Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

DPT Student Accomplishments

DPT Student Awarded Silver Medal in National Championship!

Spring 2022

JOrme  Orme2

In addition to the rigorous curriculum required to qualify for a physical therapy career Jeremy Orme, first year DPT graduate student is well-prepared for the physical demands involved in the profession. Patient transfers, lifting and positive coaching should come easy as he recently placed third in the USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championship, garnering a silver medal!

USA Powerlifting is the largest drug-free strength sport federation in the world. Powerlifting is a sport where athletes lift one repetition maximums in the barbell squat, bench press, and deadlift. Three attempts are made at each of the disciplines. The highest good lift (as decided by a majority of three judges) from each discipline is then added to determine the athlete's total. 

The Collegiate National Championships are held yearly in the spring. It brings together over 900 athletes from universities spanning the entire country. This year the competition was held in Lombard, Illinois. The competition is divided by gender and weight class. Jeremy registered for the 242 lb. weight class and qualified last fall at a local competition in Michigan. There were over 50 athletes in his weight class who had qualified and elected to compete at the championships.

Jeremy’s final results were a 628 lb. squat, a 392 lb. bench press, and a 705 lb. deadlift. This came to a 1,725 lb. total! This was a personal record for Jeremy, as was the squat, earning him the silver medal. The top 5 in each class are awarded a podium spot. The other four lifters in Jeremy’s weight class that secured a podium spot were from Kansas, Hawaii, Texas, and North Carolina.

Jeremy’s passion for the sport, his determination to prepare for competition, and resulting win are certainly preparing him for success as a future physical therapist. It is also worth noting that Jeremy aspires to use his education as a physical therapist to one day provide rehabilitative and coaching services to powerlifters both in person and through online platforms. Congratulations Jeremy!

 

Passion for Helping Others Drives Doctorate Student’s Career Goal as Physical Therapist

September 15, 2021 | NewsStudent SuccessUTodayAlumniHealth and Human Services

By Meredith Troxel

DPTGraduate
Jessica Bausman found her passion at The University of Toledo and she’s not looking back.

The doctor of physical therapy student joined UToledo as an undergraduate transfer student. Because she enjoys math, Bausman originally majored in accounting. Sitting at a desk, it turns out, was not her professional calling.

Bausman, from Blissfield, Mich., moved back home and later found that she had a passion for helping others and working hands-on. She changed her major with the goal of becoming a physical therapist, after remembering personal accounts of a family member struggling with chronic pain and how physical therapy can provide individuals the essential skills to feel better.

“I really liked the aspect of physical therapy where the patient is in charge. You give them the skills they need to be in control of their pain without using medicine,” Bausman said.

She graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and is now in her third and final year of her doctorate program.

Bausman is completing her first clinical education experience with The University of Toledo Medical Center’s physical therapy and sports medicine staff. She is gaining real-world experience with diverse patient populations, from older adults with knee and hip replacements to UToledo student athletes and high school athletes.

Advancing from shadowing to now managing and caring for her own patients, Bausman has made great strides in her clinicals. Ashleigh Stubleski, Bausman’s clinical instructor, observed her determination to grow as a professional.

“Jessica has been a great student during her 10 weeks here,” Stubleski said. “She comes in each day ready to learn, and was well prepared for this clinical as far as knowledge of orthopedic examination and treatment. She started the first week with observing treatments and exams and now after 10 weeks is managing the majority of the patient caseload.

“She has a great personality and has been able to interact well with all the patients and staff.”

Bausman’s classes have taught her the basics – examination and treatment – but the skills that really have helped her as a budding professional have evolved from her clinicals. Expanding her clinical reasoning skills has been her priority during her experience with UTMC’s physical therapy staff.

“I’ve done a lot more clinical reasoning and adapting to how the patient’s presenting,” Bausman said. “That’s tough to get in the classroom because there’s not a real-life patient who could be doing worse one day and better the next.”

Outside of class and clinicals, Bausman gives back to the community with her fellow physical therapy students in the Student PT Organization and Delta Rho Tau, a coed professional organization for undergraduate students interested in physical therapy. She was involved with Delta Rho Tau during her undergraduate career and credits the organization for strengthening her connections with faculty and solidifying her decision to continue her education at UToledo.

Bausman will graduate with her doctorate in May 2022 and will take the examination to become a licensed physical therapist. Although she is open to working in different aspects of physical therapy, Bausman primarily wants to specialize in sports medicine or join the Air Force to practice in a military setting.

In the meantime, she will continue working in the Toledo area to bolster her connections and strengthen her skills.

“I have started networking with local physical therapists who would be beneficial in the transition from a student to a full-time doctor of physical therapy,” Bausman said.

 

Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Follows in Sister’s Steps to Achieve Success

August 30, 2021 | NewsStudent SuccessUTodayAlumniUTMCHealth and Human Services

By Meredith Troxel

DPTGradOriginally from Cameroon, Noella Che came to the United States and met up with her older sister, who was enrolled in UToledo as a pharmacy student. After hearing about her sister’s great experiences, Che followed in her sibling’s footsteps and became a Rocket.

She earned her bachelor of science degree in exercise science in 2019 and then enrolled in UToledo’s doctor of physical therapy program. She is completing her first clinical education experience with UTMC’s Outpatient Rehabilitation and Therapy Services.

She chose to further her education in physical therapy, a field that is not commonly known in her home country, because of her interest in the ability to use a patient’s body and biomechanics to make them feel better, rather than by medicine.

“I am a hands-on person, so I learn by doing,” Che said. “As a visual learner, physical therapy fit into my learning style.”

Now in the third and final year of her program, Che is completing her first clinical education experience with UTMC’s Outpatient Rehabilitation and Therapy Services. She has gained essential skills in communicating with patients and fellow students, working hands-on with patients and writing patient notes.

“Everybody has been very helpful, especially my clinical instructor,” Che said. “Greg Hall has been helpful in giving me a lot of feedback, which I have been implementing to try to become a better physical therapist.”

“During her time here at UTMC outpatient physical therapy, Noella has been able to learn, grow and contribute to the improvement in our clients’ lives,” Hall said. “She will take this knowledge and experience forward with her in her future clinical and career. I am excited about her future and the accomplishments to come.”

Che’s experience with helping others does not stop at UTMC. Outside of classes and her clinicals, she provides support for patients as a home health aide.

Her experience as a professional is a direct result of her classes, which provided her with the essential skills needed of a physical therapist. Che said she hopes to utilize her skills from classes and clinical experiences to realize her goal of opening a physical therapy practice.

“To build a house, you need a foundation,” Che said. “For me, my foundation was built up by the skills I learned in my classes, which helped me improve in my clinicals.”

Last Updated: 7/15/24