Fall 2017 Director's Message
I am very excited about this newsletter because it is about our students.
… students that I’ve enjoyed interacting with in the classroom, in fund raisers, and in ‘fun’ raisers. One of the joyful parts of my job at Dalhousie is that every September, we welcome a new Class of physiotherapy students who study, overcome challenges and grow into clinicians–all with boundless energy. One of the bittersweet parts of my job is that every October we say farewell to students whose entry-to-practice education is complete and who we will miss.
What follows below was adapted from an allegory entitled “The Pencil”. In it, I’ve set out five things you need to know to be a great physiotherapist:
One: You are capable of many things if you allow yourself to be mentored. We see this evidenced in our Alumni profile where Lynn Irving, benefactor of the Lynn Irving Scholarship recently took time out of her busy schedule to offer mentorship to scholarship recipients, Jonathan Knight and Evan Belyea.
Two: You will experience some painful feedback in your career, but it will make you a better physiotherapist. Dr. Sandra Curwin, recently shared with me that a clinical site instructor once told her, after a short test at the site, that she was the 'worst physiotherapy student she had ever seen'. Fortunately, Sandra had already passed her last placement, and was not too bothered by the statement. Dr. Curwin went on to make significant impact around the globe through her research as evidenced in this issue’s Faculty Profile.
Three: You have the ability to correct errors or inefficiencies by using the feedback you receive. You need go no further than our Research Update section to see the strides made by our faculty and students based on feedback. In my experience, you can never be far enough along in your career to not benefit from feedback.
Four: The most important part of you, will always be what’s inside. What’s inside your head (i.e. your clinical reasoning skills) will define your clinical success. What’s inside your heart (e.g. respect, honesty, empathy, sincerity, professionalism, etc.) will define you. That point was made clear when interacting with the amazing Class of 67 during their recent reunion.
Five: Strive to leave your mark on the profession. You have an obligation to your patients to provide optimal, evidence-informed treatment. For this reason, among others, we have worked tirelessly to launch Dalhousie’s own Physiotherapy Clinic, to increase opportunities for our students to get the absolute best- practice. We can link patient care with student education through students in the clinic and patients in the classroom, and we can link patients with researchers in the School’s labs and research centers, where highly specialized equipment can enhance both patient care and research results.
Always remember these five things and you’ll be a great physiotherapist.
And to the Class of 2017, our most recent grads, I say, Stay in touch. Look out for each other. Do great things! Be great clinicians. Be great clinical instructors. Be great recruiters for Dal Physio.