Tales from the Plinth

This week we welcome Morgan Buchs to the plinth! Tune in as we converse with her about the life of a dual threat athletic trainer and physical therapist working at a high-level Division I athletics program. 

Welcome back! Today we are joined by Andrew Carlin, a Gannon University alum, here to talk to us about his experience as being Gannon's Clinical Instructor of the Year, working in a variety of clinical settings, and his own clinical rotation in Alaska! Andrew Carlin is a PT working at the Ashtabula County Medical Center and has been there for almost 10 years. Listen in on his advice on what it takes to be a good student in the clinical setting, how to get the most out of your rotations, and more. Thanks for listening!

Any further questions? Contact Andrew Carlin at: andrew.carlin@acmchealth.org

Welcome back, Tales from the Plinth viewers! To kickstart season three, we are joined by former Gannon DPT graduates David Russo and Ben Homan. David Russo practices in the outpatient orthopedic/neuro setting for UPMC in Erie, PA. Ben Homan currently practices as an outpatient orthopedic therapist for UPMC in Erie, PA. Listen as they share their journey through Gannon's curriculum, the NPTE, becoming licensed therapists, future endeavors, unique insights, and much more! 

Contact Ben Homan at: homanbl@upmc.edu and David Russo at: russojrds2@upmc.edu for any other questions you have!

Please welcome Chris Bise PT, DPT, PhD, OCS to the plinth this week! Chris is another clinician that we had the pleasure of meeting at CSM last year in San Antonio, Texas. Currently, Chris is an Assistant Professor and Chief Clinical Officer at the University of Pittsburgh. He also serves as a Clinical Data Analyst for the UPMC Health Plan. Chris is a driven, skilled professional with 25 years of experience in clinical, academic, and insurance industry settings. Listen as he talks passionately about the diverse career opportunities a Doctorate in Physical Therapy affords us, difficulties affecting our profession today, and his optimistic outlook on the future.  

Please welcome Amanda Dailey to the plinth this week! Amanda graduated with her DPT from Gannon University in 2012 and received her NCS in 2016. She currently works as an outpatient neuro physical therapist with UPMC Centers for Rehab Services in Erie, PA. Fun fact: she was pinned by our program chair, Kris Legters, at her NCS ceremony, and she was an amazing clinical instructor for both Ben and David this past year! We hope you enjoy hearing Amanda share her story and the defining moments of her career!

We are joined this week by Lora Mize, a professor at the University of Central Arkansas, and Shannon Fox, manager of physical therapy at Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport, Louisiana.  We met the two of them at APTA's CSM after they gave a presentation on how to successfully transition from a physical therapy student to a practicing physical therapist.  Their passion for sharing their experiences with students everywhere is evident as they shared insight on topics such as salary negotiation, mentorship, professional advocacy, self-development, and work-life balance during the early stages of building your career.  Listen in for valuable advice on how to start your career on the right track!

Please welcome Carmen Elliott to the podcast this week! We had the pleasure of meeting Carmen at APTA's CSM in San Antonio, Texas this year. Carmen is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for the APTA and the Executive Director of the PT Fund. She has also previously worked as Vice President of Insurer Relations with the APTA. With her extensive academic and professional background, Carmen has helped to take DEI to the forefront of the APTA and is continuously working for greater inclusion every day. Tune in as Carmen talks to us about how she helped start these important conversations, how we can get involved in advocacy for DEI, and how she celebrates small victories on the way to larger success.

We are excited to welcome Samantha Shepherd to the plinth this week! Sam graduated with her DPT from Gannon University in 2019. After a long and challenging battle to pass the NPTE, Sam accepted a job with St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, Kentucky. Currently, she is splitting time between this hospital and an outpatient pediatric clinic. Listen to Sam as she talks about diminishing the stigma associated with not passing the NPTE on the first try, her experience as a PT during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how her struggles have helped her grow both personally and professionally. 

Please welcome Kim Reed to the plinth! Kim graduated from Gannon University with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2011. After graduating, Kim began working at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center as an acute care therapist. Today, Kim works as a float therapist in the various ICUs, including the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit where David completed a rotation in the fall. Listen to Kim talk about her daily work in the ICU, the challenges of this setting, and share her "defining moment" as a physical therapist. 

We are super excited to have Julie Hartmann join us at the plinth this week! Julie is a professor in the DPT program at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. She has had an incredible career journey as a PT in many different clinics, a geriatric specialist, and the Director of Clinical Education at Gannon University before moving to Kentucky. We enjoyed hearing about her experiences in her many different roles and her priceless career advice, and we hope you do too!

We are lucky to have TikTok's original PT Dan Ginader on our show this week!  Listen in as Dan tells us about his career journey as a PT and what inspired him to create his TikTok page that continues to grow in popularity.  His content includes helpful tips and tricks for various pains and injuries as well as important education about the physical therapy profession for both PT students and the public.  Check out his page on TikTok @dr.dan_dpt!

This week we spoke with Ashley Greenthaner, a 2014 graduate from Youngstown State University, and current critical care PT at UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pennsylvania.  Ashley is a cardiology and pulmonary clinical specialist (CCS).  Ashley explains what it is like to hold one of the more unique specialties in PT and what it is like to treat critically ill patients.  She also discusses how she gained the confidence to work with a population of individuals where making a mistake could lead to dire consequences.  Enjoy!

This week, joining us at the plinth is the aforementioned Ryan Brown.  Ryan is a physical therapist and facility director for UPMC Centers for Rehab Services in Erie, Pennsylvania.  He was also co-host Ben's first clinical instructor.  Ryan is an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), a Primary Spine Practitioner, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).  Listen in as Ryan discusses his career trajectory, including why he chose to pursue his certifications, how they have impacted his career, and how he manages even the most difficult of patient cases.  Enjoy!

Please welcome Jess Paul to the plinth! Jess graduated from Gannon University in 2013. After graduating, Jess and her husband worked as travel physical therapists. Later, Jess worked as a rehabilitation director at a Skilled Nursing Facility. With this unique background, Jess is currently working as a mobile outpatient physical therapist in State College, PA. Yes, you heard it right, mobile! Listen to Jess talk about the benefits of mobile physical therapy, her "must-haves" that she brings to each treatment session, and how she has learned to deal with "changing hats" frequently throughout her career. 

For our first episode of Season 2, we were excited to have Kenneth Fernandez Escobar join us at the plinth! Kenneth is a physiotherapist in Valladolid, Mexico and is the owner of a private practice. A team of Gannon University DPT students had the opportunity to meet and work with Kenneth in July 2021, and he certainly has a great story to share with us today! Tune in to hear Kenneth share his experiences as a PT in Mexico, how advocacy plays a large role in his practice, and how he is making a difference in his community. Enjoy!

In this last episode of our very first season of the Tales from the Plinth podcast, we had the great pleasure of being joined by Dr. Drew Contreras! Drew began his career as a military physical therapist and later worked as the first White House PT under the Obama administration. Currently, he owns a private practice providing concierge PT services to high-profile clients and is a member of the APTA's senior team. He shares with us the unique aspects of treating "tactical athletes", the benefits and challenges he encountered while working in the White House, and how his new role in the APTA seeks to serve an often overlooked population of physical therapists practicing in the US. We hope you enjoy!

We were excited to have Nettie Carrell join us from Fort Worth, TX this week at the plinth! Nettie is a neurologic specialist who worked for a hospital serving patients with brain injuries before stepping into a management role at another facility. Hear her talk about what sparked her passion for neuro, how her work provided much needed services to an under served population, and great advice for treating patients with behavioral challenges.

Ryan Thorsen, an emergency department physical therapist, joined us from Las Vegas, NV this week!  Tune in as he shares all about his experience as one of a very small number of emergency department PTs in the country, what makes this practice setting unique, and how he is able to make a positive impact in his patient's lives as a PT in this role.

This week at the plinth we were joined by Mary Eighmy, a 2016 graduate of Gannon’s DPT program. Listen as she shares her tale about her work with pediatric athletes at Shriner's Hospital for Children, how to manage athletes (and their parents) who are eager to return to sport, and what makes being a physical therapist so special. Enjoy!

We are very excited to be joined by our Gannon University president Dr. Keith Taylor this week! Dr. Taylor has served as a university president for ten years as well as holding other positions as an educator in the past, but he began his professional career as a physical therapist. He shared his unconventional career path from PT to university president, how being a PT shaped his role as an educator, how new grads can stand out against the crowd as they search for jobs, and why community service as a person and a PT are so important.

Alex Zarger, a physical therapist in Pittsburgh and a 2017 Gannon DPT graduate joins us this week to share his tale including his wild ride of getting into PT school, his experience completing an orthopedic residency program, how his passion for the profession drives his clinical practice, and his plans for opening up a PT clinic in Erie.  Enjoy!

This week we are joined by Brenna Powers, a neuromuscular and research physical therapist from Columbus, Ohio.  She shares her story of working in a unique clinic setting, how important research and evidence-based practice is in her field of work, and about the intriguing and impactful research she is a part of now!

Colleen White joined us from Austin, Texas this week on Tales from the Plinth!  Colleen is a 2016 DPT graduate from Gannon University and works in a Level 4 NICU at a children's hospital.  Tune into listen to her share her experience in a pediatric residency program, what the physical therapist's role is in the NICU, and why parent education is such a crucial part of her work as a pediatric physical therapist.

This week at the plinth, Tom Harmon shared his story with us!  A 2020 DPT graduate from Gannon University, Tom is currently working as a travel physical therapist in Vermont and is a certified financial advisor.  Tune in to hear great advice for tackling student loans in addition to the benefits and challenges of travel physical therapy for new graduates.

Kim Waters joined Ben, Liz and David at the plinth in this episode to tell us her tale! Kim, a 2013 DPT graduate of Gannon University, is a rehab manager at a Level II trauma center in Florida.  Click play to hear her share what makes the acute care setting unique, how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted her work, and why interprofessional collaboration is an integral part of our profession.

Matt Bauer, a 2011 DPT graduate from Gannon University, shared his tale this week!  Matt is a therapy program manager for a home care network that services clients across the east coast.  Tune in for great discussion about how home health differs from other practice settings, why home care is so important and will continue to grow, and why we as physical therapists need to do better at marketing our profession to the public.

Chris Pike shared his tale at the plinth this week.  A 2019 DPT graduate of Gannon University, Chris works as an outpatient orthopedic PT and the sports director at a clinic in Oswego, NY.  Click play to hear him chat with Ben, Liz, and David about his important work with high school athletes and how to constantly better your practice as a physical therapist.

Ashlie Crewe joins us from southcentral PA to tell her tale as a pelvic health physical therapist.  Tune in to hear her tackle misconceptions about pelvic health physical therapy and share how she makes patients feel empowered in their struggle.

Eric Meyer joined us at the plinth this week to share his tale!  Eric is a 2016 DPT graduate from Gannon University and holds a McKenzie certification.  Tune in to hear us chat about his experience as a PT in a busy outpatient orthopedic clinic, how to adjust to major changes in your life and career, and how the PT profession plays a major role in primary care.

In this episode, we will be hearing Matt Callahan's tale from the plinth!  Matt is an orthopedic specialist and certified hand therapist from New Castle, PA.  Tune in to hear about his journey with opening his own clinic, balancing work and life responsibilities, and what sets students and new physical therapists apart from the crowd.

Welcome to the very first episode of Tales from the Plinth!  We are so glad that you can join us and hope that you enjoy the show!  Our first guest is Patrick Rainey.  Pat is a 2018 graduate of Gannon University and currently works as a pediatric physical therapist in Butler, Pennsylvania.  Tune in for Pat's tale of what got him interested in pediatrics, how to coach parents, and how to keep kids engaged during treatment.