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| DPT Program Professionalism Ceremony |
“Vulnerability is not weakness. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” Brene Brown
This
past week at CSU, we celebrated the 5th annual DPT Program
Professionalism Ceremony. This event
honors our 2nd year students as they prepare to embark on their
first full-time clinical education experiences in a little over a month. It is truly a celebration of all they have
accomplished in the program thus far, as well as the exciting possibilities
that lie ahead in the next phase of their DPT education. During the event, students receive white
coats, which symbolize their professional duty to their future patients and
their acceptance of the core values of physical therapy. They also recite an oath and receive a
blessing of the hands in front of faculty, peers, and their family and friends
who have supported them. In addition, a
keynote address was provided by Mr. Edward Ash, PT, ATC, OCS, COMT, CSCS, winner
of the CSU Viking Award in 2015.
Mr.
Ash provided our students with many “tips” as they prepare to head out into the
clinic, including: the value of having a mentor across a professional career,
the need for therapists to put their own feelings aside and focus on the
patient, and remembering that what lies beneath the white coat is what is most
important. However, one final message
from Mr. Ash that really resonated with me was his focus on how it is important for students to be vulnerable in
the clinical learning process. As
the Director of Clinical Education, I certainly appreciate that while students
are excited for their first clinical experience, it is also truly terrifying
for them in many ways. What exactly are
students afraid of? I have asked
students to discuss this in the academic setting prior to their first
clinicals, and students often note some of the following: not knowing the
answer to a CI or patient’s question, saying the “wrong” thing, making a
mistake, being unsuccessful, etc. While
I have fully understood their perspective and fears, I have also tried to
stress with them that they often learn the most from those “safe learning
mistakes” that their CIs allow them to make and grow from. Mr. Ash emphasized to the students how they
need to be more accepting of themselves and the fact that it is normal and “ok”
to make some mistakes in the process. As
I think about the role of a clinical instructor, I think it is critically
important that we as CIs help students to accept where they are, yet also to
push themselves outside of what is comfortable in order to facilitate their
continued development. As Dr. Brene Brown suggests, being vulnerable can be a
catalyst to tremendous change!
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| "For Pete's Sake - Be an Organ Donor" Drive |
I
want conclude this spring update with a quick moment of remembrance for our
clinical education colleague, Peter Mosher, PT, DPT, OCS, former DCE at Mount
St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH.
Dr. Mosher passed away in December 2013 while awaiting a lung
transplant. This April, our CSU DPT
students are participating in the 2nd annual "For Pete’s Sake – Be
an Organ Donor” Drive, which challenges all PT & PTA schools in our region
to register new organ donors on their campus.
If you are interested in becoming an organ donor, you can find
additional information at: https://www.lifebanc.org/about-donation/ohio-donor-registry.html.
Wishing
you all a happy and healthy spring!
Karen
McIntyre, PT, DPT – Director of Clinical Education
