I’m fortunate to work for a company that has a highly organized DPT student internship program. In the past 2 years I have had the opportunity to work with, learn from, and mentor 8 different DPT students from universities across the country. These have included Widener University, West Virginia University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Miami, Western Michigan University, Hartford University, Temple University, and Medical University of South Carolina. I’d be remiss not to thank Dr. Josh Funk and our Internship Coordinator at R2P, Dr. Jamie Schindler for all of their efforts in establishing contracts with and coordinating a multitude of internships each year. Their efforts, among others, have led to R2P having what I believe to be one of the most polished and enriching internship programs in the country. Yeah, I am biased.
Working as a clinical instructor has a multitude of benefits. As a CI you are afforded the opportunity to mentor, clearly organize your thoughts and treatment style, learn from some of the PT industries bright new minds, and the ability to give back to the industry.
Mentorship allows you to consistently refine your treatment style and sharpen your clinical reasoning. While we have a checklist of items at Rehab 2 Perform that we like to hit with each DPT intern, I also have a few conversations I like to have with my interns on the subject of clinical reasoning, professional issues related to PT/healthcare, judging your performance beyond productivity metrics, and more.
Interns commonly ask questions and challenge your beliefs on a variety of subjects which tests how well you know your stuff. This is one of the biggest benefits because I am able to find places where I may not have as strong an understanding as I previously thought. This leads to learning opportunities and enriching my own clinical practice.
Additionally, having a far reaching clinical internship program like R2P inherently brings the best of the best and most competitive DPT students in the country to our doors. This means I get the opportunity to work and learn from some incredibly bright and talented individuals. Off the top of my head I’ve learned a ton about social media marketing, olympic weight lifting, a variety of sports I previously wasn’t as familiar with, and a variety of new research topics and practice methods from our interns. They consistently present well organized and thoughtful presentations during clinic in-services helping to create an enriching environment.
While I’ve obviously painted a picture of philosophical and scholastic growth that comes with being a clinical instructor, there are also some ‘selfish’ reasons that benefit your practice by hosting DPT interns for those of you still on the fence.
Having a constant stream of DPT students ensures your clinic has a recruiting pipeline and expands your social network and reach for your next hire. While you have the opportunity to test drive these clinicians for anywhere from 8 to 14 weeks, don’t get it twisted. They’ll be simultaneously test driving your clinic, experiencing your culture, and finding out if they could work in your setting. By ensuring you are putting your company’s best foot forward, this adds up to a potentially long-lasting relationship and the ability to hire clinicians that align with your company’s values. I don’t think you’ll be getting the same benefits from a 30 minute interview and an afternoon of shadowing.
Additionally, you’ll quickly recognize patients see the value in this type of internship program. They love having the individualized, skilled, and professional care that comes with working with a DPT intern. When used appropriately, these interns become an extension of yourself allowing you to provide higher quality care with significantly more one-on-one time. This adds up to improved patient outcomes, less patient churn, and higher productivity.
One last thing. Hosting DPT students provides a way to give back to the PT profession in the most direct manner. While occasionally time consuming and challenging the rewards are clear and ensure you are cultivating a better PT industry for tomorrow.
In closing, I’d like to thank both my past and future students for everything you do and how you have helped me to grow as a clinician.
