MScPT grad Carolyn Crane
The Impact of Clinical Education ~Mike Sangster
"The foundational benefit of having a mentor was sharpening my ability to think critically. This has made me a better clinician.”
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Fall 2019 Clinical Education Update
My recent placement was in Long Term Care. In this environment, a physiotherapist plays a more active role in creating or remediating policies, a role in safety education for both residents and staff, and a role in maintaining the functional ability of residents as opposing to progressing them. This was a valuable experience for insight into rehabilitation, senior's care and the importance of keeping up with the latest research when working with this population.
~Salam El borno, Class of 2020 (photo with Long Term Care PT Assistant & PT Clinical Instructor)
I had the great privilege of sharing a clinical placement at Neurothérapie Montreal alongside another 1st year MSc PT student from McGill. Under the tutelage of our clinical instructor, we grew both individually and together as a team. A great key to our success was attributed by our strength in communication. The clinic was host to patients from all around the world with complex cases that enabled us learn by thinking collaboratively.
~Karim Hilali, Class of 2020 (photo with Clincial Instructor and McGill PT student)
I thoroughly enjoyed my clinical placement in Scotland, working in the Neurology Unit of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. The staff was more than welcoming and understanding of the potential differences in physiotherapy between Canada and the United Kingdom – not only in the physiotherapy department, but all disciplines working in the Unit. This placement taught me a lot more of the rehabilitation side of the neurotherapeutics which I was very thankful for. I shared an office with several physiotherapists who specialize in various different neurological disorders so I was also able to learn more about Multiple Sclerosis and Functional Neurological Disorder. Overall I think it was a great opportunity to learn more about physiotherapy and I am thankful for the opportunity.
~Emily Gray, Class of 2019
The School of Physiotherapy along with the students who have benefitted from clinical placements, extend a heartfelt thank you to all participating clinical educators. Thanks also to Dalhousie University International Centre for the SWIF funding opportunities that were extended to travelling students.
My international placement was in Sligo, Ireland. I was originally placed in the outpatient department at the local hospital but also had the opportunity to spend time in the orthopedic fracture clinic, rheumatology clinic, inpatient ortho, cardiac rehabilitation and oversee a chronic pain class. I would highly recommend an International placement …it challenged me to think in different ways, all of which I can bring back and implement when I begin working.
~Hayley Gate, Class of 2019, (photo with classmate Marika de Winter)
We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with the multi-disciplinary team at NL Balance and Dizziness Centre. From the assessment and treatment of vestibular conditions, neurological pathologies, and orthopaedic conditions of athletes, we were offered diverse clinical experiences. Having exposure to and the opportunity to use equipment such as the SoloStep, Infrared Goggles, and MyndMove was an asset to our learning.
~Candice Bernard, Beraki Abraha, Jack Thornburn, and Bailey Strickland, Class of 2019
My placement at Zoomers Physiotherapy and Health Solutions was a wonderful experience from start to finish. This is a multidisciplinary clinic that focuses on helping individuals aged 50+ “live the life they love”. As I am very passionate about working with seniors, this felt like the perfect fit for a clinical placement for me. I was able to take part in a variety of classes offered to patients at Zoomers including strength, balance, Tai Chi, and pilates; while also treating patients in a private care setting. Sometimes this involved treating a specific injury, while in other cases it meant working on strength and balance to improve overall function. In addition, I also benefitted from learning about "physio-to-go" services which enabled me to provide physiotherapy treatments for patients who could not come into the clinic.
Through this, I witnessed meaningful changes in patient’s lives, including improvements in outcome measures such as the "Timed up and Go" and gait speed, as well as increased confidence in balance and ability to complete daily tasks. My clinical instructor created a great learning experience.
~Melissa Bungay-Hibbs, Class of 2019