UIW Provides Unique Opportunity with Physical Therapy 体育 Residency
There are few physical therapy residency programs that offer residents the opportunity to work in the world of athletics. There are fewer still that provide a chance to work with Division I student-athletes, but the UIW Physical Therapy 体育 Residency offers a small cohort that opportunity.
这些候选人, who have already earned Doctor of Physical Therapy, 寻求体育方面的专业. The selection process is rigorous, with only two candidates chosen each year.
据博士说. 菲利普·范·戴克, director of 体育 Residency and assistant clinical professor of Physical Therapy, the relatively new program has received applicants from as far away as Maine and Puerto Rico. He shared that “the program looks for candidates who align with the Mission of the University, have a passion to work in collegiate athletics, and who have a desire to learn and grow throughout their time at UIW."
In addition to working with student-athletes and other medical personnel, the 体育 Residency program provides a variety of growth experiences such as online learning modules, 每周杂志俱乐部讨论, 指导和教学机会. The goal of the program is to “help to develop the residents to be leaders and innovators in the physical therapy profession,范·戴克说. 在12个月的课程结束后, cohort members qualify to sit for American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS) board exam to become a Board-Certified 体育 Clinical Specialist.
The benefits of UIW’s 体育 Physical Therapy program are multi-directional. The residents bring a unique perspective and skillset that complements the members of the UIW 体育 Medicine team. They work 关闭ly with athletic trainers and physicians towards one goal: providing excellent care for the student-athletes they serve.
今年的住院医师，Dr. 斯特林杰弗里斯和博士. 埃德加多·里维拉·洛佩兹, have worked with student-athletes on sports teams across the department, 包括篮球, 足球, 足球, 田径, 和更多的.
“It has been incredible to see just how committed these athletes are to their sport,杰弗里斯分享道。. “I find great joy working 关闭ly as a team with these individuals, including the coaches and athletes themselves, to determine the best course of action for an athlete so that they can go out and perform at their highest possible level while minimizing their risk of injury.”
“This learning experience has been amazing in all aspects,洛佩兹补充道。. “I have learned to work on a full 体育 Medicine staff as a Physical Therapist, complete the process of rehabilitation of the athlete, and how to be a better human being with every person that comes to us to make them better.”
Joining the selective residency cohort at UIW was an obvious choice for both Jeffries and Lopez. UIW’s 25 athletic programs 和更多的 than 530 student-athletes provide a wide range of opportunities to learn about providing care. Jeffries found it appealing that UIW has unique sports offerings, 比如艺术游泳和击剑. He shared “when I first stepped on campus for the interview, I immediately knew I wanted to be a Cardinal.”
Lopez was in Texas for a Combined Sections Meeting for the American Physical Therapy Association when a colleague from his home of Puerto Rico shared about the 体育 Residency program and gave him a tour at UIW. Throughout the interview process, Lopez said “it felt like home” and now he is “grateful to be here.”
As both continue to work through the program, they already have fond memories of their year working with Cardinals. Some of those memories include working with 足球 during their amazing playoff run, helping with the men’s track team during its indoor conference track championship and accompanying a member of the fencing team to the NCAA National Championship at Duke University.
经历这一切, the duo agrees that building bonds with the student-athletes while helping them return to the sport they love has been the best part of their experience.
“My favorite memory is going to be the bond that I have formed with my student-athletes and being able to see them compete and succeed after recovering from an injury,杰弗里斯说。.
“I have loved all of the great connections and experiences with every student-athlete I have gotten to work with at UIW,洛佩兹补充道。. “I’m glad to have had a part in guiding them to get back on the field and perform better.”