- The Monday Memo: 1/28/13 January 28, 2013
The Monday Memo
January 28, 2013 PITT DPT STUDENTS
CSM 2013: San Diego
The past week was inspirational, motivational, educational,.. and the list goes on. There are few ways to truly capture the excitement of collaborating with students, faculty, and alumni from around the country, but we’re going to try. You will find below several guest entries from first year students that attended CSM. Enjoy!
CSM reminded me that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. At school I focus so much on specifics and on studying for the next test that I can forget the big picture. After a week of incredible lectures in fields I had no idea I was interested in, and networking with physical therapists from across the country (in gorgeous sunny 75 degree weather), I remembered why this is my passion.
I may have missed 4 hours of neuroanatomy lecture, but I learned about degenerative cerebellar disease and its effects (blurry or mis-proportioned representation of the body). The cerebellum compensates for the cerebral hemispheres when there is a lesion, so we must investigate if that compensation occurs inversely, when it’s the cerebellum that is lesioned.
While there, I learned that my patient with lateral epicondylitis may benefit from thoracic or cervical manipulation. I learned that interest and enthusiasm in anything is contagious. But most importantly, I learned that Pitt has an incomparable community. We are learning the latest and best information in our classes by the people who are the best in their field. We basically have CSM all year round.
From the moment that I stepped into National Student Conclave in Washington D. C in November of 2012, I knew that conferences were going to be a big part of my graduate and professional career. Combined Sections Meeting 2013 affirmed my beliefs. Coming from such a prestigious physical therapy program, we are expected to uphold high standards. I must say that from my experience, my fellow Pitt students surpass those standards astronomically. I don’t think I have ever been prouder to say that I am from the University of Pittsburgh.
Everything that I had a chance to partake in had some connection to Pitt. Our faculty is at the top of their game. They provide us with the most current and most applicable evidence. Even though we’ve been told one hundred times before that they are preparing us to be at the top of our generation, it’s encouraging to hear it from people outside of the University of Pittsburgh. Our faculty represented our program better than we could have ever imagined. From meetings to lectures to platforms, they were there either presenting the information or gathering it to bring it back to our classrooms.
In addition to the faculty, our Pitt classmates continuously showed exemplary performance in everything that they did. Matt DeBole, Director of the Student Assembly Board of Directors, was working around the clock to unite the students in any way that he could, making every student realize the impact that they can have on the future of our profession. Eric Lehman was recognized as the Outstanding Orthopedic Student of the Year. Watching him accept the award was reason enough to attend the conference. A group of second year students developed and launched what is going to be a stellar fundraiser for the Foundation for Physical Therapy. AND the Pitt students that attended accounted for 15% of the volunteers that helped the APTA in keeping the conference running as smoothly as possible.
Now that I’m down off of my soapbox, I really must say that if you ever have the opportunity to attend any conference, don’t hesitate. I guarantee that it will be one of the most rewarding experiences that you have in your career.
As a first-year student attending CSM, I had no idea what to expect. I was given advice by several older students and staff members that it was worth it, so I trusted their judgement. I am certainly glad I did.
My favorite part about CSM was the wide array of topics present. As a first year student, this allowed me to explore parts of PT that I was unfamiliar with or that I simply wanted to learn more about. The first presentation I attended was on a recently developed robotic prosthesis, the Deygo. This product was so new that it hadn’t yet been released for commercial use. This is just one example of how going to CSM gives you the ability to learn about the newest developments in PT.
Attending CSM also fostered my increasing interest in the field of pediatric PT. I was able to learn more about early intervention, an area which I knew little about. Additionally, the neurology and oncology sections of the APTA put on a presentation covering pediatric brain tumors that was extremely informative. My favorite pediatric lectures covered the topics of postural control and the prediction of cerebral palsy in young infants.
Since I could probably talk about my CSM experience until the next CSM rolls around (Las Vegas, anyone?), I will summarize the last couple paragraphs… Go to CSM- it is worth it!
Thank you to my fellow students who gave us some insight into the student perspective of CSM. The past week was fantastic, and I can only encourage more of my class and the classes to follow to participate fully in these professional events!
Check the Calendar for Class Schedules and Events
Social Media Updates
- #DPTstudent - WEDNESDAYS , 9-10pm EST! Check out #DPTstudent page for details!
- Unite Physical Therapy Students - If you haven’t yet, please check out the “Doctor of Physical Therapy Students” Facebook page. More than 4,200 students have already joined!
- Our own page! Pitt Physical Therapy, thanks to the Social Media Team, has create an official PittPT Facebook page!
- #SolvePT (meets on Tuesdays Twitter from 9-10pm EST)
- Log ‘N Blog – Our PITT PT team is up and ready for new members! Please join and ask friends and family to join as well!
- Gerard P. Brennan: Management of Patients with Low Back Pain February 23, 2013 January 11, 2013
Gerard P. Brennan, PT, PhD
joined by
Tony Delitto, PT, PhD, FAPTA
Pamela Peele, PhD
Everette James, JD, MBA
Managements of Patients with Low Back Pain
February 23, 2013
$200
Rather register by mail? Please follow instructions on the Course Flyer!
Sorry, but we are unable to issue refunds
Course Objectives
- To understand the factors contributing to poor outcomes and compromised value in the care of patients with low back pain.
- To understand how the impact of payment reform policy as it relates to low back pain may serve as a significant opportunity for physical therapists within a health care team.
- To describe how the re-design of work processes in health care with advanced practice professionals, specifically physical therapists, will impact care delivery to improve clinical and cost outcomes for low back pain.
- To understand how variation in the process of care for low back pain results in poor outcomes and increased costs.
- To describe how the value of care can be improved by improving the process of care, tracking outcomes, and delivering care at the right time.
- To facilitate small group discussions that explore how care could be redesigned in your environment to improve quality.
Continuing Education Units
General Access CEUs: 6.5
Course Level: Intermediate
Course Schedule
7:30 am
COURSE REGISTRATION
8:00
Speakers: Tony Delitto, PT PhD and Gerard Brennan, PT PhDLow Back Pain: Can We Start to Get It Right? Overview of Epidemiology and Natural History
9:00
Speaker: Pamela Peele, PhD
What are Our Best Solutions in Moving Forward?
10:00
Discussion and Questions
10:15
BREAK
10:30
Speaker: Everette James, JD, MBA
Re-engineering Health Care with Advanced Practice Professionals
11:30
Discussion and Questions
12:00pm
LUNCH
1:00
Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
Low Back Pain: Can We Start to Get It Right?
2:00
Discussion and Questions
2:15
BREAK
2:30
Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
What is Value in Health Care and Physical Therapy?
3:15
Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
Re-design the Care and Change the Focus: A Path Forward for Physical Therapists
4:00
Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
What Can You Do Now in Your Clinical World to Improve?
4:30
END
About the Speakers (coming soon)
Gerard Brennan, PT, PhD:
Tony Delitto, PT, PhD, FAPTA:
Pamela Peele, PhD:
Everette James, JD, MBA
- The “60 Second Pulse” for January 2013 January 10, 2013
The Pulse
January 2013
- TED – Video of the Week – “Body Language” December 14, 2012
Amy Cuddy – “Fake It Until You Become It”
Amazing Story and Lesson in Body Language
[From TED.com]
Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
Amy Cuddy’s research on body language reveals that we can change other people’s perceptions — and even our own body chemistry — simply by changing body positions.
- The “60 Second Pulse” of the APTA Student Assembly December 4, 2012
The Pulse
December 2012
Take a look at this month’s issue to find out what Pitt Physical Therapy student won a
$100 Amazon Gift Card!
- The Monday Memo: 11/26/12 November 26, 2012
The Monday Memo
November 26, 2012 PITT DPT STUDENTS
Gait Madness
A few weeks ago in musculoskeletal lecture, we spent some time learning to analyze gait. We watched our classmates walk around in their (typically unmatched) socks evaluating pelvic, knee, ankle, and foot motion. Everything seemed pretty normal for our group. A discussion about poor gait kinematics was spurred as a result of this activity with consideration placed on marathon runners – especially marathon runners at miles 23, 24, and 25.
Having run two marathons now, and not being an extreme athlete by any means, the concept of poor running form during those miles is far from a foreign concept. Your quadriceps aren’t listening to your insistence to move forward, calf muscles stay perpetually cramped…even your shoulders are tired. If you are a spectator to these final miles, you are witness to the intense physical strain that is occurring in each individual racer’s body.
However, equally observable at this point in the race is the mental stamina of the runner. Since all notions of the appearance of grandeur have slipped away during earlier miles, the mental pep talks occurring are visible on each person’s face. You can see every instruction to move the quads forward, urging the calves to keep pushing off the ground, insisting that “forward is still a pace”.
At the point of greatest exhaustion those racers continue to move forward, although without much grace, because the goal is within sight. They have trained for weeks and months to cross the finish line, and their fixed determination will be the driving force to get them there.
As physical therapy students, we have also been training for weeks and months, and our goal is within our sights. Finals begin next week, and our physical and mental compensations are taking over. We began the semester color-coding or highlighting while reading an article, and now are lucky to read the abstract. Yet, I encourage you to get out those multi-colored markers again. These last three weeks will be challenging, without a doubt. But, I have been witness to the mental stamina of our classmates. I am confident we can cross this hypothetical finish line strong!
So, even though your compensations may feel like this…
the soundtrack I would prefer you play is…
because we are not average. We will be the best therapist within our ability. And, maybe we will be lucky enough to have the opportunity to treat real athletes, like these…
Social Media Updates
- #DPTstudent - Coming to twitter THIS WEDNESDAY November 28, 9-10pm EST! This chat will occur every Wednesday at that time! Check out #DPTstudent page for details!
- Unite Physical Therapy Students - If you haven’t yet, please check out the “Doctor of Physical Therapy Students” Facebook page. More than 3,500 students have already joined!
- Our own page! Pitt Physical Therapy, thanks to the Social Media Team, has create an official PittPT Facebook page!
- #SolvePT (meets on Tuesdays Twitter from 9-10pm EST)
- Log ‘N Blog - Please ‘Like’ the Facebook page and tell your friends about the effort!
Mark Your Calendars!
(Students – also check the Calendar) Please keep checking this calendar for upcoming deadlines, syllabus changes and events!
Second Years:
- Friday, Nov. 30 - Neuromuscular II – HW #5 Due!
Everyone:
- Monday, Dec. 3- RSVP Deadline for 2nd Annual Formal
- Preview Pitt PT – Saturday February 9th in Forbes Tower. We will be looking for volunteers to professionally represent our school as we welcome the accepted applicants on their chance to see what we’re all about!
The Monday Memo
January 28, 2013 PITT DPT STUDENTS
CSM 2013: San Diego
The past week was inspirational, motivational, educational,.. and the list goes on. There are few ways to truly capture the excitement of collaborating with students, faculty, and alumni from around the country, but we’re going to try. You will find below several guest entries from first year students that attended CSM. Enjoy!
CSM reminded me that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. At school I focus so much on specifics and on studying for the next test that I can forget the big picture. After a week of incredible lectures in fields I had no idea I was interested in, and networking with physical therapists from across the country (in gorgeous sunny 75 degree weather), I remembered why this is my passion.
I may have missed 4 hours of neuroanatomy lecture, but I learned about degenerative cerebellar disease and its effects (blurry or mis-proportioned representation of the body). The cerebellum compensates for the cerebral hemispheres when there is a lesion, so we must investigate if that compensation occurs inversely, when it’s the cerebellum that is lesioned.
While there, I learned that my patient with lateral epicondylitis may benefit from thoracic or cervical manipulation. I learned that interest and enthusiasm in anything is contagious. But most importantly, I learned that Pitt has an incomparable community. We are learning the latest and best information in our classes by the people who are the best in their field. We basically have CSM all year round.
From the moment that I stepped into National Student Conclave in Washington D. C in November of 2012, I knew that conferences were going to be a big part of my graduate and professional career. Combined Sections Meeting 2013 affirmed my beliefs. Coming from such a prestigious physical therapy program, we are expected to uphold high standards. I must say that from my experience, my fellow Pitt students surpass those standards astronomically. I don’t think I have ever been prouder to say that I am from the University of Pittsburgh.
Everything that I had a chance to partake in had some connection to Pitt. Our faculty is at the top of their game. They provide us with the most current and most applicable evidence. Even though we’ve been told one hundred times before that they are preparing us to be at the top of our generation, it’s encouraging to hear it from people outside of the University of Pittsburgh. Our faculty represented our program better than we could have ever imagined. From meetings to lectures to platforms, they were there either presenting the information or gathering it to bring it back to our classrooms.
In addition to the faculty, our Pitt classmates continuously showed exemplary performance in everything that they did. Matt DeBole, Director of the Student Assembly Board of Directors, was working around the clock to unite the students in any way that he could, making every student realize the impact that they can have on the future of our profession. Eric Lehman was recognized as the Outstanding Orthopedic Student of the Year. Watching him accept the award was reason enough to attend the conference. A group of second year students developed and launched what is going to be a stellar fundraiser for the Foundation for Physical Therapy. AND the Pitt students that attended accounted for 15% of the volunteers that helped the APTA in keeping the conference running as smoothly as possible.
Now that I’m down off of my soapbox, I really must say that if you ever have the opportunity to attend any conference, don’t hesitate. I guarantee that it will be one of the most rewarding experiences that you have in your career.
As a first-year student attending CSM, I had no idea what to expect. I was given advice by several older students and staff members that it was worth it, so I trusted their judgement. I am certainly glad I did.
My favorite part about CSM was the wide array of topics present. As a first year student, this allowed me to explore parts of PT that I was unfamiliar with or that I simply wanted to learn more about. The first presentation I attended was on a recently developed robotic prosthesis, the Deygo. This product was so new that it hadn’t yet been released for commercial use. This is just one example of how going to CSM gives you the ability to learn about the newest developments in PT.
Attending CSM also fostered my increasing interest in the field of pediatric PT. I was able to learn more about early intervention, an area which I knew little about. Additionally, the neurology and oncology sections of the APTA put on a presentation covering pediatric brain tumors that was extremely informative. My favorite pediatric lectures covered the topics of postural control and the prediction of cerebral palsy in young infants.
Since I could probably talk about my CSM experience until the next CSM rolls around (Las Vegas, anyone?), I will summarize the last couple paragraphs… Go to CSM- it is worth it!
Thank you to my fellow students who gave us some insight into the student perspective of CSM. The past week was fantastic, and I can only encourage more of my class and the classes to follow to participate fully in these professional events!
Check the Calendar for Class Schedules and Events
Social Media Updates
- #DPTstudent - WEDNESDAYS , 9-10pm EST! Check out #DPTstudent page for details!
- Unite Physical Therapy Students - If you haven’t yet, please check out the “Doctor of Physical Therapy Students” Facebook page. More than 4,200 students have already joined!
- Our own page! Pitt Physical Therapy, thanks to the Social Media Team, has create an official PittPT Facebook page!
- #SolvePT (meets on Tuesdays Twitter from 9-10pm EST)
- Log ‘N Blog – Our PITT PT team is up and ready for new members! Please join and ask friends and family to join as well!
Gerard P. Brennan, PT, PhD
joined by
Tony Delitto, PT, PhD, FAPTA
Pamela Peele, PhD
Everette James, JD, MBA
Managements of Patients with Low Back Pain
February 23, 2013
$200
Rather register by mail? Please follow instructions on the Course Flyer!
Sorry, but we are unable to issue refunds
Course Objectives
- To understand the factors contributing to poor outcomes and compromised value in the care of patients with low back pain.
- To understand how the impact of payment reform policy as it relates to low back pain may serve as a significant opportunity for physical therapists within a health care team.
- To describe how the re-design of work processes in health care with advanced practice professionals, specifically physical therapists, will impact care delivery to improve clinical and cost outcomes for low back pain.
- To understand how variation in the process of care for low back pain results in poor outcomes and increased costs.
- To describe how the value of care can be improved by improving the process of care, tracking outcomes, and delivering care at the right time.
- To facilitate small group discussions that explore how care could be redesigned in your environment to improve quality.
Continuing Education Units
General Access CEUs: 6.5
Course Level: Intermediate
Course Schedule
| 7:30 am | COURSE REGISTRATION |
| 8:00 | Speakers: Tony Delitto, PT PhD and Gerard Brennan, PT PhDLow Back Pain: Can We Start to Get It Right? Overview of Epidemiology and Natural History |
| 9:00 | Speaker: Pamela Peele, PhD
What are Our Best Solutions in Moving Forward? |
| 10:00 | Discussion and Questions |
| 10:15 | BREAK |
| 10:30 | Speaker: Everette James, JD, MBA
Re-engineering Health Care with Advanced Practice Professionals |
| 11:30 | Discussion and Questions |
| 12:00pm | LUNCH |
| 1:00 | Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
Low Back Pain: Can We Start to Get It Right? |
| 2:00 | Discussion and Questions |
| 2:15 | BREAK |
| 2:30 | Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
What is Value in Health Care and Physical Therapy? |
| 3:15 | Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
Re-design the Care and Change the Focus: A Path Forward for Physical Therapists |
| 4:00 | Speaker: Gerard Brennan, PT PhD
What Can You Do Now in Your Clinical World to Improve? |
| 4:30 | END |
About the Speakers (coming soon)
Gerard Brennan, PT, PhD:
Tony Delitto, PT, PhD, FAPTA:
Pamela Peele, PhD:
Everette James, JD, MBA
The Pulse
January 2013
Amy Cuddy – “Fake It Until You Become It”
Amazing Story and Lesson in Body Language
[From TED.com]
Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
Amy Cuddy’s research on body language reveals that we can change other people’s perceptions — and even our own body chemistry — simply by changing body positions.
The Pulse
December 2012
Take a look at this month’s issue to find out what Pitt Physical Therapy student won a
$100 Amazon Gift Card!
The Monday Memo
November 26, 2012 PITT DPT STUDENTS
Gait Madness
A few weeks ago in musculoskeletal lecture, we spent some time learning to analyze gait. We watched our classmates walk around in their (typically unmatched) socks evaluating pelvic, knee, ankle, and foot motion. Everything seemed pretty normal for our group. A discussion about poor gait kinematics was spurred as a result of this activity with consideration placed on marathon runners – especially marathon runners at miles 23, 24, and 25.
Having run two marathons now, and not being an extreme athlete by any means, the concept of poor running form during those miles is far from a foreign concept. Your quadriceps aren’t listening to your insistence to move forward, calf muscles stay perpetually cramped…even your shoulders are tired. If you are a spectator to these final miles, you are witness to the intense physical strain that is occurring in each individual racer’s body.
However, equally observable at this point in the race is the mental stamina of the runner. Since all notions of the appearance of grandeur have slipped away during earlier miles, the mental pep talks occurring are visible on each person’s face. You can see every instruction to move the quads forward, urging the calves to keep pushing off the ground, insisting that “forward is still a pace”.
At the point of greatest exhaustion those racers continue to move forward, although without much grace, because the goal is within sight. They have trained for weeks and months to cross the finish line, and their fixed determination will be the driving force to get them there.
As physical therapy students, we have also been training for weeks and months, and our goal is within our sights. Finals begin next week, and our physical and mental compensations are taking over. We began the semester color-coding or highlighting while reading an article, and now are lucky to read the abstract. Yet, I encourage you to get out those multi-colored markers again. These last three weeks will be challenging, without a doubt. But, I have been witness to the mental stamina of our classmates. I am confident we can cross this hypothetical finish line strong!
So, even though your compensations may feel like this…
the soundtrack I would prefer you play is…
because we are not average. We will be the best therapist within our ability. And, maybe we will be lucky enough to have the opportunity to treat real athletes, like these…
Social Media Updates
- #DPTstudent - Coming to twitter THIS WEDNESDAY November 28, 9-10pm EST! This chat will occur every Wednesday at that time! Check out #DPTstudent page for details!
- Unite Physical Therapy Students - If you haven’t yet, please check out the “Doctor of Physical Therapy Students” Facebook page. More than 3,500 students have already joined!
- Our own page! Pitt Physical Therapy, thanks to the Social Media Team, has create an official PittPT Facebook page!
- #SolvePT (meets on Tuesdays Twitter from 9-10pm EST)
- Log ‘N Blog - Please ‘Like’ the Facebook page and tell your friends about the effort!
Mark Your Calendars!
(Students – also check the Calendar) Please keep checking this calendar for upcoming deadlines, syllabus changes and events!
Second Years:
- Friday, Nov. 30 - Neuromuscular II – HW #5 Due!
Everyone:
- Monday, Dec. 3- RSVP Deadline for 2nd Annual Formal
- Preview Pitt PT – Saturday February 9th in Forbes Tower. We will be looking for volunteers to professionally represent our school as we welcome the accepted applicants on their chance to see what we’re all about!