Learning Through Service: SMU DPT Students Provide Free Physical Therapy for East Bay Seniors
On Tuesday August 5, second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students convened at Northgate Terrace Retirement Center to offer pro bono physical therapy sessions with some of the senior residents, marking the third of four planned classes at this center.
Samuel Merritt University’s DPT pro bono experience series gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively with peers and faculty to provide free physical therapy services to underserved members of the local community. Each year, students receive supervised practice in applying and refining what they have learned in their academic courses before their full-time clinical experiences.
“We try to incorporate physical activity and fitness into their day,” explains Theodore Gong, a second-year DPT student. “We try to tie it back into what’s important to them,” which for the elderly community means exercises that mirror everyday activities “like being able to get up out of the chair or going to the bathroom,” he says.
SMU’s pro bono experiences focus on providing mutual benefit for students and the East Bay community members who participate. During the one hour session, residents were led by students through various movement activities including stretching, dancing, and passing a ball in groups. Theodore reflects how “even if it’s something as simple as throwing a volleyball, to them it’s at least getting them out of what may be mundane from a group home.” After each session, the cohort gathers to debrief the session and plan for the next, brainstorming ways to “make it fun and not redundant, but still function for them,” Theodore explains.
Each year of the DPT program offers a unique pro bono experience for students. Second-year student Khanycia Salsberry recalls that her cohort’s first-year pro bono experience focused on musculoskeletal issues, such as knee and back pain. In contrast, their most recent pro bono was more neurological in nature, where she had the opportunity to work with a patient with Parkinson’s disease, while other groups assisted stroke survivors. “People came from the community to the school to get help from the students,” she recalls, expressing gratitude for the trust the East Bay community places in both the students and the staff to support them.
The pro bono experience is designed to expose students to a wide range of physical therapy scenarios, which Theodore describes as “adding to the toolbox” for treating diverse patient populations. Sharing her favorite aspect of the program, Khanycia explains, “one of the reasons I wanted to come to Samuel Merritt University is because of all the pro bono that we do at the school. I thought it was really cool to be able to come out into the community.” Theodore adds that the program not only provides students with valuable learning opportunities, but it also “helps bridge the gap in terms of the healthcare disparity, because these [types of] services aren’t cheap or free,” reflecting SMU’s commitment to equitable healthcare access.
“They help immerse us in all these different environments,” Khanycia shares, “so that when we become physical therapists, we’ll be ready to work with different people.” She feels that the opportunities and support provided by the university have been essential to her growth as a future physical therapist.
