Category Archives: DPT

An Educational Trip of a Lifetime!

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Written by: Nicki Sanchirico Exsc/Kines ’18, DPT ’21

About one year ago, I woke up early during my intersession break to catch a flight to Guatemala.  No, I did not go there to simply escape the cold, although that certainly was a perk!  I traveled there with twelve second- and third-year University of Scranton Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate students, as well as two of our professors, for an educational trip of a lifetime!  Our professors organized a trip for us with a non-profit organization called Hearts in Motion (HIM). On our trip, we teamed up with four students and one professor from another Jesuit institution to provide physical therapy triage services to individuals who ordinarily do not have access to care.

Each day, we woke up with the call of a rooster who lived on the hotel grounds, ate a delicious Guatemalan breakfast, and traveled via bus from our hotel to various locations surrounding the town of Zacapa. At each site, patients lined up to receive our services before we even arrived. As students at a Jesuit school, we are taught to always strive for “magis” or the “greater”. To ensure each patient received the greatest quality of care, we split up into groups that included two to three student therapists and a translator. Our professors, along with two physical therapists from Guatemala, rotated around to each group as needed. This gave us the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from each other throughout the day.

Just as we are taught to strive for “magis”, we also aim for the Jesuit ideal of “cura personalis” or “care of the whole person”. Prior to going on the trip, I doubted how much we could help each person if we only saw them once; however, I was pleasantly surprised when my professors told me that the patients would be able to receive follow up care if needed. At the end of each day and at the end of our trip, we had guided prayers and reflections on our experiences. Out of the 250 patients seen, a pediatric patient marked one of the biggest imprints on my heart. The child had cerebral palsy and malnourishment. His mother reported that he often wanted to stand or walk, but it became too difficult for her to help him by herself. Through the triage services, our professor helped us to retrofit donated braces to his legs to make it easier for the mother to assist her child with ambulation. HIM then offered the child continued services to help address his neuromuscular and nutritional deficits. The look of pure joy that filled the mother’s face after she realized her son would finally be receiving the care that he needs is an image that I will remember throughout the rest of my academic and professional career.

In addition to the educational and emotionally moving physical therapy patient experiences, the cultural immersion experiences made the trip unforgettable. Throughout each treatment session, we gained new insight into the Guatemalan culture and the differences between each surrounding town. Our last couple of days in Guatemala was spent in the beautiful city of Antigua, exploring and enjoying many experiences that the country offers. I had the opportunity to tour a coffee plantation, ride a horse up a volcano, buy Guatemalan goods crafted by the locals, and indulge on authentic food. I am beyond grateful for the service immersion experience that allowed me to fine tune physical therapy skills and my Jesuit ideals of “magis” and “cura personalis”, while having fun along the way!

This trip was just one of the many volunteer opportunities that the University offers to students. Although this trip was specific to physical therapy students, service opportunities are also available to graduate students of other majors. During a typical year, graduate and undergraduate students can participate in both international and domestic service immersion experiences through The Center for Service and Social Justice. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, The Center for Service and Social Justice was still able to offer immersion experiences to students; however, it was in a virtual format! This winter, they offered a virtual domestic immersion chance to explore racial justice in Detroit, as well as a virtual international immersion opportunity with Christians for Peace in El Salvador.  The variety of service and immersion experiences offered by The University of Scranton allows students to enrich their life as graduate students and create unforgettable experiences!

DPT Alumni Reflect on Benefits of Community Based Learning

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CBL trip to Guatemala

Maureen Taylor, Sammy Marri, and a local PT working on standing endurance with a child at the Gualan Nutriction Clinic.

“As the community based learning coordinator for the Physical Therapy Club for the 2016-2017 school year, I have learned immensely about the different opportunities that exist for students to volunteer within the surrounding community. Throughout the school year, the Physical Therapy Club provides exercise classes to three of the local senior living facilities and two of the local day cares. Seniorcise is an exercise class that occurs twice a week for 60 minutes while Kidercise is once a week for 60 minutes. These exercise classes are a great way for students to interact with the community & be creative in the exercise classes. In addition, the club assists in coordinating a Wheelchair Basketball Tournament for I AM organization & a Volleyball Marathon for Cystic Fibrosis as well as volunteering at the Leahy Clinic. The Leahy Clinic is run by students and provides physical therapy services to the uninsured in the surrounding area. While volunteering at the clinic, students are able to gain knowledge within the field.  There are two service trips available to PT club members: Navajo Indian Reservation & Guatemala. On the Navajo Indian Reservation, students partake in service including cleaning, organizing, painting, & assisting in the care of children at a local school as well as immerse in the Navajo culture.  In Guatemala, through Hearts in Motion, students provide physical therapy care to various communities. There are many other options for community based learning for students. Many students volunteer at the local soup kitchen, weight training for athletic teams, dog shelters, & Challenger Soccer. Challenger Soccer is a program at Riverfront Sports Complex for children with special needs who want to participate in sports and be a team member. I am very happy to been given this opportunity, and one of my favorite parts is learning how much our help is truly appreciated by the community.”

“This past January I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend a service trip in Guatemala with some of my classmates. While there, we provided physical therapy services throughout different towns and clinics to those who were in need. We went to help them but what we came back with was far greater. We learned about their wonderful culture, caring people & their vast sense of gratitude & kindness.  I, along with my classmates, will always cherish the memories that I have of the nine days that we spent in Guatemala giving ourselves to others & I know that our lives have been forever changed.”

– Maureen Taylor, DPT Class of 2018

CBL tripi to St. Michaels, Arizona

(Left to Right): Bow Arrow, DPT class of 2017, Cassie Lucke, Lisa Jackowitz, and Danielle Frank, DPT class of 2019, at the Window Rock Navajo Tribal Park and Veteran’s Memorial in Window Rock, AZ, the capital of the Navajo Nation.

“During my time on the Navajo reservation my outlook on life and on my future career as a Physical Therapist changed forever.  The humility and gratitude shown among the Navajos, and their ability to share immensely with outsiders has impacted me greatly.  I look forward to learning more about the Navajo culture in hopes that one day, when licensed, I can return and provide the reservation with medical care through the integration of modern medicine and traditional Navajo teachings.”

-Danielle Frank, EXSC ’16, DPT Class of 2019

Learn more about the DPT program at The University of Scranton.

Only a Few Exist, and We Have One!

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Did you know there are only approximately 100 pro bono PT Clinics in the country? Of those 100, only 38 are student-run. The PT Clinic in the Leahy Center for the Uninsured and Underinsured is one of those 38!

Partnering with the Community to Make the Connection between the Classroom and the Clinic

Mission Statement:

The mission of the University of Scranton’s Leahy Community Health and Family Center Physical Therapy (LCHFC PT) Clinic, as a part of the University’s first student run free clinic, is to deliver exceptional patient centered care by providing physical therapy services to uninsured and underinsured residents of the University Area Community, educate future physical therapists through clinical learning experiences grounded in the Jesuit tradition, and to foster the partnership between The University, its students, faculty and staff, and the community through collaboration and evidence based practice of physical therapy.

What We Do:

The management of the clinic is run by a team of students from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and treatment of patients is conducted by DPT students with supervision by DPT program faculty and licensed physical therapy clinicians from the community.  This provides our students with an valuable hands-on learning experience that enriches both their lives and and the lives of their clients.

Student-Run:

The management of the clinic is run by a team of students from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and treatment of patients is conducted by DPT students with supervision by DPT program faculty and licensed physical therapy clinicians from the community.  This provides our students with an valuable hands-on learning experience that enriches both their lives and and the lives of their clients.

Visit the Clinic’s web page here.
Learn more about the DPT program here.

 

Connecting Physical Therapy Education with the Community

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Our Physical Therapy students have the irreplaceable advantage of gaining hands-on, real experience right on our campus. By partnering with the community, Scranton makes a strong connection between the classroom and the clinic.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the University of Scranton’s Leahy Community Health and Family Center Physical Therapy (LCHFC PT) Clinic, as a part of the University’s first student run free clinic, is to deliver exceptional patient centered care by providing physical therapy services to uninsured and underinsured residents of the University Area Community, educate future physical therapists through clinical learning experiences grounded in the Jesuit tradition, and to foster the partnership between The University, its students, faculty and staff, and the community through collaboration and evidence based practice of physical therapy.  

What We Do:

The University of Scranton’s Leahy Community Health and Family Center Physical Therapy (LCHFC PT) Clinic strives to provide quality physical therapy screening, examinations/evaluations and interventions to the uninsured and underinsured members of the community at no cost.

The management of the clinic is run by a team of students from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and treatment of patients is conducted by DPT students with supervision by DPT program faculty and licensed physical therapy clinicians from the community.  This provides our students with an valuable hands-on learning experience that enriches both their lives and and the lives of their clients.

Learn more about the Physical Therapy program at the University of Scranton here.

Leahy clinic 2.jpg

Hours, Location and Phone Number:

The Leahy Community Health and Family Center Physical Therapy Clinic is located on the bottom floor of McGurrin Hall. The address is 230 Kressler Court, Scranton, PA.

The LCHFC PT Clinic is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00-6:00 P.M. For appointments, please call (570) 941-6563.

DPT Students Share Exciting Research Nationally

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Thirty-Four University of Scranton Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) students presented research at the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sectors Meeting in Washington, D.C., in January and four D.P.T. students will present their research at the Novel Physiotherapies and Physical Rehabilitation Conference in London in August. The students conducted the research and made the poster presentations with seven physical therapy faculty members, who served as their advisors.

 

At the January conference, D.P.T. students Omar Amer, Scotch Plains, New Jersey; Berta Carmo, Parsippany, New Jersey; Dannylyn Manabat, Long Beach, California; and Jonathan Mayes, Dublin (PA) presented “The Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Therapy on Physical Performance in Adults as Compared to Standard Physical Exercise and Control Groups: A Systematic Review.” Their research was conducted with faculty advisor Peter Leininger, Ph.D.

D.P.T. students Megan J. Manzo ’16, Shelton, Connecticut; Colleen E. Smith ’16, Moscow; Emily M. Suchocki ’16, West Wyoming; and Gianna M. Vitolo ’16, Denville, New Jersey; and faculty advisor Dr. Leininger, presented “Effects of Combined Skilled Aquatic and Land Based Therapy Compared to Land Therapy Alone on Balance and Gait in Adults after a Stroke: A Systematic Review.”

D.P.T. students Stephanie Klug ’16, Morresville, North Carolina; Molly Loftus ’16, Mount Carmel; and Stephanie Zaccaria ’16, Oradell, New Jersey; and faculty advisors Dana Maida, D.P.T., and Janette Scardillo, D.P.T., presented their study “The Effects of Early Mobility in Reducing Length of Stay for Adult Patients in the Intensive Care Unit Due to Trauma: A Systematic Review.”

D.P.T. students Kevin Whelan ’16, Bronx, New York; William Wilcox, Exton; and Alissa Zajac ’16, Oxford, New Jersey, presented “How Is Graded Exercise Testing Being Used in the Clinical Management of Individuals Following a Concussion: A Systematic Review.” Their research was conducted with faculty advisor Dr. Scardillo.

D.P.T. students Danielle Frank ’16, Scranton; Sarah Kosik ’16, Pittston; Courtney Jo James Medfield ’16, Massachusetts; and Krista Ziegler ’16, Scranton, presented their study “The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Balance and Mobility in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review.” Their research was conducted with faculty advisors Nicholas Rodino, D.P.T., and Renee Hakim, Ph.D.

D.P.T. students William Cavanaugh, Plains; John Huller ’16, Hicksville, New York; Nicholas Mullery ’16, Clark, New Jersey; and Joseph Pichiarello ’16, Dumnore, presented “The Impact of Home Health Care on Cost Effectiveness Compared to Other Post-Acute Settings in Individuals Status Post Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review” Their research was conducted with faculty advisor Tracey Collins, Ph.D.

D.P.T. students Lauren Bonitz ’16, Endicott, New York; Megan Fasano ’16, Blue Bell; Meghan Goyden, Endwell, New York; and Caroline Segota ’16, Floral Park, New York, presented their study “Effectiveness of Gait Interventions in Improving Gait in Adults with Ataxia: A Systematic Review.” Their research was conducted with faculty advisor Jennifer Schwartz, D.P.T.

D.P.T. students Maria Gentile ’16, Jefferson Township; Cassandra Lucke ’16, Archbald; Shannon McSherry ’16, Carmel, New York; and Devin Ryan, Blackwood, New Jersey, presented “The Effect of Equine Related Therapy on Physical and Psychological Well-Being of Older Adults: A Systematic Review.” Their research was conducted with faculty advisors Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Maida.

D.P.T. students Levi Haldeman, Lehighton; Lisa Jackowitz ’16, Moosic; Aaron Oquendo ’16, Wanaque, New Jersey; and Matthew Wells ’16, Hillsborough, New Jersey and faculty advisor Dr. Hakim, presented “The Effects of Intramuscular FES on Objective Gait Measures in Adult Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Systematic Review.”

In addition, Dr. Hakim and University graduates Cassandra Fitzgerald ’15, D.P.T.’18, Fairfield, Connecticut; Elizabeth Palladino ’15, D.P.T.’18, Howell, New Jersey; andSean Scully ’15, D.P.T.’18, Sewell, New Jersey, presented their study “Functional Outcomes of Patients with Orthopedic Diagnoses Receiving Pro Bono Physical Therapy Services in a Student-Run Clinic: A Retrospective Study.”

Poster presentations of research studies were also made at the Washington, D.C., conference by faculty members, including Dr. Maida and Barbara Wagner, D.P.T., faculty emerita, and Heidi Bockelkamp, D.P.T., market director of rehabilitation services at Regional Hospital of Scranton, presented their studies “Determining AM-PAC  ‘6-Clicks’ Cutoff Scores based on Type of Joint Replacement to Predict Discharge Destination” and “Determining AM-PAC ‘6-Clicks’ Cutoff Scores based on Patient Age to Predict Discharge Destination Following Elective Joint Replacement.”

The American Physical Therapy Association’s more than 100,000 members include physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and students of physical therapy.

In addition, D.P.T. students Jamie Christensen, Branchville, New Jersey; Maura McGowan ’16, Scranton; Lindsay McGraw ’16, Lakewood; and Cory Piening, Horsham, will present “The Effect of Virtual Reality Training on Balance and Mobility in Adults with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review” at the Novel Physiotherapies & Physical Rehabilitation Conference in August in London. Their research was conducted with faculty advisor Dr. Hakim.

Story originally shared in Royal News.