February 2014 Director's Message

In the last newsletter, I explored how we could better support our Entry Level Master’s (ELM) students. Continuing in the same vein, in this issue I reflect on our Master of Science in Physiotherapy (Rehabilitation Research) students, beginning with their successes. Alana Fleet, our most recent MSc(RR)PT graduate received the Faculty of Health Professions Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research. This week, second year student, Ishika Sharma, received the prestigious Dalhousie University 2014 Governor’s Award in recognition of her “academic accomplishments and exceptional contributions to campus life and community”. Other examples of our success of our Rehabilitation Research students include scholarship awards and post-graduate accomplishments in administration, research, and clinical practice.

The MScPT program had humble beginnings in 1995 when we accepted our first student, Johanne Vezina. Growth was modest in the early years. In 2005, we dropped the requirement to be a physiotherapist and created the MSc(RR)PT program to foster inter-professional research for graduate students and faculty. Enrolment currently stands at 12 Rehabilitation Research (RR) students. In early December, 2013, Kelly Underwood (Graduate Program Secretary) and I met with eight RR graduate students to ask: What’s working? What could be improved?

What’s working in the MSc(RR)PT program included a recognition that the Graduate Program Secretary was ‘responsive’ and ‘resourceful’, as well as gratitude for the alumni fund scholarships and the new study carrels. What’s working also included an appreciation of the knowledge translation and networking opportunities provided in the seminar course by the broad, inter-professional range of seminar leaders.

What could be improved focused on four issues: resources, profile / communication, recruitment, and research links /collaboration.

Resources: External awards aside, the Faculty of Graduate Studies is the primary source of scholarship funding for our MSc(RR)PT students and forces beyond Dalhousie University’s control could soon reduce the available funds for these scholarships. The next source is School of Physiotherapy alumni donations for our School-based graduate scholarships. Here we are victims of our own success: As we attract more students, our annual funds get stretched further (i.e. less funding per student). A third source of funding is via teaching assistantships (TAs), but there are limited TA opportunities for non-physiotherapists. What could be done? We are grateful for our current alumni donations, but need to significantly increase our donor base and our donations. As part of our 50^th anniversary celebrations, the School has created a 2015 Scholarship Fund to finance graduate student scholarships based on academic merit or need. Stay tuned for an official announcement of the scholarship drive. Regarding TAs, we will develop links with other university departments (e.g. psychology, anatomy, etc) to create TAs for our non-physiotherapist graduate students.

Student Profile / Communication: Students felt that if alumni were being asked to donate to a scholarship fund, donors should have a clear idea of how the scholarship funds were being spent (i.e. who is doing what research projects?); that could be accomplished, in part, by raising the students’ profiles in the School’s communication vehicles. What is being done? Beginning in this edition of the newsletter, we are profiling the Rehabilitation Research Master’s students. These profiles will also be added to our School website.

Recruitment: During Dalhousie’s campus-wide Open House in October, the students presented their research to our high school student guests for the first time. The Rehabilitation Research students suggested that their direct communication could raise awareness of our two Master’s degrees with all potential applicants. What could be done? We will now enlist our graduate students to assist us at future recruitment events, such as Open House, Dalhousie Graduate Fairs, and invited engagements with regional universities.

Research Links / Collaboration: The RR students felt ‘disconnected’ with the Entry Level Master’s students--a concern since they are future colleagues. Students suggested that one way to foster collaboration would be to share their research plans and results with the ELM students. The RR students also suggested cooperative research relationships with physiotherapists in the region based on the assumption that students have the research skills / tools and clinicians have research questions and access to patients. What could be done? We have begun the process of creating a three year, joint ELM / Rehabilitation Research degree. This collaboration will strengthen both degrees and populate clinical facilities with research prepared clinicians. We are taking first steps to involve the RR students in the ELM program on many levels, from presentations in the ELM research course, to social events, to inviting the RR students to present at the ELM Research Day each June. We need to explore ways to link physiotherapists with research data / research needs with our RR graduate students.

My purpose in this Director’s message was to raise the profile of the MSc(RR)PT program and examine ways to enhance it for current and future students. I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions on how we can better support our Rehabilitation Research graduate students. I welcome your suggestions for collaborative research projects with these students. In the next newsletter, I will explore online education and continuing physiotherapy education in answering the question: How can we support our former students (i.e. our alumni)?

Cheers,

Anne