University of the Pacific Blogs

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Faculty, students, and alumni of the Department of Physical Therapy made a variety of strong contributions to the recent Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association in San Diego, California:

l Dr. Christy Wilson, Physical Therapy, in her continuing role as chair of the Research Committee of the APTA's Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section, moderated 15 platform presentations, attended the Section’s Board meeting as a board member, reported at the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section business meeting, and reviewed over 20 platform and poster presentations for the Section’s research awards.  Dr. Wilson also attended a pre-conference course "Early Mobility and Walking Program in ICU."

l Dr. Sandy Bellamy, Physical Therapy, was elected Region I Director for Pediatric Section of the APTA. Dr. Bellamy presented “Interdisciplinary Educational Model Used to Identify the Physical Therapist’s Role in the Development and Transfer of Assistive Technology: From the Clinic to Research and the Commercial Market.” Dr. Bellamy also presented a poster entitled, “Initial Recognition, Management, and Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome: Case Series.”

l Dr. Katrin Mattern-Baxter, Physical Therapy, provided a podium presentation entitled, “The Effects of Intensive Treadmill Training on Toddlers and Preschoolers with Cerebral Palsy.”

l Dr. Todd Davenport, Physical Therapy, was elected to the Nominating Committee of the Foot and Ankle Special Interest Group. Dr. Davenport presented a poster entitled, “Subjective Responses to a Repeated Maximal Exercise Test Paradigm in Individuals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Non-Disabled Individuals.” Co-authors included Dr. Mark Van Ness, Dr. Chris Snell, and Ms. Staci Stevens (Sport Sciences), as well as current Doctor of Physical Therapy student Ms. Katie Baroni (’11). Dr. Davenport co-authored 5 other presentations with colleagues from University of the Pacific and other institutions. Dr. Davenport assisted in revising the orthopaedic clinical specialist examination in his position with the Specialization Academy of Content Experts of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

l Dr. Jodi Nance, Physical Therapy, was first author on a poster presentation entitled, “A Supervisor-Led Exercise Program Decreases the Incidence of Work Injuries in a Cohort of Agricultural-Industrial Workers.” Co-authors on this talk included Dr. Todd Davenport (Physical Therapy), as well as Department of Physical Therapy alumni Dr. Stephanie Stewart (’09) and Dr. Brittany Yates (’09).

l Dr. Katie Graves, Physical Therapy, provided a presentation entitled, “Development of Clinical Reasoning Skills in Physical Therapy Students Through Structured Academic Coursework in the Context of Pro Bono Client Care: An Education Case Study.” Co-authors on this presentation were Dr. Sandy Bellamy and Dr. Todd Davenport (Physical Therapy).

l A record 75 alumni, current students, and friends of the department attended an event hosted by the Department of Physical Therapy. Dr. Cathy Peterson, Physical Therapy, and part-time faculty member and Physical Therapy Alumni Association President Dr. Whitney (Boyd) Davis (’03) presided over the event.

l Seven alumni, including part-time faculty member Dr. Katie Graves (’03), were recognized with clinical specialist certification this year from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

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This semester has flown by! It seems like only a short time ago it was beginning, and then yesterday I flipped my calendar to March, and there was the end. I can’t wait to get started on clinicals! One of the highlights of this semester has been our trip to the APTA’s combined sections meeting (CSM) in San Diego. For those of you who may not know, the APTA is made up of many speciality sections (orthopaedics, neurology, cardiovascular and pulmonary, pediatrics, acute care, private practice, etc.). At CSM all of these sections come together and present lectures, platform presentations, and posters on all of the newest research and evidence based practice that is going on in our field. It is a pretty fast paced week. Classes start at 8 most mornings, and end around five in the evening. The hardest part was choosing which classes you wanted attend because there were usually at least two each time period that drew your attention. Aside from class, you also had to make time to visit the massive exhibit hall showing off the newest gadgets and products that could help you and your patients.

Each year, the class of second year students raises money and travels to CSM. This year was San Diego, next year is New Orleans I believe. Not only is it a great time to gain some knowledge in a specific area that interests you, but it was also amazing how the material we're learning at Pacific is really on the cutting edge in all the presentations.  It is also a great time make memories with your classmates, make contacts with future colleagues and employers, and support our faculty at their own activities and presentations. Every year there is also the Alumni Reception, which I am proud to say had its largest attendance this year. It is great to meet the people that have come before you, and see how successful they have been. CSM is definitely a marathon of an event, but the knowledge, contacts, and experience you gain by attending it completely worth it as a student.

On February 26^th, the DPT class of 2011 hosted a masquerade ball in honor of the class of 2010. The evening was a celebration of the class of 2010’s near completion of their didactic work on campus before dispersing for clinical internships from March through September.

Faculty members, 1^st year students, and 2^nd year students enjoyed activities such as “Pin the Bowtie on Dr. Davenport,” ballroom dancing lessons, and a masquerade scavenger hunt in which the final two contestants, John Viernes from the class of 2010 and Dr. Joseph Serra, fashioned an ankle splint from miscellaneous party items for Dr. Jodi Nance.

Before everyone hit the dance floor for the remainder of the evening, a slide show of well wishes from the class of 2011 and pictures of the class of 2010’s past year and a half together was presented. It was clear that a lot of time and effort went into making this event a memorable evening, and the class of 2010 sends its biggest thanks to the class of 2011 for sending them off in style!

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Hello from the Class of 2011 Class Representatives!

It is an exciting time to be a 1^st year physical therapy student at Pacific! We have one semester in the books and are half way through our 2^nd semester. The month of February has flown by with plenty of tests and projects completed and all limbs intact!

In our neurophysiology class, the month started out with the students becoming the instructors and presenting neurological case presentations to the whole class, Alzheimer’s disease being an example. We headed back down to the anatomy lab as a class to dissect the brains out of our cadavers for the unique experience of learning about the structure of the human brain first-hand.

The 2^nd years are preparing to leave campus to go on their long clinicals next month. Some them began training the 1^st year students this month to take on the patients from the community that the 2^nd years had been working with the past year. We are lucky as 1^st year students to be able to take on patients with conditions ranging from spinal cord issues to cerebral palsy to multiple sclerosis.

Speaking of the 2^nd years leaving…..

On February 26^th, after many months of effort and planning, the 1^st year class put on a fabulous Masquerade Ball for the 2^nd year class. This event has been a UOP DPT tradition for the 1^st year class to honor the 2^nd years for all their hard work before they leave for their clinicals. There was a formal sit down dinner, followed by games, dancing and a fun time had by all. The ball was a great way to end a heavy academic month and to send the 2^nd year class off in style!

That’s all for now, until next month….

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Turning down 4 other schools and committing to the Physical Therapy Program at University of the Pacific was a huge decision for me. I was drawn to Pacific’s accelerated pace and high academic standards, although I had my doubts that I could handle them at first, even though I was a good student in undergrad. I knew I wanted to finish physical therapy school fast and begin practicing as a physical therapist. I arrived to orientation and right away felt some of the jitters begin to fade. The faculty and fellow students were very inviting and personable. I felt very comfortable and eager to start.

As the journey through the first semester began, I realized that this was the best decision I could have made. Sure it was challenging and keeping up with the academic expectations was hard, but the experience and knowledge gained in the first semester alone has me totally convinced that this is the best program in the country. The pace is fast, but because of this it makes you keep on top of your schoolwork. I was always a good student, but once I learned how to manage time and delegate study time and relaxation time even better than before. These skills made the first year curriculum feel not as hard as it looks on paper.

Even when things seemed really hard, I never felt like I was alone. There is always a professor or a fellow classmate willing to help out in any circumstance. We have all come together to help each other get through this program as a class. The sense of friendship our class has is only equal to some of the athletic teams I have played on in my past. It is amazing. It is this close relationship that makes it easier to deal with the rigorous academic and clinical expectations that we face together.

Going through the first semester I not only did well in all of my classes, but I was able to participate in numerous extracurricular activities. The intramural sports and interclass get-togethers help ease some of the stress and allowed me to relax and enjoy my time in school. I know that when I look back on this it won’t just be memories of studying and burying my head in books, it will be all the dodgeball, kickball, whiffleball, Frisbee, happy hours and rock climbing, as well.

I have only been a physical therapy student for a few months but I am looking forward to the rest of my time here and I cannot wait to get back into classes. If you are a prospective student considering Pacific, I would highly recommend it. You will be making the best decision of your pre-professional career.

Andrew Cunha

Doctor of Physical Therapy Candidate

Class of 2011

This year the University of the Pacific Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2010 held the 4^th annual 5K Tiger Dash and ½ Mile Cub Run on October 17,2009.  This 5K was held in order to help the Class of 2010 attend the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting in 2010 taking place in San Diego, California.  By attending this conference the physical therapy students will learn more about how to better health care in the Central Valley.

The Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) is a unique conference that focuses on programming designed by all 18 of APTA's specialty sections. This spectacular event brings together more than 5,000 physical therapy professionals from around the nation for 5 stimulating days of cutting-edge programming, networking opportunities, and an exhibit hall filled with products and services.

Overall the event had a total of 83 registered participants.  There was a lower extremity screening, cardiovascular screening, raffle, and other enjoyable events for the runners.

Our top three male finishers were Matt Bogdanowickz, Mike Boyer, and Zack Mertz.

Our top three female finishers were Meghan Mullen, Amy Van Hollebeke, and Briana Ramirez.

Thank you to our sponsors, especially Fleet Feet, Central Valley Physical Therapy, Delta Physical Therapy, Lodi Physical Therapy and its PUMP Institute, and Dr. Jerry Hyatt who helped to make the event a great success!

Put us down on your running calendar for next year!

Dr. Cathy Peterson and APTA President Dr. R. Scott Ward at the APTA's Educational Leadership Conference in Philadelphia.  Dr. Peterson said, "The conference was exceptional.  Department Chairs and Program Directors from across the country participated in meaningful dialogue about how we can best serve our profession as leaders of academic physical therapy."  One key accomplishment was ratification of a proposal to develop the American Council on Academic Physical Therapy.

In January 2009, a new special interest group of the CPTA was formed.  The California Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Special Interest Group was developed to support high quality education, consumer information, research, and practice in a collaborative spirit for manual physical therapists in California.  Pacific Physical Therapy faculty members Drs. Tamara Little and Todd Davenport have roles in this organization.  Check out the website for more information.  Join today!

Last night, several Pacific Doctor of Physical Therapy students, faculty, and alumni presented at the California Physical Therapy Association conference in Pasadena.  Here were the highlights!

Amie Brewer ('10), Thaao DeOrnelas ('10), Isabel Dutra ('10), and Katie Mockler ('10) presented a poster entitled, "AVASCULAR NECROSIS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH TALUS FRACTURES: DEMONSTRATION OF FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY IN A HUMAN CADAVER MODEL."  In this project, the presenters demonstrated the anatomy of 2 different talus fractures with respect to potential disruptions in blood supply to the talus, providing a hypothetical model for the development of avascular necrosis in some talar fractures.  Co-authors on the project were faculty members Dr. Todd Davenport, Dr. Tamara Little, and Dr. Jim Mansoor.

Part-time faculty member Dr. Jody Nance and almuna Dr. Stephanie Stewart ('09) presented a poster entitled "WORKER-CENTERED FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DESIGN OF EXERCISE-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR SYMPTOMS DURING WORK ACTIVITIES IN AGRICULTURAL-INDUSTRIAL WORKERS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY."  In this presentation, Drs. Nance and Stewart provided information regarding the type of work, disablement related to symptoms at work, perceptions of work injury prevention programs, and selected body structure and function measurements in individuals working in an agricultural-industrial setting who demonstrated a high rate of work injuries.  Co-authors on the presentation were alumna Dr. Brittany Yates ('09) and faculty member Dr. Todd Davenport.

Up next: Faculty member Dr. Katrin Mattern Baxter gives a podium presentation at 11:30am!