn’t have access to things like Quizlet. Every PT I have ever worked with told me that you spend so much time with your classmates that they become like a second family. What was I going to do if I couldn’t fit in? Could I survive in a program where I was different? I was quitting my job and taking this big risk. What if it didn’t work out?

On the first day of class, one of our professors went around the room and asked us all what the title of our autobiography would be. So, I figured I’d use my feelings of anxiety and confront it head on. My answer was “The Journey Was Longer Than I Thought: 31 and Back in School.” Everyone laughed, and later a couple of people mentioned how they didn’t even know I was older. That was it. That was the last time I ever felt worried about it. It turns out that people really aren’t worried about those things. The truth of the matter is, we are all here to become the best practitioners we can be, and our future patients are going to be interested in our ability to help them and they won’t be concerned with whether or not we started PT school immediately after undergrad. 

To anyone else who has taken the gap years and is ready to go back, I urge you to follow through with it. Don’t let the worry of fitting in with younger classmates deter you from achieving your goals. I am finally where I am meant to be and am so thankful that I followed through with it without letting my fears get in the way. 

72: The Importance of the “Why”

Author: McKinley Pollock, SPT-1
Date: 28 JUN 2019

When I came to physical therapy school at Campbell, I was nervous about the experience as a whole. As I progressed through my first semester, I started using the study habit I had used in undergrad: memorizing definitions, terms, and facts using flashcards. This strategy worked for me in undergrad and, as we started to take our first tests, it seemed like that strategy would work for me in PT school as well. I started to do well on the homework assignments and, in turn, started to do relatively well on our exams.

I had come out of my first practical feeling fairly confident that I had nailed it. I checked the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure, I had selected the appropriate tests to evaluate the severity of a stroke, and I had interacted with the patient like I was supposed to. I was excited to see the grade to further confirm how exceptional I had done. When we had received an email saying that our grades had been posted, I hopped onto my computer, excited to see my A.

A 72 stared back at me.

How could I have gotten a low C on this? I had memorized everything that was supposed to be done, I had interacted with the patient well, I didn’t drop the patient…what did I do to get 28 points docked off my grade and resulted in me barely passing this practical?

I went to talk to my professor, thinking surely this had been a mistake. As we sat down to talk, I had talked about all of the tests I had done and how I had memorized that these tests were what you should do in the scenario I had for the practical. My professor sat there and patiently listened to me complain; after I was finished, he looked at me and said, “why did you choose those tests?” When I told him, “because that’s what you told us to do” he smiled back and said, “yes, but why? Even though the patient had a stroke, why would you not choose other tests? Why exactly did you choose the tests you chose?”

I didn’t have an answer for him because I hadn’t thought about it like that. I had memorized what I was supposed to do but I had no idea exactly why I was supposed to do it. This is a lesson I have since taken to heart. Patients are more than just facts, tests, numbers, and data. Patients are people and you cannot simply memorize flashcards on how to treat a person. Don’t forget about why you are doing what you are doing. While disappointed with my grade, I’d say that 72 was imperative in building my PT knowledge and was the best grade I could have possibly gotten for my growth as a practitioner.

Getting a “Leg” Up on Prosthetics

Author: Jordan Keaton, SPT-2
Date: 21 JUN 2019

During the first semester of our second year (spring semester), we have a class specifically about Prosthetics and Orthotics (which I’ve heard is not a common course offered in many other programs.) For those of you who may not know the difference yet, an orthotic is something similar to a brace that can help with anything from proper foot positioning to spinal bracing post-surgery. Prosthetics, on the other hand, are the new limbs made for people who have experienced an amputation (whether it be traumatic or a little more planned.) One of the cool parts of this class was that the prosthetics portion was actually taught by a physical therapist who also has an above knee amputation! We were able to get a more up-close-and-personal look at what someone with an amputation needs from our services, beyond just helping them walk on a new limb.

At the end of the semester, Dr. LaRaia offered to connect us with the clinic that he personally goes to for maintenance and replacements for his leg(s) so that we could learn about the creation process from a Certified Prosthetist. Of course, I jumped at the chance for this unique opportunity. So last Friday I went to tour the facility with a few of my classmates.

At North Carolina Orthotics & Prosthetics in Wake Forest, we were given the full tour by the Certified Prosthetist at the clinic. He showed us the entire process from the first evaluation and wrapping the residual limb to form a mold, the digitization process to make the perfect fit for each individual patient, to the finished product of a prosthetic leg. With an on-site lab, some of the most up-to-date equipment and excellent and caring staff, it was a great learning experience!

From Cows to Campbell

Author: Dylan Peters, SPT-2
Date: 14 JUN 2019

26 hours, 48 minutes, and 37 seconds…

1,416.3 miles…

That’s the amount of time I spent in the car and the number of miles I drove during my voyage across the country to Campbell University. And if these numbers aren’t quite painting the mundane picture that I’m hoping it is, that equates to traveling at only about 52.5 miles per hour the entire time – to say it was a long, mundane drive would be an understatement.

A common question I get asked quite a bit is, “what in the world would make you move across the country just to go school? Surely there are physical therapy programs closer to where you’re from!”

And it’s true – in fact, I’m sure there are hundreds of programs that are closer to my home. But despite this fact, my answer remains relatively the same, “I’m just out here chasing a dream.”

Now before you start criticizing my cliché, allow me to explain myself. I was born and raised in a small community of approximately 200 people in rural South Dakota. My community, much like all of South Dakota and the Midwest, was centered around agriculture. I grew up helping my dad and brother on our own family farm, in addition to helping our neighboring farmers when they needed the help. I loved my community. I loved South Dakota. But, my passion was in medicine, not agriculture.

And so, my path of learning and working began, leading me around the Midwest, until all that was left was finding the right physical therapy school to apply to. My list had many schools – some just a few hours from my small community, and some halfway across the country. I completed my interviews and learned as much about each program as I could. Then along came Campbell.

It was a fluke that I’d even heard of Campbell, only having seen a banner advertisement that led me to investigate further. So, I continued my research of this newer program in a small town in “rural” North Carolina. I only had to make it to the department’s mission and vision statements before I knew I had to apply. With an emphasis in patient-centered care, service-orientated and Christian-guided view, and a special emphasis on rural healthcare, I quickly found that Campbell was offering me everything I wanted in a program.

Not only was I getting the emphasis in rural healthcare in my education, but I was also joining a small-community on a multitude of levels: my class, the health sciences college, and even Harnett County. The proverbial “cherry on top” being that I’d now be living in a state were the average temperature is 71 degrees year-round, which is quite a bit higher than what I was used to back in South Dakota.

But, I understand my situation could probably be considered as the “outlier”, as many people that move to Buies Creek are moving to a much smaller town (vs. a larger one, in my case.) Many of my classmates hail from suburbs and cities that make Buies Creek and Lillington look minuscule. But, here again, Campbell’s versatility shines through. With it only being a short drive away from the Raleigh metropolitan area, with many small cities filled with fun activities along the way, Campbell offers unique opportunities for our community of classmates to engage in non-school activities.

Since starting my Campbell journey almost 18 months ago, I’ve countlessly asked myself the same question I’m posed with so often, “why Campbell University?” I often think back when I was making the decision for the first time, weighing the pros and cons of each program. My mind had the prerequisite knowledge, my heart had the passion to follow the dream, and every time it came to narrow down my decision, it always led back to the orange and black.

School-life Balance

Author: Olivia Bloom, SPT-2
Date: 7 JUN 2019

Last Fall we had an IPE Combine Day – a day where classes are cancelled for all of CPHS and we get a chance to choose breakout sessions to attend with the nursing, PA, and pharmacy programs. One of the sessions I attended was about burnout and life balance. The speaker shared her life story with us and how she experienced both burn out and a lack of life balance as an ER doctor and how that had shaped her career journey. Burnout is not something that I feel yet, but life balance is an issue for me. When the speaker asked “what percentage of your life is school vs. other things,” my friends pointed to me and said “100:0” to which I could not object. I am very aware of the lack of balance in my life right now but sometimes when you have deadlines, exams, and practicals all hurling towards you it is hard to do anything but study. But since this Combine Day talk I am determined to change that – PT school is about studying and doing your best, but you also need to live, or else burnout will come.

I think that if you are someone like me, who lives by a schedule, then life balance must be literally penciled into your planner. Color code or do whatever you prefer but there is no doubt that I have to write it down to achieve this. It gives me a timeframe to get my studying done and this even makes me more productive with the time I have. Also, I’m learning that school-life balance can look like many different things: for me it could be going to dinner with friends, visiting family, working out, reading, or simply catching up on TV shows. It could be treating yourself to an afternoon off from school work after a big test or splurging on a certain meal. My point is, it looks different for every student and may look different for you as you progress through the program. Right now, for me, it is as simple as going to meet my best friend for dinner in Raleigh or giving myself a few hours to be outside in the great weather.  And while both of those things seem miniscule they keep me sane and allow me to have an even greater focus on studying and being more productive in that time.

While I am not the best at achieving school-life balance, I am slowly learning the benefits of a few hours away from the textbooks. Whatever this balance is to you, find it and maintain it throughout PT school. Because life goes on after these three years, and when you have a career as a physical therapist, work-life balance will be just as important, if not even more so. I think to be the best physical therapist you can be requires taking time every now and then to do things outside of the PT world.

Are we ready?

Now that we are halfway through our first clinical, my looming doubt in myself is beginning to fade and confidence in patient interaction and treatment is growing. Going into this first 6 week clinical I think the consensus from my classmates was “excited but nervous.” While we have gained a vast amount of knowledge in our first year in this program, there is still so much to learn, and I was worried that I would not know what to do once a real patient was sitting in front of me.

Now, halfway through this clinical I can say that I am loving it. I am at a SNF and with a great CI who trusts me with her patients and also guides me. For almost a whole year I practiced skills on my classmates, all young and around the same shape. So to have a real patient that is older, hurting, nasal cannula, feeding tube, and cognitive deficits in front of me is a whole different story. It is refreshing to work with real patients and to experience complicated medical histories and to be able to apply the things I have learned in the past year. I think that in the setting I am in, the psychological factors effecting each patient are very important and have taught me that patient interaction is key to getting a patient out of their room or getting them to walk for you that day. I love to hear their stories and to learn their histories so that I can understand them better and encourage them to participate in therapy. I think that sometimes people forget that these patients are just people, people that want to get better, and we get to help them do so.

I think that overall this clinical has taught me so much already and has allowed me to apply what I already know. But it has also shown me how much I have left to learn and it makes me excited for the upcoming year of classes and filling in the gaps in my knowledge.

Hello again future and fellow Camels! We have just closed out the year and we are all off to our various places for Christmas break. In reflection of this year, it’s amazing to think about how far we have come in our knowledge of the human body and the physical therapy profession. The first year (now second year) students are preparing for a six week clinical starting January 7, 2019. We are going to places all over the country from Hawaii to Colorado to Georgia to Dunn, NC. We are prepared to be in hospitals, inpatient rehab centers and outpatient orthopedic clinics. We are excited to meet patients and practice the skills that we have established throughout the last three semesters. We have learned how to complete subjective interviews to know how we will proceed with an appointment. We have learned about every joint in the body and how the muscles work to make us move the way we do. We have had discussions about how to handle situations where we will encounter people from other professions and other cultures. For this clinical, I am most excited to have interactions with real patients and to watch their progression from day one to discharge. I will be able to put into practice all the things we have learned from Hospital Based Practice and Anatomy and Therapeutic Exercise. I will get to see how individualized physical therapy can be for all my patients. But on top of all of that, I have the opportunity to create relationships with patients and other PT’s that I otherwise would not have met without this clinical opportunity provided by our DPT program. It’s going to be great to get out the classroom for a while, but rest assured that it will be a giant family reunion when we get back on February 18. To the baby Camels coming in, welcome to the family! To the third years preparing for electives and then rotations, we can’t wait to celebrate graduation with you! And to all those that read our blog, from the Campbell family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Therapy through Play

Pediatric physical therapy. What is it? What makes it so unique from other specialties? Well, first of all, peds PT basically refers to providing PT services to patients under 21 yo, roughly. This can be broken down into further subsections such as Early Intervention — ages 1-3, school-based, sports/ortho, neurodevelopmental, and on and on.

Now, peds PT includes the basis of any other PT treatment – focusing on MSK impairments, neurological components, patient-specific goals, and increasing everyday function. However, what’s so interesting in this population (especially in the younger kids) is that another layer is added: play. Every exercise/activity/home program you do has to be a part of play. You can’t give a 5 yo with R-sided hemiplegia single leg stands 3×15. You have to go on an adventure where we’re balancing on a log with one leg in the middle of the ocean to get away from sharks. And Oh no! we need to jump to the next log because the turtles are coming after us! You can’t just give a 7 yo kid with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy sit to stands 2×10. You need to reach down to the floor to pick up the baby birds (probably bean bags) and stand up on your tip toes to put them back in the tree. And Oh oh! The birds are moving around and trying to get away! It just got harder to pick them up!

In my mind, I’ve hit the jackpot: You’re telling me I can basically play games with kids all day, AND make them better, AND get paid??! Wow.

Now, it won’t always be easy…it DEFINITELY won’t be easy. There will always be the children who don’t want to do anything, a kid that will cry when a specific toy is taken away (or will cry the whole time), and even kids who get so distracted they can’t focus on anything. And working with the parents/caregivers is like taking on another patient in itself. Whether they are over-supportive or under-supportive, it takes skill to be able to read the parents and communicate well with them to make sure they are on your side, and the patient’s.

Being a peds PT sounds like riding the waviest, scariest, highest roller coaster. It’s like those wooden ones that are so unpredictable: either you get off having the best time of your life or you leave with a pounding headache…or sometim­es both. But let me tell you what, one thing’s for sure: I can’t wait for the ride.

 

Specializing in the World of Physical Therapy: Finding Your Niche by Carly Alderman, DPT 19

 

As my classmates and I come to the end of our second year of physical therapy school, we are wondering where we fit in the world of physical therapy. The wonderful thing about physical therapy is the wide variety of settings and flexibility of the profession. In class, our professors are encouraging and prodding us to think about where we see ourselves in the next few years. Outside class, our friends and families are questioning where we are going to get a job. But what if you just don’t have a clue? In each of our classes we have had specialist in different fields come and present. These have been fun and informative, giving us more knowledge of the opportunities our profession offers. For me, one that stood out the most was a performing arts specialist. This physical therapist primarily treats dancers as she was once one herself. Not only was this something she was passionate about throughout her life, but she is now able to apply this to her career as well. She is able to speak her patient’s language and engage with them differently than a person who has never been exposed to dance. This is where I think the magic happens. If we can understand patients more thoroughly we can design specific care plans tailored to their individual needs. The strides we will be able to make in our care will be phenomenal. So maybe you have a certain skill, knowledge or passion that others do not. This is where you can find your niche.

Learning Through Serving

 

As our class is nearing the end of our didactic learning, one of our final graduation projects is developing and implementing a community service project from the ground up. The community service project involves finding a target population/group and creating an educational and/or intervention specifically for that population. You’ll be assigned a group that has similar interest, for example my group and I are interested in pediatrics. All aspects of the projects must be performed directly by the group. Some things that we have to do for our project is getting a location, contacting the appropriate individuals for the project, developing flyers/interest for the event, setting up the event, collecting resources and volunteers, and providing research to back our event up.

For me and my group, we’ve planned a family fun night at a local elementary that focuses on combating childhood obesity in rural communities through education about nutrition and exercise. We’ve also included fun activities throughout the night to provide the school and parents with ideas about how to make exercise fun and engaging for the kids. In the rural communities, education is a powerful tool to help combat the issues that face our local communities because many people in our local communities don’t have or know how to access important health information. It is also a core value as a PT to give back to our community by promoting health and wellness.

Planning this event will be an amazing learning experience about the ins and outs of developing programs and events for the community. With the time already spent on the project, it already gives me a new appreciation for how difficult it is to plan events such as these for the community. However, it has been rewarding to see this event go from an idea in our heads and paper to seeing it implanted into the community. Although difficult to initially plan, it showed me how important to have a core team to help plan these types of events.  It also puts into perspective how important these events are for our community and needed in our communities. Not only do these events benefit the participants, it also benefits me because I get to listen, interact, and learn about the people within my community. As a future PT, helping to start, support, and implement events such as these will always be a core part of how I practice.

Born to Run by Liz Green, DPT19

 

Running. It’s everywhere. Everyone (for the most part) seems to be doing it. Our culture is fascinated with the concept of running, especially when it comes to having the latest and greatest running shoes. Most of the people in our class have Brooks running shoes (myself included), which have proven to be solid options for many runners. They’re stylish, light, and have a nice cushioned heel that makes you feel like you’re running on a cloud. Here are some of Brooks’ most popular running shoes:

Ghost 10 – 12mm drop                                          Adrenaline GTS 18 – 12 mm drop                                                           Glycerin 16 – 10 mm drop

What if I told you that while these shoes are the norm, they encourage a pattern of running that isn’t necessarily the most efficient? What if I told you that getting your leg out as far out in front of you as you can, lengthening your stride, and striking the ground heel first wasn’t the best way to run? This past week in our MSK class, Dr. Myers taught us the ins and outs of how we were “born to run.” To prove a point, he had one of our classmates, who was a heel striker, run from one side of the room to the other with his cushioned running shoes on. Dr. Myers had him to the same thing a second time, only this time, he made him do it barefoot. Everyone in our class could see a clear difference. Instead of striking heel first, he was striking on his midfoot/forefoot. No more cushioned shoes, no more heel strike. It looked so natural.

Dr. Myers went on to explain to our class that the most biomechanically efficient way for us to run is by striking with our midfoot/forefoot. Our bony calcaneus wasn’t made to accept the initial load when we run. Our calves (gastrocnemius and soleus) were designed to take this force. Not only that, the vertical impact peak with a traditional heel strike is about 1.5 times our body weight. With a midfoot/forefoot strike, that vertical impact peak is essentially diminished or even absent, which decreases rate of injury.

How can we apply these concepts to patient care? Dr. Myers explained to our class that he has seen countless runners as patients, but rarely changes them from a heel striker to a midfoot/forefoot striker. It can take approximately 6-8 months to successfully make this transition, and it is excruciatingly painful on the calf muscles. Think about it…all of a sudden you switch your striking pattern so that your calf muscles are experiencing a load that they are not anywhere used to…it’s going to hurt. So what do we do when a patient needs help with their running form and wants to increase their speed? Here are a couple clinical tips we learned:

1. Increase your cadence. Cadence is defined as the number of steps you take per minute while running. Shorten your stride and take more steps when you run – you’ll be surprised how much your form improves and you’ll even start to notice your striking pattern change.

 

2. Lean forward. Don’t bend at your back and run hunched over, lean forward from your ankles. When you lean forward, it shifts your center of mass farther in front of you, so your feet have to move faster to “catch up.” Try it! You’ll be amazed at how much faster you run.

These two things are something you should instruct your patients to do gradually to allow their bodies to adjust. Remember, we want to develop trust and therapeutic alliance with our patients, so let’s make sure they aren’t in too much pain. So let’s lace up our shoes and help our patients become the best runners they can be.

 

 

Hello There!

Hello There!

Dear first year self, you are analytical, an overthinker (your classmates will soon say an overachiever because you start on assignments weeks in advance), and perfectionist but soon you will get to know that there is no competition between you and your classmates; really, they aren’t as competitive as they seem. Actually, you all have a weird obsession with each other because once class lets out you would think you guys will part ways but instead you eat dinner, play games, and bond because you know, you haven’t seen them in a while.

In the second semester you will get the hang of school and stop rushing home to study without first considering that you have been sitting for long hours and absorbing information. The timeline of the summer schedule will make you more efficient and you will learn to carry this trait with you well into the second year. You and your classmates are in survival mode, so you will share so many study materials so stop thinking that you must make all the study guides, you all will pull together, and it will make life easier. Your professors can tell that everyone’s type A behavior is starting to show so they will keep telling you to relax almost every day and to do things outside of these four walls, but you just don’t see how. Well, that’s until you let your pride down and attend counseling sessions because mental health is everything especially when summer classes feel intense and test seem to happen every other week.

Congrats! You made it from the summer to the Fall semester! Hmmm yup you guessed it the class above you told a fib! This semester is the hardest, not the summer. You will do fine in this semester though if you stay on top of the material. Procrastination is not your friend, so you have learned to pull out the efficiency you learned in the summer. Ah, there you go! In the blink of an eye, you have earned your prize, you guessed it right again, first clinical experience at an outpatient clinic. You will be nervous but just remember that they do not expect you to be perfect, ask lots of questions, and immerse yourself in the language and skill.

You did it girl! One year down! You have learned to take the semesters as they come, you are transitioning into caring more about the skills that you develop and not focusing so much on getting A’s. You have learned what works best for you and that sometimes you must study with different classmates based on the topics and that’s fine because as you learn from them you become better.

Dear first year self, you survived and thrived even when you thought you wouldn’t. Continue to keep asking questions and practicing because your future self is depending on it!

Treat the Impairments by Liz Green, DPT19

Yesterday morning, we DPT2s took our final spring 2018 semester exam. It has undoubtedly been a marathon of a semester. We started with 6 weeks of our first clinical rotation and ended with 10 weeks of class and 1 week of final exams. Phew! The DPT1 students finished their semester last Wednesday, which is super exciting. I remember being in their place a little over a year ago; having that first semester behind you is such a relief! We now get about 10 days off before we gear up for summer semester. We are officially 4/9 DPTs!

In this post, I thought I would reflect a little bit on what the DPT2 students learned this semester. After completing my first clinical rotation, I have to admit, it was difficult to make the transition back to the classroom. I had gotten a small taste of what it would be like to “work” as a physical therapist and felt like I was just getting into the swing of things, and then, just like that, it was back to Buies Creek and back to long days spent in class and lab.

Little did I know how much left I had left to learn! If I could sum up this semester in one phrase, it would be “Treat the Impairments.” What does that mean? Let’s say you evaluate a patient diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease one week, and then the following week you evaluate another patient with that same diagnosis. You might think it’s a smart idea to just reach into your “Parkinson’s treatment bank” and do the same interventions with both patients. Sounds easy enough, right? After all, it’s the exact same disease affecting the exact same area of the brain, so both patients should respond to the exact same treatment.

Well…not exactly. At Campbell, we are taught to treat patients using the ICF Model. At the top of the model is the patient’s health condition, which in this case, would be Parkinson’s Disease. Then you evaluate the patient’s impairments. This might include things like rigidity, decreased range of motion, decreased strength, etc. Next, you see how these impairments are affecting what the patient is having difficulty doing throughout the day, such as walking, showering, reaching into a cabinet, etc. These are called activity limitations. Finally, you see how all of this impacts their ability to participate in their life roles as grandparents, church members, etc. We are taught to treat the impairments, not the health condition. This is because every patient is unique and presents with different impairments, even if they are diagnosed with the same health condition. What one patient might be having difficulty with, the other can do just fine.

It’s all about treating the impairments. We evaluate the impairments, ask the patient what they are having difficulty doing throughout the day based on those impairments, observe them performing that task, and that’s where we focus our interventions. No Parkinson’s patient is the same, and the more we can individualize our interventions, the more successful our outcomes will be.

 

Reset, Reinforce, Reload By: Richard K.

 

In school, there’s probably two phrases that get drilled into your head over and over again. Those two phrases would be reset, reinforce, reload and proximal stability before distal mobility. When our professors mention this phrase, they mean it in the reference of therapeutic exercises and treatments. However, the first phrase is something that I’ve been focusing in on not only because I have a therapeutic exam on Tuesday, but how applicable this phrase is for life as well.

With the end of the semester coming up quickly, I’ve been so focused on exams, projects, papers, etc. that I’ve been neglecting who I am and really feeling the burn out. My daily routine is literally go to classes, study/papers, and sleep. However, this week I found my reset. I watched a movie. I know it may not sound like much, but with time being such a rare commodity, it was nice to just not worry about anything and just relax. I put away my notes and study material and just enjoyed a nice movie. It helped me to just realign my self to what’s important. My reinforcement was encouragement from my family back home, who called me to see how I was doing. I also found reinforcement for my purpose here by reflecting on my journey and purpose for being here at Campbell. It also helps that I get to see patients every week and see their improvements. That helps to reinforce my resolve and purpose. Once the first two components are done, then I can start to reload. Reloading in the sense of picking back up on what needs to be done whether it’s studying, a paper, a project, meetings, etc.

When it seems like you’re starting to burnout, find your reset. Your reset may be reading a book, watching a movie, going for a run, fishing, whatever it is that you enjoy doing. Don’t worry about time, just do it. Once you’ve done your reset, then reinforce yourself by reminding yourself of your purpose. I like to journal and a good reinforcement for me to just reflect on the things that I’ve accomplished in my journal. Once that’s done, then you can start to reload with things that you need to get done. I can’t guarantee that this is a surefire plan, but it worked for me and has really helped me to refocus on finishing out this semester strong.

From the classroom to the cardio-thoracic ICU By: Savannah Snead

In DPT school it is easy to get caught up in the long hours of didactic work and forget the reason why we are putting in so much effort to build an extensive knowledge base for our future profession. At times, I have found myself wondering if I will ever have the chance to put in to practice every detail I have been learning for the past year and a half. This semester, the DPT2’s have had the opportunity to experience various ICU settings for a day at hospitals in Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Fayetteville. This unique exposure brought to life the scenarios which we have been learning about and preparing for in Cardiopulmonary Practice.

I had the opportunity to work with an experienced physical therapist in the Cardio-Thoracic Intensive Care Unit at UNC Hospitals. Examples of cases seen in the CTICU include patients with cardiothoracic disorders or those who become critically ill post-cardiothoracic surgery. The PT’s role in this setting is vital for optimal functional recovery with minimal complications. This was an eye-opening experience for me because I have never shadowed in an ICU setting and was amazed at the ability of the physical therapist to mobilize acutely ill patients. It is one thing to read about a double lung transplant surgery, but quite another to treat a person immediately after this life-altering procedure. This reality is the reason why we spend hours in the classroom learning about how to examine and evaluate specific diagnoses; we must be able to modify and adapt our treatments on the spot so that our patients receive the best care possible.

Camels Leaving The Creek!

Written by: Kara Campbell, DPT18

As many of you know, Campbell University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program is a combination of didactic work and clinical experience. The first clinical experience occurs during the first 6 weeks of the second year, and the final clinicals occur at the end of the third year. The current third year class is now finishing up their time in the classroom and getting ready to head out for their final clinical internships, which will begin on Monday, April 2. They will complete two clinicals, each lasting four months, before returning to Buies Creek for graduation in December.

This big step comes with a lot of emotions, including excitement and nervousness.  Dr. Shearin, the program’s Director of Clinical Education, states “The Campbell DPT clinical team works collaboratively with students to find final internships in their practice areas of interest, as well as in preferred geographical areas. Final internships should serve not only as an opportunity to connect with career mentors, but should provide extended opportunities for job searches and study cases for licensure preparation.  During our two 16-week internships, students fully develop their clinical skills and professional behaviors to entry level performance.

It is my honor and pleasure to observe this transition in student performance to independent clinicians as I conduct my site visits.”  Some of the class members will be traveling all over the country for their clinicals, while others will be staying within North Carolina. The settings vary from skilled nursing homes, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient orthopedic, and hospitals. In addition, the clinics offer specializations in neuropractice, athletics, pediatrics, women’s health, lymphedema, wound care, cardiopulmonary, and manual therapy. Although the university has taught the students so much, they still have a lot more to learn before becoming expert clinicians. The clinicals are a great chance for the students to apply what they have learned in the classroom and hone their skills.

On Wednesday, March 14, the faculty held a gifting ceremony for the third-year class. The students were provided lunch along with a chance for the faculty members to share their advice and appreciation for the class of 2018. Everyone in the class received a bag embroidered with the Campbell University logo, and an orange stethoscope engraved with “Campbell University DPT Class of 2018”. Although the faculty are sad to see yet another class leaving the walls of Smith Hall, they are excited for the students to utilize the skills in which they instilled in them.

CSM: SPTs in New Orleans

Written by: Morgan Sikes, DPT18

This past week over 17,000 physical therapy professionals and students from across the country traveled to New Orleans, LA for the APTA’s annual Combined Sections Meeting. Campbell students and faculty took full advantage of this opportunity in order to capitalize on the knowledge from many different professionals related to topics in their specialty area.

CSM consisted of educational sessions from many different specialties in PT including neurological, orthopedics, oncology, global health and so much more. Educational sessions ran each day from 8 am to 5 pm with opportunities for networking throughout the day and at PT social events nightly. There were lots of opportunities for students to learn more about areas we are interested in or for future clinicals (which was super helpful considering the class of 2018 is leaving for our final clinicals in just under a month!). Professors also had the chance to either present at the conference or hear from other speakers in their area to take back for students in the classroom.

In addition to CSM, there were plenty of opportunities for everyone to explore NOLA while we had the chance. Many people took advantage of chances to explore the French Quarter, eat beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde, and walk all over the city to try different restaurants, coffee houses, and shops.

While CSM was a great experience for everyone, we are excited to be back in the classroom and looking forward to future clinicals as an opportunity to apply everything we learned at the conference!

Advice from a Third Year

Written by: Joe Conaty, DPT18

I think this is my last blog post for the student ambassador program at Campbell. Our newest cohort has gotten their first round of tests finished, the class of 2019 are back from their first clinicals and officially are DPT2s, and my cohort are tying up the loose ends, getting licensure exam study plans put together and gearing up for our big clinical rotations. Today we did some candidate interviews for the class of 2021 (at least I think it’s 21.)

It’s kind fun to see a new bunch of future PT’s show up. They’re just as discombobulated as I felt when I was a wet-behind-the-ears DPT1. I remember the battle between anxiety and budding competence and the relief when I realized I wasn’t going to flunk out of school in the first week. I’m doing my best to be the resource our inaugural class was to me when I was still new. I want to see them succeed! But they look a little punch drunk and that’s a bit funny.

They’ve started asking for advice on how to get through it. How will they survive this or that professor, who they’ve heard through the grapevine is a dragon or a cannibal or whatever. I reassure them that they’ll be fine, to prepare carefully, to treat the program itself as a job. DPT school hasn’t just armed us with the knowledge to pass boards, or skills to treat ACL repairs, or identify conversion disorder and a million other things. It’s preparing us for a workplace. The process deserves to be treated with respect and school itself should be approach as a student’s profession. Many of these conversations have a very similar trajectory though. They’re not uninteresting, just the opposite, but there is a script of sorts. Listen, reassure, remind, reinforce, commiserate, repeat. It’s a good pattern.
There is one piece of advice I’d share to everyone, but especially for incoming students with significant others or spouses. Make sure your person is on board with this adventure and really knows the commitment you’re making. He or she will be affected by this, greatly. There will be a lot less down time and “us” time than before you started school. You will need your person’s support (especially if you’ve got children.) You will depend on them. You also need to carry your share of the home front too. You’ll need to do this in your professional life, but since this commitment doesn’t come with a paycheck it can be confusing that you’re spending so much time and energy at “school.”

The Art of Conversation

Written by: Richard Khang, DPT19

As the final day of my first clinical rotation comes to an end, I’ve learned so much and yet still feel like I know absolutely nothing. My clinical rotation was at a local SNF and it was a lot of first times for me. I experienced my first code brown, my first patient passing away, my first independent toilet transfer, my first time having a patient throw up on me, and so many other firsts. Out of all these many experiences, the one thing that impacted me the most, but seems so simple, is how simply having a conversation with your patients and listening can have a tremendous impact on their lives and recovery.

A conversation isn’t a conversation if only one person is doing all the talking. A conversation involves a fine balance of listening and talking. As much emphasis that we place on treating, being able to converse and listen is just has impactful as physically providing treatment. If you let your patients tell their story, then they’ll pretty much tell you everything you want to hear. Sometimes, actually most times, patients provide too much and that’s when the art part comes in to divert the conversation to the important information. Having a conversation also means not always talking about their condition. Our patients have heard enough about their conditions from doctors, nurses, PTs, family, etc. They want to talk about something different for a change. I can’t count the times that a patient is having a bad day, but as soon as I mention how their grandchildren, their favorite sports team, or what the weather looks like they perk up and instantly start having a better day. The amazing thing about the field of PT is we’re one of the only medical professionals that get this much one-one time with our patients and being able to connect with your patients allows them to really buy into their PT. They see that you care for them and are listening to their concerns and needs. Conversation is the key to developing a strong and trusting therapist to patient relationship.  That moment when things begin to click for the patient is a moment that you’ll never forget.

Particularly in the SNF setting, many of the residents don’t have any family or local family and just having a person listen and talk to them makes all the difference. Even the residents with dementia that I worked with would light up when I talked to them about something that I know they care about. Even the difficult patients will work with you if you can talk about something they enjoy. I’ve treated patients where all we talked about was the Cowboys, Panthers, tootsie rolls, the twist, basketball, etc. during the session and for a brief moment my patients forgot about their pain and worries. Each patient has a unique story and from their stories, I’ve learned to much about my patients and a lot about myself too.

A Rollercoaster of a Rotation

Written by: Sonali Sethi, DPT19

As our first clinical rotation winds down, I can’t help but reflect over the incredible last 5 weeks that I have had working in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Prior to the start of our rotation, I had this internal fear that I was not prepared to work with real patients. Sticking nasal cannulas up each other’s noses in lab, while faking an amputated leg (which, let’s be real, is pretty tough to pretend), did not make me feel comfortable going into the first day of “work.” Sure, I could draw the neural pathways in our brain and recite the medications for Rheumatoid Arthritis, but putting my hands on an individual with a real diagnosis and using my knowledge to help them get better seemed impossible.

However, as the days went on, the fear began to subside little by little. I began to realize that, along with knowledge of physical therapy diagnoses/treatments, two of the key traits to working with patients was to have compassion and empathy. Through the guidance of my CI, I was able to get more comfortable each day talking to patients and truly listening to their problems. From losing a spouse, to having no family/friend visitors, some of these individuals had very low motivation just to get out of bed and walk to the therapy gym. Initially, it was tough to communicate with some of the patients in a manner that would convince them that therapy was crucial to their recovery. It was also challenging to know when to let the patients be and allow them a day off. However, all that became easier as time went on.

I was also lucky to see the full spectrum of patients, from those eager for therapy to those that were screaming and frustrated. There were patients with tri-malleolar fractures, to patients with traumatic brain injuries. As the weeks progressed, it became easier to adjust my communication methods based on each individual patient’s level of alertness, family involvement, and more. I also went from seeing patients with my CI to having almost a full caseload of my own. As my CI’s trust and confidence grew in my skills, so did mine.

This rotation has taught me that, although I had gained a lot of knowledge in the past year of didactic learning, I still have ways to go in acquiring an in-depth understanding of seeing the full range of physical therapy patients. However, I was able to hone my communication skills and truly build rapport with my patients, which allowed them to be more comfortable and overall helped further their recovery. I am sad to leave the workplace environment, but eager for the challenges that lay ahead in my education as a physical therapy student.

Beyond the Books

Written by: Danielle Eustace, DPT19

As I’m sure is common for many of you, my interest in PT stemmed from an internal desire to help people feel better and to serve in a manner that leaves the world a little better than how I found it.  This unwavering passion continued through my first year of coursework in the Campbell DPT program and I was eager to finally step in to the clinic and apply some of the knowledge I had gained in the classroom to actual patients.

I was placed in a local inpatient facility and to be completely honest, my stomach was in total knots the first day in the clinic.  Not only was I nervous about forgetting all of the things I had learned in the classroom, but I was even more nervous for my 5:30 AM daily alarms.  I was determined to show compassion to the patients I saw and make sure they knew how much I cared about each and every one of them from the time I stepped in to the room for the initial evaluation to the time they were discharged.

With that being said, let’s get back to my first day.  I walked in trying to maintain my cool, palms sweaty, and millions of thoughts running through my head – what are standard lumbar precautions?, which way do I get a patient out of the bed following a total hip replacement?, pain score, pain score, pain score, what’s my name again?.  These thoughts went through my mind a mile a minute but upon meeting my CI and the other staff I’d be working with for my 6 week clinical, I was suddenly at ease and felt that it was a safe space with supervision where it would be okay for me to make mistakes and learn from them.

After some shadowing to see the ropes of how my CI handled treatments and instructed me on the surgeon’s specific protocols and expectations, she allowed me to initiate treatment and conduct the session myself with her supervision.  I couldn’t wait to demonstrate my skills and help this patient regain some mobility so he could return back home to his trusty side-kick, a 9-year-old Labrador Retriever. My first patient was the type of patient I expected to see in this setting, a relatively straight-forward elective joint surgical patient experiencing minimal pain with strong motivations to return to their prior level of function.  I was thinking I’d see the patient for maybe a few days and then he’d be on his way home to play some fetch with his four-legged pal.

And boy was I wrong.  I saw in a chart review that the patient had been experiencing a multi-hour nosebleed.  Although it looked funny to me and raised a red flag in my mind for treating the patient, my CI and I confirmed with the patient’s medical team and we were cleared to perform treatment with the patient.  We introduced ourselves to the patient and conducted treatment, however we did not feel comfortable getting the patient out of bed quite yet based on his other medical complications and mentioned we’d return later in the day to get him up and out of bed so his hip would start to feel better.

We treated the remaining patients for the morning and began chart reviews for the afternoon patients.  Much to our surprise, it appeared that unfortunately our nosebleed patient, my first patient that I had treated had unfortunately passed away following a post-operative medical complication.

I was devastated.  This was not how I envisioned my first clinical experience.  The path to helping my patient that I was so eager to follow took a very unexpected and tragic turn.  I couldn’t help but think of what more I could have done to help this patient avoid his ultimate fate.

My CI picked up on my mood change following this upsetting news and pulled me aside.  She highlighted that unfortunately, this type of event is far too common in the acute care setting and despite her years of experience, these events would always impact her in a similar way.  She highlighted that no textbook from my first year of studies taught me how to cope with this type patient, nor was it something that could truly be taught. She reinforced that it was completely normal to feel upset for this patient, however it was important to keep in mind that we had done everything that we could have done by monitoring vitals and notifying the medical team.  Rather prophetically, she wanted me to remember that every patient is a new opportunity to change somebody’s life for the better and it is important to learn from previous patient experiences, but also to compartmentalize and to come into each patient encounter with an eagerness and focus on the specific treatment in front of our eyes.

Throughout my clinical experience so far, I’ve assisted several patients progress in their rehabilitation and learned a lot about different protocols, tips for practice, and best current practice in the inpatient setting.  However, and more importantly in my opinion, I’ve learned the intangible skills that can’t necessarily be learned within the walls of a classroom.  I’ve learned how to establish an effective therapeutic alliance and build trust with patients, how to communicate with the rest of the interprofessional medical team to provide the best care to each and every patient, and to manage my time to encourage maximal efficiency throughout the day with patient care.

To date, this experience has been challenging, enlightening, and a perfect opportunity to learn and grow.  As I walk into the hospital each morning now, instead of feeling the anxiety of the first days, I am excited for the new opportunities each day brings to serve patients, absorb knowledge of the environment, and develop interpersonal relationships with patients and colleagues.  I’m eager to get back into the classroom to refine my knowledge and perfect my skills to improve my treatment practice for future patients.

The ICU — Lines, Leads, and Everything In-Between

Written by: Liz Green, DPT19

This is it. This is what you’ve been waiting for. You’ve made it through your first year of a Doctor of Physical Therapy program and now you can finally put your knowledge and skills to the test. It’s your first day of your first clinical internship in an acute care setting. You are nervous, anxious, excited, and maybe even a little nauseous. Regardless, you can’t wait to begin this 6 week journey. You walk up four flights of stairs, gait belt and walker in hand, your heart is racing, and you feel ready to conquer the day.

But wait. You peek into the room to get a quick glimpse of your first patient. Suddenly, your excitement turns to stress and you get a lump in your throat. The patient is trached, hooked up to a ventilator, connected to telemetry, has a Foley catheter, has two chest tubes with drains, has an A line, is receiving multiple medications through an IV, and is on contact precautions. You go to do a chart review on this patient and realize that in addition to their primary medical problem, they have 10 other comorbidities that you have to take into consideration. Can you even mobilize this patient, and if so, how?

The answer is yes. Absolutely yes. In fact, research stresses the importance of early mobility in the ICU and the countless benefits with which it provides our patients. The sooner we can mobilize these patients, the sooner they will regain their strength, which will ultimately decrease their hospital length of stay and reduce health care costs. Last week, I attended a meeting where the physical and occupational therapists who work primarily in the ICU discussed the release of a new and improved Early ICU Mobility Guide that is going to become the new gold standard at UNC Hospitals. It includes parameters for mobility and mobility exclusion, how to assess the patient’s tolerance for mobility, what sort of orders need to be considered, and safety considerations prior to mobility.

The ongoing problem physical therapists face in the ICU setting is that a lot of times, we are the only ones who are getting these patients up and moving. In my first 3 weeks of my clinical internship, I have heard multiple health care providers tell their patients “Oh we are waiting on the okay from physical therapy before we get you out of bed” or “Physical therapy will come get you up and walk you around,” where in reality, it is the responsibility of the entire health care team to ensure these critically ill patients are mobile as soon as possible. In the hospital, we have to communicate with other health care professionals that it is safe to mobilize these patients and how important it is that we do so throughout the day per the patient’s tolerance. We have to advocate for movement and be the voice of early mobility in the ICU.

Now back to exactly how to mobilize these complex patients. Last semester, our class took a Hospital Based Practice course that focused on practicing patient situations exactly like these. If there are any first year students reading this, pay close attention to these scenarios and take the time to practice them, because it will help you tremendously when you encounter similar situations during your internship. First, you want to make sure you take the time to know what your patient is hooked up to and why. Second, when you enter the room, take the time to get your lines, leads, and tubes ready for potential mobilization. Untangle any cords and move everything to one side of the bed to make things easier for you and the patient. Then, once you sit or stand them up, you have everything where you need it and you’re ready to go. According to my clinical supervisor and my experiences so far, this is something that takes lots of time and practice to master. If there’s one thing I’ve learned these past 3 weeks, it’s to not beat yourself up if you mess up or need to ask for help. That’s what clinicals are for! It’s a learning experience where you make mistakes, acknowledge them, and learn from them. It’s all part of becoming an experienced clinician.

All of that being said, I can confidently say that my first year of physical therapy school prepared me well for my first clinical internship. Then again, there are some things you have to experience to truly learn them. The ICU is not glamorous by any means; you will see, hear, and smell things that are unusual and sometimes a little scary, but know that what you are doing is making a difference in the lives of your patients. Every day is a new opportunity to impact the lives of others through our treatment, so take a deep breath, put your gloves on, and get people moving. We are the movement experts, and it’s time that we show it.

What I’ve Learned After Year One

Written by: Jake Kap, DPT19

Looking back on this last year, it is incredible how fast time has gone. I am truly grateful that I have been able to share so many memories with such a great class. After 1 year I have learned that it is important to be present. You need to be present with yourself, with your loved ones, with your class mates, with the coursework, and yes, with that professor that is frustrating. Time goes way too fast, and you have worked too hard to get here to allow hours and days to go by, in which you are not present in the moment. Every experience, good and bad will serve to benefit you. Be grateful for the hard times because one day you will look back on them and joke and laugh about them. Remember that you are surrounded by others who are having similar struggles, worrying about the same things, and feeling the same stresses. Don’t be afraid to talk to others about these things. Never say that a class, lecture, or assignment is pointless and that you are not going to learn anything from it. Instead, be present, give your best and keep working towards your goals. Never forget that one day you dreamed of being accepted to PT school. Well, looks like your dreams have come true, and they will continue to come true as long as you keep working, so don’t stop dreaming.