Laura Erb, PT, DPT (Women's Health Resident with SLU SSM Health Physical Therapy Residencies) on Opportunities

Dr. Laura Erb (Women's Health Resident with SLU SSM Health Physical Therapy Residencies) on Opportunities

by Laura Erb, PT, DPT  (SLU Alum 2021) 

My name is Laura Erb (pictured here on the left with my colleague Dr. Bri Mulhearn on the right). I'm a physical therapist and proud SLU alum (2021), and I'm a current resident in the Women's and Pelvic Health Residency in conjunction with SSM Health Physical Therapy. During PT school, I hadn't anticipated wanting to apply to residency programs, but after a year of practice I found myself wanting to know more, do more, and experience more within the field of physical therapy and all the options it has to offer.  

Thus far, residency has provided me with opportunities to be involved in one-on-one mentored patient care, allowing me to ask questions and further develop my clinical reasoning in complex patient cases. I am also involved in several lab courses at SLU Program in Physical Therapy throughout the next year, with opportunities to teach, guide, and collaborate with current SLU DPT students in various parts of their curriculum. I'm especially looking forward to working with the Professional Year 3 (PY3) students in delivering pelvic health-specific didactic and lab material in their musculoskeletal curriculum. I also have access to all the resources SLU has to offer to create a scholarly product throughout my residency with potential to publish my finished product. 

I have a true passion for pelvic health, and some of my favorite conditions to treat include urinary dysfunction and pelvic pain. In addition to pelvic health, I am also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist and am completing my ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation certification, allowing me to receive mentorship and resources in working with these patients during residency.  

 

As one of only 15 ABPTRFE accredited Women's Health residency programs in the country, I am so thrilled that my two worlds of pelvic health and Saint Louis University could come together into this opportunity in a community I hold dear to my heart. 

For more information on the SLU-SSM Health Physical Therapy Women's Health program, visit https://www.slu.edu/doisy/degrees/ssm-womens-health-residency.php or contact the Residency Program Director, Dr. Jill Imgarten at jimgarten@ssm-select.com OR the SLU Director of Residency Education, Dr. Chris Sebelski at chris.sebelski@health.slu.edu.

For more information on the SLU-SSM Health Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency Program, visit https://www.slu.edu/doisy/degrees/ssm-residency.php or contact the Residency Program Director, Dr. Chris Sebelski at chris.sebelski@health.slu.edu.

Welcome to the 2022 – 2023 cohort of the SLU-SSM Health Physical Therapy Women’s Health Residents

Brianna Mulhearn, PT, DPT, and Laura Erb, PT, DPT are excited to be returning to Saint Louis University’s Program in Physical Therapy.  Both are graduates of the Program in May 2021.  

Dr. Mulhearn…why are you pursuing Residency education? 

“Residency education offers me the best opportunity to further my practice and education, specifically in the field of pelvic health. The opportunity to work with and learn from clinicians who have years of experience in the field is so exciting to me. I cannot wait to collaborate with all of the pelvic health therapists on both SLU's and SSM's teams.” 

Dr. Erb…how did you become interested in Women’s Health Residency education?  

“I became interested in residency education because of my experiences at SLU. I always knew I had an interest in women’s health throughout PT school.  I want to use this opportunity during my residency to provide future PTs (as well as future patients!) with more information about this specialty.” 

What experience are you most looking forward to during the 16-month program?  

“I’m looking forward to being back at SLU and getting to collaborate with the best therapists at SSM Health Physical Therapy to further develop my skills as a pelvic health PT.”  -- Dr. Erb

“I am most looking forward to having the opportunity to get into the up-and-coming research in pelvic health. Being able to access the most recent research and also being able to contribute to future research is something that I have always wanted to do.”   -- Dr. Mulhearn

The SLU-SSM Health Physical Therapy Women’s Health Residency Program is an accelerated post-licensure program to advance the women’s and pelvic health skills of physical therapists.  We are pursuing ABPTRFE accreditation with our site visit scheduled during spring 2022.  This unique collaboration between Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy and SSM Health Physical Therapy.  The 16-month program has integrated experiences with the SLU SSM Health Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency.  In addition to clinical practice and teaching in the entry-level DPT program, each resident completes over 150 hours of mentoring and over 300 hours of educational experiences.

For more information on the program, visit https://www.slu.edu/doisy/degrees/ssm-womens-health-residency.php or contact the Residency Program Director, Dr. Jill Imgarten at jimgarten@ssm-select.com OR the SLU Director of Residency Education, Dr. Chris Sebelski at chris.sebelski@health.slu.edu.

SLU PT Study Abroad Opportunity - Galway, Ireland

Sláinte from Galway
by Laura Erb, DPT Class of 2021

I chose to study abroad in Galway, Ireland because I wanted to have an experience that was different from Madrid and in a much smaller city. As a city of around 80,000 people, Galway is in the west of Ireland, but still only 2.5 hours away from the country’s biggest city, Dublin. I also chose Ireland because the country itself is beautiful, and I wanted to spend much of my time abroad getting to know my host country.

While preparing to go abroad, I expected to be really overwhelmed with the unknowns of living in a new country for 4 months. Housing for SLU students in Galway is in off-campus apartments, and I also didn’t know who my roommates would be until I arrived. I was nervous for all the unexpected surprises I would inevitably face, but was excited to make memories that would last a lifetime!

What surprised me the most about Ireland is how laid-back everyone is. In the United States, most people are constantly rushing and stressed about getting things done, but that is less of a concern in Ireland – I didn’t even register for classes until I arrived in Galway, and my classes themselves often started late with the teacher being the last person to walk in the room. I quickly learned to be much more flexible with my time and embraced a more relaxed lifestyle like the Irish.

During my time abroad, I did a lot of traveling around Europe, but because Ireland is such a small country, I was able to explore many places there as well. From standing on the edge of the Cliffs of Moher to kissing the Blarney Stone to exploring 15th century castles, I gained a huge appreciation for the beauty of my host country. There is so much history in Europe that we simply don’t have in the United States, and everywhere I travelled I couldn’t help thinking about how old everything is compared to home.

Studying abroad is an opportunity and privilege that I’d recommend anyone to take advantage of if they can, especially because it is already built into the PT curriculum. Living in a new country for 4 months gave me an experience that I wouldn’t have been able to get any other way, and I gained an outside perspective of the United States that I will have for the rest of my life. I absolutely recommend studying abroad in Galway, and I cannot wait for the day when I can return to the beautiful country of Ireland!

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.