Message from the President of the

Class of 2005

Kama Smith, SPT

President, DPT Class of 2005

As we approach the end of our final semester of classes at Physical Therapy school, we look back and ask where the time has gone. The past year has been filled with classes, labs and clinic time, overall being one of the busiest times of our lives. We have spent many hours in McKinly Lab and when it’s all over, we will say it was time very well spent. Not only have we gotten through Orthopedics, taught by excellent professionals, we were challenged in the ever so fun PT bowl to culminate the 7 long weeks. Our Acute care affiliations were the first real clinical experience that some of us ever had and proved to be challenging and very rewarding real world experience and made a difference in peoples’ lives.

The fall semester of our second year saw our class, not only knee deep with Neurological Evaluation and Rehabilitation class but also involved with integrated Geriatric and Orthopedic experiences. This proved to be the most challenging semester for time management, juggling 4 classes and clinical experience time, but we all made it through. Many volunteer opportunities came our way including Bike to the Bay, MS clinic, sharing our knowledge about the DPT program with prospective students at interviews and working with one fantastic individual with Body Weight Supported Treadmill training in the UDPT clinic that incorporated over ½ of our class members volunteering their time one week or another. We not only learn and grow through these experiences as a clinician, but there is an emotional factor that is sure to influence our lives for years to come.

Through winter session of Advanced Seminar, we were introduced to different specialized areas of PT. Therapists came to share their expertise in areas such as women’ health, wound care, oncology, muscle energy, aquatic therapy and much more. We appreciate the time they took to come in and teach us and all the knowledge they provided.

In February, 12 DPTIIs attended Combined Sections Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. For each of us to be able to do this, we would like to thank the University of Delaware Alumni Association from which we were awarded a grant to help fund our travel. With these funds, we were able to experience new research, new treatment tactics, new equipment, and overall advances in physical therapy. We attended research presentations and viewed poster presentations which provided us with knowledge that we can use during our clinical experiences now and once we are out of school. We were able to support fellow faculty and graduate students from our university by attending their presentations. The trip also gave us the opportunity to experience the culture of one of the most diverse and historical cities in the United States. Without this funding, many of us would not have been able to attend. Our thanks and appreciation goes out to them and hopefully others will be able to benefit in the future, as we have.

As we get closer and closer to becoming DPTs, we would like to take the time and thank each of you who in some way have made this experience better for us. Whether you be a professor, teaching assistant, clinical instructor, fellow student, coordinator or helper for our clinical experience, you have made this time great and memorable. Thank you!

Class of ‘05