Students, faculty, and alumni from the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program took to the sunny coast of southern California in February to attend the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM).
CSM is an annual event featuring innovation, collaboration, and education that brings together physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and students from across the country. This year’s meeting was well attended by GW DPT students and faculty; attendance at the meeting was reminiscent of pre-pandemic events.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with clinicians, researchers, and educators,” said GW DPT Program Director Ellen Costello, PT, PhD. “Programming highlights all areas of clinical practice and research so there is something for everyone. It is a great opportunity to network and catch up with old friends!”
Associate Professor David Scalzitti, PT, PhD, has been leading an annual symposium on research funding at CSM since 2012. His role includes recruiting panelists, obtaining approval for the session, and serving as moderator during the discussion. Scalzitti was excited to return to in-person events this year, stating that "after a couple years of virtual presentations, I looked forward to networking with my peers in-person." While Scalzitti enjoys attending presentations related to his areas of interest, he is not one to shy away from other areas: “you never know what session you may run into me in the audience!”
After seven years of hard work, Assistant Professor Marisa Birkmeier, PT, DPT, PCS, DHSc, was excited to present, “Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education,” at the meeting alongside her fellow researchers. Birkmeier’s team developed evidence-based guidelines for pediatric education. “We hope to engage pediatric physical therapy educators and help them develop tangible ways to enhance their teaching abilities as well as incorporate excellence in pediatric physical therapy education into their professional PT programs,” Birkmeier said.
Seven GW DPT faculty presented a session entitled, “It’s a Keeper: Learning and Assessment Approaches during the Pandemic That Are Here to Stay,” that analyzed teaching techniques that emerged during the pandemic. “We presented instructional methods that are innovative and so well-received by the students that we continue to use them today even though we have returned to face-to-face instruction,” Costello said. Besides Costello and Birkmeier, other faculty who took part in the presentation included: Keith Cole, PT, DPT, PhD, MBiomedE, OCS; Lindsay Garmirian, PT, DPT, PhD; Karen Goodman, PT, DPT; Holly Jonely, PT, DPT, DSc; and Erin Wentzell, PT, DPT, PCS, DrPH.
Second-year student Rebecca Rosenblum was just one of the GW DPT students who attended the meeting and found it valuable. “CSM provides amazing exposure to new ideas, research, and opinions from PTs around the country who practice in a wide variety of settings,” Rosenblum said. “It was fun to be able to attend lectures that dive deep into the areas of personal and professional interest.”