Fall Clinical Education Update

It has been another busy fall for the Cleveland State University DPT Program.  Following the retirement of Dr. Karen O’Loughin, we have welcomed our new Program Director, Dr. Suzanne Giuffre.  Many of you in clinical education may already know her, as she was the former Director of Clinical Education at Youngstown State University.   She officially began with us on July 1^st, but has really been integrating more into our program over the past few months.  Since joining us, she has already begun numerous initiatives including establishing a Pre-PT Club on campus and work on a new alumni newsletter.  We are grateful to Dr. O’Loughlin for her lasting contributions to our program, and we are also excited for Dr. Giuffre’s fresh perspective for our future!  

Thanks in large part to the generosity of you - our clinical partners, CSU DPT third-year students completed their Applied PT IV placements in mid-October.  They are now finishing up their Applied PT V elective practica and preparing for graduation in December.  For those of you who are still unfamiliar with our Applied PT V practica,  these are individually designed placements that allow students who have already reached entry-level practice in Applied PT IV to explore an area of special interest, while also contributing to the clinical facility.  The goal of these placements is really to be a “win-win” for both the student and the clinical site.  As a part of this placement, each student must create some sort of final “project/product” that is designed in collaboration with the clinical supervisor to be something that can benefit the site.  Applied PT V placements may occur in clinical research, administration & management, program development/evaluation, or specialized clinical practice environments, eg., pediatrics, school settings, geriatrics, sports medicine, women’s health, chronic pain, vestibular rehab, among others.  Examples of past projects have included:  production of marketing materials for PT practices and special programs, development of clinical-practice guidelines, generation of a database to track patient outcomes, completion of portions of research projects that have culminated in peer-reviewed presentations, and more.  If you are interested in considering Applied PT V in the future, we would be happy to talk to you to answer individual questions and brainstorm how it might work in your facility.  Please feel free to contact me as the Director of Clinical Education at k.vitak@csuohio.edu, or Dr. Jane Keehan who coordinates these placements at j.keehan@csuohio.edu. 

We were excited to have many clinical instructors join us at our annual Prestige Speaker Event in October where former faculty member Dr. Vanina Dal Bello-Haas returned from Canada as our honoree.  Among many award recipients that night, Dr. Anthony DiFilippo and Dr. Edie Benner were given the Viking Award for their contributions to our program,  including to the clinical education of numerous students.  We hope that you will consider joining us in future years, and remember that we extend complimentary invitations to all clinical instructors who have worked with our students in the year of the event. 

Finally, as we head into the holiday season, please accept our sincerest gratitude for your efforts with our students!   We cannot say thank you enough for all you give to our program. 

Happy Holidays!

Karen McIntyre, Director of Clinical Education  - CSU DPT Program

2015 Viking Award Winners- Dr. Anthony DiFilippo and Dr. Edie Benner

Student Summer Update: Applied I Clinical Rotation

It is hard to believe the first of five clinical rotations has come and gone. My classmates and I began our Applied PT I clinical rotation in May and spent 10 weeks in our full-time positions located all throughout Ohio with a few in Chicago as well! We spent 4 semesters together in the classroom preparing for this experience, and I must say that the hard work has definitely paid off. We were all very nervous to begin our practice as clinical practitioners out in our respective sites, but as the 10 weeks progressed we blossomed into well rounded student physical therapists.

I can personally say that my Applied PT I clinical was very rewarding. I expanded my knowledge of physical therapy practice immensely, developed professional relationships with experienced clinicians, and made many connections with wonderful patients. The most valuable thing I learned during my Applied PT I clinical rotation was to be a "sponge" in my clinical practice, not only during my time as a student, but also as a future clinician. There is always something to be learned or absorbed from those around you, whether it be a fellow physical therapist, physical therapist assistant, other health care professionals, and even our patients. As the fall semester approaches, my classmates and I look forward to reuniting in the classroom to share our experiences and to prepare ourselves for Applied PT II and III next Spring.

Until next time,

Alli Burfield, SPT
Graduate Assistant to Dr. Karen McIntyre & Member of the CSU DPT Class of 2016

Spring Update from the CSU DPT Clinical Education Program

It’s been a busy spring for Cleveland State University DPT students!  Our third year students are currently finishing up their intermediate level placements (Applied PT II & III).  The first and second year students continue to assist in providing pro bono physical therapy care at two locations downtown: the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland and the Care Alliance Health Center.  Our program is extremely grateful for the ongoing support of the many physical therapist clinician volunteers who make this experience possible for our students!   In addition to these service-learning experiences, our students have been fortunate to participate in additional clinical labs off campus through the generosity of our clinical partners. 

 

A new and exciting collaboration that the CSU DPT Program started this spring is our partnership with the Cleveland Museum of Art's (CMA) Vital Signs Program.  The CMA art galleries provide unique laboratories that engage students in activities that are transferable to healthcare practice.  Second year students participated in art rounds where they viewed and discussed several pieces in the gallery and also a contour drawing activity.  Through these activities they explored key concepts including: close observation and mindfulness, distinguishing subjective from objective information, self-awareness of individual habits in observation and interpretation, importance of process as well as outcomes, and more.  Following the activities at CMA, students completed video reflections of their experiences in which they were asked to further consider how these concepts relate to physical therapy clinical practice. 

 

Outside of the classroom and clinic, our CSU DPT students continue to be extremely involved in our profession.  CSU had over 20 students who advocated for physical therapy issues at OPTA Advocacy Day.  We also had excellent participation at OPTA State Conference, including the student challenge. 

 

One final exciting spring update is that two of our clinical instructors and one of our students were honored for their achievements at the Ohio Physical Therapy Association Spring Conference.  Dr. Karoline Lubbeck from the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic was awarded OPTA's Outstanding Clinical Educator Award, Dr. Lynn Czup was awarded the Outstanding Physical Therapist Award, and Dr. Jeffrey Swiers (DPT Class of 2014) was awarded the Outstanding Student Award. 

 

We are extremely grateful for all of the efforts of our clinical partners this spring, and we are looking forward to an exciting summer ahead!  

 

Karen McIntyre, PT, DPT - Director of Clinical Education, CSU DPT Program