All students can expect to get out of the classroom and into their communities during their time in Pitt’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program (DPT). Community engagement is woven throughout the DPT curriculum at Pitt by design. But students aren’t simply volunteering; they are actively engaging with their communities, listening to the needs of community members and advocating for high-quality health care for all individuals.
In Pitt DPT courses, all students learn strategies to effectively engage with their communities and they discover why it is vital for future health care providers to have a strong understanding about the needs of society.
Hybrid students can take this knowledge and apply it to their communities across the country where they now practice, and where they may someday work and live. The DPT program fosters student involvement in community-engaged activities that encourage collaboration with all groups of people in their areas to address issues affecting those individuals’ health and well-being.
Do you feel strongly that uninsured or underinsured individuals should have access to equitable, high-quality health care? Students in the DPT hybrid option can connect with local pro bono clinics in their areas through the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) to work closely with these clients in their community.
Are you interested in promoting diversity in the PT profession? DPT students can lead youth career exposure events at local school districts where students might be historically underrepresented in health sciences.
Do you like the idea of working closely with athletes? Hybrid students can lead virtual and in-person strength and conditioning sessions for adaptive athletes.
Additionally, as student members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), DPT students can connect with APTA Engage to easily locate and participate in community-engaged experiences happening in their own neighborhoods.
The sky is the limit when it comes to community engagement for hybrid students, and we look forward to them using their voices to make a powerful impact in their local areas.
--
Written by: Bonnie Virag PT, DPT, OCS, MA, ATC
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy