Nick Noblitt: Maximizing His Potential To Becoming The Best Physical Therapist

By: Nick Noblitt, PT, DPT, ATC

I completed my Physical Therapy school journey in May 2023, armed with a white coat and a mountain of uncertainty about how to translate my knowledge into effective patient care. Despite acing my tests, excelling in the NPTE, and gaining practical experience under the guidance of a clinical instructor, the challenge remained: how could I apply this wealth of knowledge to the individual sitting across from me? More pressing still, how could I do it with excellence, genuinely making a positive difference in people's lives?

I recognized my potential to be an outstanding Physical Therapist, but I knew I needed further guidance to fully realize that potential. That's when I discovered the SLU-SSM Health Orthopedic Residency program. Since joining, I've actively engaged in the Entry Level PT program at SLU as an educator and contributed my skills to the ProBono clinic as a facilitator of care. These experiences have provided invaluable learning opportunities, nurturing my growth as an educator.  

Through this program, I've had the privilege of weekly one-on-one mentoring sessions with seasoned PTs who are experts in their field. These mentors have challenged my assumptions and biases, helping me identify my blind spots in patient care. They've introduced me to concepts and skills that I can immediately apply during my sessions, accelerating my learning process and boosting my confidence in applying advanced techniques for the first time. 

One of the most impactful aspects of my residency journey has been the weekly didactic sessions. These meetings delve into every facet of being a physical therapist, from the reasoning behind our treatment approaches to the nuances of our documentation methods. These discussions have deepened my understanding of my profession, equipping me with a comprehensive knowledge base. 

Reflecting on my experiences in this residency program, I am confident in my decision to tread this less conventional path. Looking ahead, my goals are ambitious; I aspire to serve as a physical therapist in the United States Air Force, providing care to those who selflessly serve our nation. To achieve this goal, I am committed to becoming the best version of my professional self. I believe there's no better way to accomplish this than through the transformative experiences offered by this residency program. 

Michelle Byrd Discusses Her Experience Being a Physical Therapist While Undergoing Her Orthopedic Residency Training

By: Michelle Byrd, PT, DPT

    Working as a Physical Therapist offers a unique opportunity to treat a variety of patients throughout the lifespan as well as a variety of diagnoses, with each patient presenting in a unique way with unique impairments and limitations. The field of physical therapy is an ever-changing, growing profession with new research, treatment techniques, and improvement to clinical practice guidelines. Keeping up with these consistent changes is important for PT's to stay up to date on the latest treatments to improve patient outcomes, and allow for patients to have a quicker recovery and return to their previous level of function.  

    Since the beginning of the SLU-SSM Health Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency, I have already been able to improve my patient treatments and evaluation skills, as well as building on my hands-on skills to maximize my treatments to improve patient outcomes. There are several aspects of the residency experience that have impacted me, including serving as an adjunct faculty member with students in their first professional year of Physical Therapy school, mentorship opportunities in the clinic each week, and didactic classes for case-based discussion and working on manual techniques. Each of these experiences focuses on different aspects of patient care, but together allow for professional growth within the field that will maximize the patient experience in the clinic.  

    Working as a physical therapist over the last year and a half, and recently being part of the orthopedic residency, has motivated me to continue improving and growing in the profession. I am looking forward to the experiences still to come that will only continue to challenge me to grow and continue improving in my knowledge and skillset.  

SLU PT Alumni Spotlight: John Schaefer, PT, DPT, CSCS

SLU PT Alumni John Schaefer Incorporates Other Passions into PT 

John Schaefer, PT, DPT, CSCS (Class of 2022) had experienced much uncertainty surrounding the field of Physical Therapy throughout his time at SLU. Having other interests including marketing, entrepreneurship, and journalism, he often asked himself how he could incorporate all these different fields into a future career and if PT was the right path for him.

As a PY3, he decided to start reaching out to PT’s around the country, who were pursuing unique ventures and doing things he didn’t know were possible under the title of DPT. He began recording these conversations and now routinely releases episodes on his podcast SnackBreak, under the parent company Orthosnacks (@orthosnacks), an educational platform and social media company focused on empowering students and clinicians to make the most out of their DPT with bite sized, digestible information.

John is currently an orthopedic resident training in Houston, TX @harrishealthsystems and just released the book THE RESIDENCY PLAYBOOK: A Step By Step Guide To Mastering the RF-PTCAS and Securing A Spot in Your Dream Physical Therapy Residency with the goal of demystifying the residency application process for future applicants! You can purchase the workbook on Amazon in either paperback or kindle format, as well as listen to the audio versions for free on Spotify and Youtube.

SLU PT Alumna Brianne Ernst (DPT Class of 2014) shares the #ChoosePT experience that led her to physical therapy

#ChoosePT Spotlight - submitted by Brianne Ernst (Keller)

I was 10. I sat in the pediatric neurologist’s office as he ordered an MRI of my brain. A stroke or a brain tumor. Which was it? What did that mean? What was going to happen to me?

As I sat there a couple weeks later trying to wrap my head around the final diagnosis - an intrauterine stroke, a stroke before I was born - he wrote a script for physical therapy.

Physical therapy? I didn’t know it in that moment, but those two words would change my life. I met the most hardworking, compassionate, and motivational physical therapist. Dan stood by my side while I cried and struggled through the exercises and became outwardly frustrated more times than I would like to admit. I was not a good patient. But that didn’t stop him. He pushed me to do better. Over the next 10 years, with multiple wrist fractures, patellar dislocations, wrist surgery, and knee surgery, he was always there with a smile on his face.

He worked magic. He healed me. He helped me achieve the impossible. He is the reason I became a physical therapist. I want to help my patients achieve what they feel is impossible. And that is why, every day, I #ChoosePT.

-- 

Brianne Ernst, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT | Physical Therapist

1818 Community Engagement Grant

Figure 1: The children enjoyed the large parachute used at the end of the program

1818 Community Engagement Grant Event
by SLU DPT Students Kelsey Bequette (Class of 2021) and Lauren Foster (Class of 2022)

The Saint Louis University Physical Therapy Student Association (SLU PTSA) successfully applied for and was awarded one of 18 “1818 Community Engagement Grants” for the second year in a row. These grants aim to provide the foundation for students to make a positive impact in the community through partnership with local organizations. On Friday, January 31, 2020, PTSA, in collaboration with the SLU Athletic Training and Nutrition and Dietetics Programs, hosted the 2nd annual ‘Building Bridges for the Future’ event. We partnered with a local community organization, Unleashing Potential (UP), to bring children ages 3-12 years old to the Saint Louis University Campus to learn about the health science professions. This project specifically focused on providing the children with an introduction to how the study of science bridges to health care professions, including Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, and Nutrition and Dietetics. This event was also designed to bring the children to the Saint Louis University Campus, providing them the opportunity to envision themselves pursuing higher education in the future.

Figure 2: SLU students were excited to volunteer

During the event, the children participated in various educational activities centered around our three health science professions. Activities focused on basic human anatomy through coloring, exercise and stretching techniques, nutrition, and healthy food choices, as well as wound care and balancing. SLU student volunteers from each of the three respective programs had a great time participating in the activities and engaging the children of UP throughout the activities. Many of the children had attended the program last year and were excited to be back on SLU’s campus and learn more about the health science field. As always, we had a great time collaborating with our community partner to advocate for our professions and for the futures of the children in our community. We are looking forward to working with these children again in the future and continuing to develop our relationship with Unleashing Potential!

Figure 3: SLU students assisted UP children in tracing their bodies to learn about human anatomy

Figure 4: SLU Students and UP children participated in exercise activities such as a jumping jack circle

Saint Louis University DPT Students Kelsey Bequette (Class of 2021) and Lauren Foster (Class of 2022) are former PTSA Co-Presidents.

This is one of several posts featuring SLU PT Student experiences. For more information about Saint Louis University's Program in Physical Therapy, please visit: https://www.slu.edu/doisy/degrees/undergraduate/physical-therapy.php.

SLU PT Study Abroad Opportunity - Madrid, Spain

Hola! from Madrid
by Emily Redpath (DPT Class of 2023)

Studying abroad was always a dream of mine growing up. One of the main reasons that SLU’s PT program stood out to me was because it gives students the opportunity to study abroad for an entire semester – which is difficult to find in other 6-year PT programs. Deciding to go to Madrid was sort of a ‘no-brainer’ for me because I wanted the chance to travel around Europe as much as possible while still being able to work on my Spanish. The months leading up to leaving I was very stressed and anxious, but as the departure date grew near, I was so unbelievably excited for the opportunity ahead of me.

We arrived in Madrid and got the chance to meet our wonderful host parents, Marta and Jacobo.  They only spoke to us in Spanish, but they made the experience so memorable for me and my roommates. Marta and her housekeeper, Margarita, cooked us the most incredible meals that we would look forward to every single night. Marta also loved to talk to us about all things Madrid – the restaurants, the nightlife, her favorite spots, and all the touristy places she always wanted us to avoid (but we went to anyways). We got a great look into the family dynamic in Madrid on Sundays when some of Marta’s 10 children and 22 grandchildren would come for lunch. Her children loved to talk to us, and the best part was that three of her daughters are physical therapists – so we got an idea about the differences between PT in the U.S and in Europe.

 Myself, Olivia Hinkel (SLU DPT Class of 2023), Meredith Miller (SLU DPT Class of 2023), Eva Dougherty (SJU Class of 2021) and Alexis Landry (SLU DPT Class of 2023) with our host parents.

I also really enjoyed my classes at SLU Madrid. Due to the way the physical therapy curriculum is set up, I only had to take 4 classes and I had many different options. I was in two classes taught completely in Spanish so that I could complete my minor. I was also in Latin Rhythms and Dance, a class that made me completely step out of my comfort zone.  Even though I am not the best dancer, this was one of my favorite classes ever!

10 SLU DPT Class of 2023 students (and Eva Dougherty SJU Class of 2021) and I at our class dance recital.

My final class, Oceanography, was also unforgettable. Through this class we got to go on a weekend trip to Murcia, Spain. This was one of my favorite trips because we got to do and see so many of the things that we had learned about in class. We also got to go scuba diving in the Mediterranean, which was one of my favorite experiences abroad – until I got an awful jellyfish sting! I still have the scar, but it reminds me of the incredible experience that I had on the trip and in the class.

Rhadika Patel, Olivia Hinkel, Griffin Lebeau, Nathan Breckenkamp, myself (all SLU DPT Class of 2023) and Logan Williams (SLU Class of 2020) before scuba diving in the Mediterranean.

The jellyfish sting the day after it happened!

One of my favorite parts of my experience abroad was the opportunities we had to travel all around the continent.  Our first weekend trip we left Europe and went to Africa! We went with a travel group and a bunch of other physical therapy students to Morocco. We got to ride camels in Tangier and then spend another day exploring Chefchaouen - also called “The Blue City” because everything is painted blue. This trip was quite the culture shock for all of us, but I felt as though it was really eye opening and truly allowed me to experience a different culture than my own.

The group of SLU DPT Class of  2023 students on the Morocco trip.

Nathan Breckenkamp, Griffin Lebeau, myself, and Olivia Hinkel (all SLU DPT Class of 2023) riding camels on the beach

The next weekend we travelled to London, which was a stark contrast to our previous trip.  Everything was in English which was a nice change after the previous three weeks being in Spanish.  The following weekend we went to Lisbon, Portugal - which truly surprised me by its beauty.  We got to spend time exploring the hilly city, relaxing on the beach and seeing all of the amazing sites of the area.  Highlights of this trip included going on a boat cruise along the coast and meeting up with our fellow PT classmates to see the Pena Palace in Sintra!

A group of SLU DPT Class of 2023 students at the Pena Palace.

After that, we got to go to Italy, a trip that I was very excited for. We spent a day exploring the canals in Venice and two days seeing as much of Rome as we could. Both cities were incredible in completely different ways and I cannot wait to go back to Italy to see what else it has to offer. The second weekend in October we met up with more PT students and traveled to Barcelona. Everyone’s favorite part was definitely a 30-minute hike up a hill to get an incredible view over the city. Our day unfortunately ended with every traveler's nightmare - bedbugs in our Airbnb! Don’t worry, we ended up in a really nice hostel that was all paid for by Airbnb so it ended up working out better.

The view after our 30-minute hike.

At the end of October, we headed to the Netherlands to check out Amsterdam. The weather was beautiful, so we spent our days riding bikes through the park, walking along the canals, and stuffing our faces with endless amounts of Dutch Apple Pie, Stroopwaffle, and Frites. Amsterdam was one of the most beautiful places that I had ever been - which took all of us by surprise.

View of the beautiful buildings in Amsterdam.

The month of November consisted of trips to Munich, Ireland, and Seville. We were some of the few physical therapy students who did not go to Munich for Oktoberfest, but we loved visiting the city in November because we got to see all the Christmas markets! We also got to spend the afternoon at Dachau, one of the first concentration camps. The following weekend we went to Galway and Dublin.  We took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher where we were absolutely blown away by its sheer beauty and size.

Griffin Lebeau, Alexis Landry, Nathan Breckenkamp, myself, Olivia Hinkel (all SLU DPT Class of 2023), and Eva Dougherty (SJU Class of 2021) at the Cliffs of Moher.

Our last trip to Switzerland was probably my favorite. I was stunned by the pure natural beauty of the mountains. I decided to make this last trip special by going paragliding over the Interlaken which was an experience I will truly never forget. It is truly difficult to put into words how beautiful this country was, and I know that I will be back one day.

The view over Interlaken, Switzerland.

Even with all our traveling we still found the time to explore Madrid during the week and on the few weekends that we did stay home. We did not have class on Mondays or Wednesdays, so we used that time to check out all the big sights of Madrid. We loved heading to Gran Via to shop, to Sol to check out our favorite dessert places, and to Parque de Oeste to enjoy the beautiful weather. Usually, on these days we would try and eat lunch in a new neighborhood so that we could really explore the city. I grew to love Madrid - the people, the culture, the places. I loved living right in a big, bustling city.  There was always something going on, yet everyone was so laid back and was truly enjoying their lives.

Nathan Breckenkamp (SLU DPT Class of 2023) enjoying a churro at San Gines in Madrid.

Another one of the highlights of my experience was being able to teach a free English class. I worked with a permanent Madrid student and we taught a beginner English class. No one in my class spoke any English so I had the chance to work on my Spanish. It was really rewarding to get to see how they improved and how happy they were to be learning the language. We also got to know our students, who ranged from ages 18-65, and it was beneficial to me to be able to talk to them about their lives and get to know their culture.

Overall, I learned so much on my trip abroad. I feel as though I gained a lot of independence and confidence. Being thrown into places not knowing the language or the culture really makes you step out of your comfort zone, but I loved the opportunity to do so. Things do go wrong, whether it was getting stranded outside an airport for a night, missing our buses, bedbugs in an Airbnb, or getting stung by a jellyfish. But the hard times made for the best memories and gave us the chance to truly learn about ourselves. I can really go with the flow and make the best out of difficult situations that maybe we did not plan for, which was something I was not great at before coming abroad. I formed so many bonds with people that I know will be my life-long friends. While I am glad to be back in St. Louis, I would give anything to be back in Madrid exploring the amazing city. I look back at all my pictures and memories and am so thankful that I had this opportunity to experience one of the best 4 months of my life so far.

Myself, Alexis Landry, Olivia Hinkel, Meredith Miller (all SLU DPT Class of 2023) and Eva Dougherty (SJU Class of 2021) at the metro stop right by our house on our last night in Madrid.

This is one of several posts featuring SLU PT Student study abroad experiences. Because of its unique format, the SLU PT program gives students the ability to study abroad the fall of their junior year. For more information about study abroad experiences at SLU go to: http://www.slu.edu/study-abroad.

Celebrating October as National Physical Therapy Month

Help celebrate National Physical Therapy Month by picking up a free pin,
sticker or card in the Program in Physical Therapy Office.

SLU DPT Student Jamie Brew Shares Reasons Why We #ChoosePT
by Saint Louis University DPT Student Jamie Brew (Class of 2020)

Every year, we celebrate October as National Physical Therapy Month. When I say “we”, I include physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, students in both PT and PTA programs as well as those who have or are currently benefitting from physical therapy. The American Physical Therapy Association uses this time to broadcast our campaign, “Choose PT”. We urge those who are experiencing chronic pain to choose PT over pain medications and opioids. We encourage those who are susceptible to injury to choose PT to prevent those injuries from occurring. At the same time, I use this campaign to continue choosing the profession of PT for my future. I too am reminded to “Choose PT”.

As an ambassador for our SLU Physical Therapy Program, I provide tours to prospective students and their families. One of my favorite yet most challenging questions during this time is “why did you choose physical therapy?” While there are a multitude of reasons that I chose to attend school for physical therapy, I often answer that I am still choosing physical therapy. It’s not the time I spent as a patient after a knee injury in high school or even the fact that my grandmother was a Physical Therapist that keeps me pursuing this profession. It is every experience I have had since committing to SLU that inspires me to Choose PT.

I have spent some time volunteering in the rehabilitation department at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Saint Louis over the last couple of years. I get the opportunity to observe physical therapists in a combination of an outpatient and inpatient setting. While I learn a lot though these observations, it is not the techniques that I see, or the new tools used that get me excited about a profession in physical therapy. It is the way a young girl smiles in disbelief at her father when the physical therapist teaches her something new that promotes her independence in walking. Or the face of determination when a young boy can’t quite coordinate his movements enough to make a basketball shot. These interactions encourage me to Choose PT.

I also spent a year as a representative and a year as the Vice Chair for the Missouri Student Special Interest Group. As a representative, I acted as a liaison between the group and SLU. As the Vice Chair, I collaborated with students from different universities in Missouri to advocate for the profession of Physical Therapy. In February, I attended Lobby Day in Jefferson City with some of the members of MSSIG to discuss with State Representatives the importance of Direct Access in allowing individuals to continue to Choose PT. In order to do so, I had to reflect on why I wanted to Choose PT in order to encourage others to do so. Interacting with the community of students and therapists fighting for our profession gave me just another reason to Choose PT.

So while October is spent promoting the profession of Physical Therapy to other healthcare professionals and future patients, I encourage those students and therapists reading this to find moments that give you a reason to also #ChoosePT.

by Saint Louis University DPT Student Jamie Brew (Class of 2020)