SLU PT Students Make Connections at the MPTA Spring Conference

MSSIG 2019 Missouri Spring Conference Activities

Missouri Physical Therapy Association's Student Special Interest Group (MSSIG) recently held its 2019 Missouri Spring Conference in St. Louis on Saturday, April 13th. Physical therapy students and physical therapy assistant students traveled from around the state to discuss student activities and advocacy, including topics, such as Direct Access, Student Loans, National Health Services Corps, POPTs and more.

After the conference Saturday evening, MSSIG hosted its National Advocacy Dinner with special guest, State Level Director for the Missouri Physical Therapy Association, Niki Wallen, MOL, BS, PTA, who led an interactive activity surrounding leadership and teamwork. Attendees enjoyed a meal together, made new connections and explored their leadership styles.

The Friday evening before the conference, all participants met for a Statewide Kickball Tournament on SLU’s Vandeventer Field. The unusual trophy was a golden pelvis, handed down from the previous MSSIG Kickball Tournament which took place 5 years ago between Saint Louis University, Washington University in Saint Louis and Maryville University.

“This event was a really fun way to bring PT students together from different Missouri schools. The turnout was great, and while the competition was definitely intense, everybody was having a great time socializing, and it was all for a good cause!” stated Brandon Moseley, (DPT Class of 2021) Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy MSSIG Representative. Not only is the Missouri Spring Conference a chance to network and promote dialogue, but the tournament itself also helps raise money for student scholarships which defray the cost of attending APTA and MPTA conferences throughout the year.

Congratulations to MSSIG for accomplishing so much during the 2019 Missouri Spring Conference. We extend our gratitude for all the support and leadership that brought these events to fruition. Specifically, we would like to thank:

Jamie Brew (DPT Class of 2020): Vice Chair of Missouri Student Special Interest Group (MSSIG)

Kelsey Bequette (DPT Class of 2021): MSSIG Representative

Jessica Garland (DPT Class of 2021): MSSIG Representative

Sarah Melulis (DPT Class of 2021): MSSIG Representative

Brandon Moseley (DPT Class of 2021): MSSIG Representative

Caroline Lipic (DPT Class of 2021): Missouri Core Ambassador for American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

SLU PT Students Promote Direct Access During Annual Lobby Day

SLU PT Students Promote Direct Access During Annual Lobby Day
By Jamie Brew (SLU DPT Class of 2020)

MPTA Lobby Day is an annual event in which members of the Physical Therapy and Physical Therapy Assistant communities come together to advocate for our profession. This year, we discussed two main propositions: HB410 and the Anti-POPTS. HB410 is the Direct Access bill for Physical Therapy in the state of Missouri. With this bill, Physical Therapists hope to treat patients without a referral from a physician, which will provide a more efficient way for patients to access our care, as well as utilize our education in differential diagnosis.

Our Anti-POPTS discussion was regarding a current law in which physicians cannot own physical therapy clinics. POPTS are currently illegal, which helps to lower the amount of unnecessary visits a patient is seen. There is talk that the physicians would like to appeal this law, so our main agenda was to inform representatives of this possible movement and to advocate for why Physician Owned Physical Therapy Services should remain illegal.

This year, Jamie Brew (PY2, MSSIG Vice Chair), Caroline Lipic (PYI, Core Ambassador), Brandon Moseley (PYI, MSSIG Representative) and Lauren Stollman (PYI) attended MPTA Lobby Day. They joined other students and therapists to speak with multiple representatives to advocate for our profession at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

This is one of several posts featuring SLU PT Student experiences. Many students choose to be involved in physical therapy professional organizations and advocate for the profession. For more information about Saint Louis University's Program in Physical Therapy, please visit: https://www.slu.edu/doisy/degrees/undergraduate/physical-therapy.php.

Photos submitted by Jaime Brew, SPT.

SLU PT Study Abroad Opportunity - Madrid, Spain

Say Yes and Make Madrid Your Campus

by Jamie Brew, DPT Class of 2020

I chose to study in Madrid for multiple reasons. Logistically, it made the most sense financially as well as in terms of guaranteeing class credits. I also chose Madrid because I knew going to study abroad was already stepping outside of my comfort zone, but having people that I knew there with me would definitely help with my adjustment to living abroad. Having taken Spanish since the fifth grade also played a role in my decision.

I had talked to many students who had studied in Madrid before, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of how the semester would go. I knew I would be traveling a lot, and I also knew that I was going to have to say “yes” to a lot more things, whether it be to food or even just an event I wouldn’t normally want to go to. Before leaving, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited to get the chance to travel, but nervous about staying with a host family and not being able to communicate very well. I also didn’t know who half of the girls that I would be living with were, so that added to my anxiety about it.

Catedral de Almudena

Going into abroad, I had mostly envisioned myself traveling outside of Spain a lot. What really surprised me was how much I grew to love Madrid. There were weekends that I would dread traveling because I wanted to be able to explore more of Madrid or spend more time with my host parents. I had done some research on the Spanish culture, so I can’t say that I was incredibly surprised by my interactions with the locals. Of anything, I wished I had interacted even more than them, although it is tough when my Spanish vocabulary is just not as large as I would like. The culture is really something to embrace. It is much more laid back than here in the States (you also learn to call America “the States”), and just overall a very different lifestyle that I feel very fortunate to have embraced.

Trying to think of the most impressive thing I saw is very difficult, because there was not a single thing that I thought, “yeah, I’m not really that impressed”. Major spots in Madrid are Palacio Real, Catedral de La Almudena, Parque del Retiro, Temple of Debod, Museo del Prado, Plaza de Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel. Each of these places are so unique to Madrid, and visiting these really enhances the cultural experience.

Palacio Real

A famous plate in Spain is paella, a rice and chicken or seafood mix. Personally, I was not a huge fan of paella (no offense to Maria, my host mom), but everyone seemed to love it there. You can get it almost anywhere, usually served in a massive pan. My host mom couldn’t even cook it on our stovetop, she had to bring in a separate appliance to cook it.

While studying in Madrid, I was able to observe a physical therapist, Susie, who was also a dance teacher at SLU Madrid. She hosted three seminars throughout the semester that any student could sign up for, although many did not know about this opportunity. Her seminars were focused on ankle sprains, patellar tendinitis, and epicondylitis (golf elbow). In these seminars, Susie first discussed the anatomy associated with the theme for the day, and then either had us look at her patient or work on each other to understand how to best treat it. This was a very unique experience, and I highly recommend to any PT students going to study abroad to ask about this the very first week so that they can work it in their schedules to attend.

Real Madrid game at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Another unique opportunity offered when studying abroad in Madrid is the host family experience. Rather than living in a form of campus housing or finding your own apartment to lease, you can choose to stay with a Spanish family who can cook and clean for you. Other than relying on them for chores, I was also able to form an incredibly special bond to my host parents which really aided in being more immersed in the culture and making Madrid feel like home.

Me and my host parents, Maria y Luis

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.