Yes, Learning & Growing Truly Can Span Beyond DPT School

By Rory English, PT, DPT, GCS
Regional Director

My goal of becoming a lifelong learner began while I was still in physical therapy school.

Like many PT students, I had dreams of outpatient orthopedics and a focus on sports therapy while filling out my Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service – PTCAS.

However, after my first rounds of clinical internships and didactic coursework, I found myself drawn towards geriatrics.

I was amazed by the strength and abilities that were preserved in older adults, despite some pretty lengthy medical histories. I found myself inspired by their desire to remain independent and continue to perform tasks that I took for granted.

In February of my second year, I was slated to attend the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting, APTA CSM, in Chicago. I was determined to take this new found interest in geriatrics and collect as much information as possible.

I wandered into a geriatrics presentation on the clinical use of iPhone applications in the house-call setting. The presentation was by FOX Rehabilitation Mentor Services PT Coordinator Dr. Heather Cronin, PT, DPT, GCS, and her colleagues.

It was creative and exciting and showed me that there were other PTs out there who shared my interests in geriatrics and a flair for the creative. I was inspired these clinicians, practicing outside of academia, were coming together to share their experiences and collaborate on ways to better serve our older adult community.

So naturally, I had to learn more.

The next day, I explored the exhibit hall and was blown away by what I had found. Many practices that had a geriatric or home health focus didn’t accept new graduates.

This concept floored me.

I didn’t want to start my career with a practice just to gain three or four years of experience before I could pursue my passion. I knew that I wanted a career that supported me in my endeavors to stay current on the evidence and encouraged me to be a lifelong learner.

Worried, I sought out FOX’s booth, assuming that my hopes of joining this amazing practice were squashed. FOX’s booth was filled with many familiar faces from the presentation the day prior. Not only could I join the practice as a new graduate, but they detailed the Emerging Professionals Mentorship Program to me for the first time.

The mentor program was exactly what I was looking for: clinical support, structured mentoring, autonomy, and the expectation of their clinicians to grow professionally. Before I left the booth that day, I also learned of the FOX Rehabilitation Scholarship for the Advancement of Geriatric Specialists, which would ultimately become my path to FOX.

Once I got back to Philadelphia, I began hounding my Director of Clinical Education for a clinical affiliation with FOX, and thankfully she was able to oblige.

I learned that my clinical instructor would be a familiar face in Dr. Cronin.

Unfortunately, I had to wait a year before the internship was scheduled to begin.

In the meantime, I was diligently completing my application for the FOX scholarship. During this process, I had the opportunity to interview with many leaders in the practice, including FOX Founder and CEO Dr. Tim Fox, PT, DPT, GCS.

After each interview, I left the home office more excited about this practice, its vision, and culture.

I had the privilege to speak with quite a few clinicians that had achieved their Board Certification in Geriatrics, a goal that was quite high on my list upon completion of my doctorate. I continued to learn more about the Professional, Academic, and Clinical Excellence program, PACE Program at the practice, which provided financial incentive for clinicians to get involved in the APTA, stay current on literature, and pursue advanced certification.

I knew that this practice would support my aspirations in becoming a lifelong learner to better serve older adults. When I received the letter from Dr. Fox awarding me the Geriatric Specialist Scholarship, I was ecstatic to start my career with FOX.

After what felt like an eternity, I was able to start my clinical with FOX and reconnect with Dr. Cronin. She encouraged me to problem solve and pushed me to develop good practice habits that I still carry forth today.

Evidence-based practice was at the core of our approach to restoring optimal function in our patients. Dr. Cronin always led by example, continuously engaging in professional development opportunities within the practice, the geriatric residency, the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association, and the APTA. She encouraged me to do the same.

As I joined the practice as a part of the mentor program, I was amazed at the level of support that the practice offered me. I was able to continue under the tutelage of Dr. Cronin, who was in constant communication with me in the field. In addition to the clinical support, the program offered a “ramp up period” that allowed me to adjust to treating patients on my own and to perfect my documentation as I built my caseload.

My mentor encouraged me to attend continuing education courses at our home office, CSM, and PPTA events. She even challenged me to submit a poster presentation on a case study we co-authored, which was accepted for presentation at APTA CSM 2014!

After I completed the mentor program, Dr. Cronin encouraged me to become a clinical instructor and new graduate mentor.

The practice’s leadership team instilled in me a passion in our practice and in geriatrics that I was eager to share with other students and new graduates. This role has been one of the most fulfilling roles of my career, as I have mentored clinicians on their journey from students, to new graduates, to leaders in the practice, to board certified Geriatric Clinical Specialists, and even mentors themselves.

During my four years with FOX, I’ve been challenged to become a better clinician for my patients and my teammates.

From DPT Student, to new graduate, to mentor, to FOX Optimal Living Rehab Director, to Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist, to my new role as Regional Director, I’ve been supported by countless mentors, in ways and depths that I could never repay.

Our focus as a practice is to pay it forward to the next generation of PT students, so that our patients continue to receive the clinically-excellent care that they deserve and continue to expect from us.

As I’ve grown as a clinician, one of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been mentoring new graduates and supporting their clinical growth through the mentor program. Mentoring these clinicians throughout their career, as they aspire to become Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialists and lifelong learners, inspires me to continue to grow professionally.

As clinicians, we owe every patient that we touch the chance at optimal function and independence.

Mentoring clinicians widens the net of clinical excellence and allows me to be sure that every older adult gets the clinical care that they deserve.

The people featured in the photo are real FOX clinicians and patients. Though, these are not the people mentioned in this article.