More Than PT

Nathan McCauley applied to Bellarmine University’s Physical Therapy Program because he wanted to treat athletes. But now the first-year graduate student realizes his chosen profession is about more than pulled muscles and torn ACLs. 

 

Under the supervision of their instructors, Bellarmine’s physical therapy students treat patients at the school’s on-campus Service Learning Clinic and at the Umoja Free Physical Therapy Clinic, a satellite facility in Western Louisville. Those treated sometimes include people who are physically handicapped, suffering from disabilities caused by strokes, or managing chronic conditions like diabetes or arthritis. 

 

“Now that I’m in school, I’ve seen a greater diversity of patients,” McCauley says. “I have a patient with cerebral palsy right now. Physical therapists deal with a lot more things than I ever expected to see. It’s changed my perspective on my career goals. I still want to go into private practice, but I want to treat all kinds of patients, not just sports injuries.”

 

Dr. Mark Wiegand, Director of the Physical Therapy Program, says the clinics serve a dual purpose, allowing students to gain practical experience treating patients while providing pro bono physical therapy services to the community. 

 

On campus, the Service Learning Clinic (SLC), located on the second floor of the Bellarmine Office Building, operates from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. While serving predominantly students and employees of Bellarmine University, the clinic is also open to members of the larger community who are uninsured or who have used up their insurance-covered physical therapy visits. 

 

Bryan Varner, a Bellarmine junior who is studying communications, has visited the SLC regularly for the last three years. Varner, who is wheelchair-bound because of cerebral palsy, says he is impressed by the professionalism at the on-campus clinic. “I started coming to the SLC because it was free to students,” the 23-year-old says. “But the treatment here is the same, if not better than any outpatient clinic I’ve been to.”

 

The Umoja clinic, which opened in February, is located in the Catholic Enrichment Center at 3146 W. Broadway, where four physical therapy students travel to the clinic to treat patients between classes, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.  

 

Kate Crandall, a Bellarmine faculty member who operates Umoja, says the clinic came about after some students in last year’s physical therapy class did a study which found that fewer people in the West End saw a physical therapist because of cost and the lack of access in their community. Bellarmine decided to take the therapists to them for free. 

 

“We call the students at Umoja our ‘Fab Four’ because they are so dedicated,” Crandall says. “Ideally, we’d love to expand, but we’re constrained with time because they are in class so much. We’re trying to instill a community service bug in our students. It encourages them to think beyond a paycheck.”

 

Not that the physical therapy students should worry about getting paid. Bellarmine’s Physical Therapy Program has a 100 percent post-graduate employment rate. Wiegand says he is constantly fielding calls from medical facilities looking for new therapists. 

 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapy jobs will grow by 27 percent by 2016. “I think it’s in part because of the aging population and the graying of America,” Wiegand explains. “Physical therapists fill a niche in healthcare that is very focused on health, wellness and quality of life. As Baby Boomers age and look at retirement, they want a high quality of life. They want to continue playing golf. They want to continue playing tennis, and cycling.”

 

Bellarmine’s Physical Therapy Program is one of only two in the state. The other is at the University of Kentucky. Bellarmine’s program began in 1983 at the University of Louisville. In 2000, U of L decided that its Allied Health Science programs, which included physical therapy, no longer fit into its mission. The programs were farmed out to other schools and Bellarmine took four of them. They began offering physical therapy classes in 2001. Wiegand says Bellarmine received 484 application for 48 spots in this year’s class alone. 

 

“We were helped – and learned a lot – in coming to Bellarmine,” Wiegand says. “At the same time, I think we’ve been instrumental in helping Bellarmine grow. It’s been a win-win for everyone involved.”

 

For more information about the Service Learning Clinic or the Umoja Free Physical Therapy Clinic, call (502) 452-8029 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .