Tess with her sister, a Marquette alumna.

During my senior year of high school, I decided to pursue a career in physical therapy after spending most of high school as a physical therapy patient myself. I loved being on my feet, trying new strengthening and stretching techniques, and forming relationships – all of which are integral to physical therapy. This led me to explore different educational options, including Marquette’s 6-year accelerated program. While I was touring the program, I heard about a potential internship with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) through the Foundation. The ability to spend a summer with my family in Virginia while working for the APTA excited me, so I kept the opportunity in the back of my mind as I began my schooling at Marquette.  Now, as I prepare to start PT school in a couple weeks, I am wrapping up my last week interning with the Foundation. I am so grateful for this experience, which has taught me more about the physical therapy profession and the importance of research in the field.

I first became involved in physical therapy research last summer when I worked as a lab assistant for Dr. Marie Hoeger Bement in her Pain PhysioLab within the Marquette Physical Therapy Department. This experience gave me a glimpse of how valuable physical therapy research is and sparked my interest in the larger role research plays within the profession. When I heard more about this Foundation internship opportunity, I was curious to see the administrative side of research, including fundraising and administering grants. I ended up gaining this important administrative knowledge and so much more – new friendships, a better understanding of the role research plays in the profession, a greater understanding of the APTA, and a fresh perspective on physical therapy.

At the beginning of my time with the Foundation, I learned various development-related tasks and helped with wrapping up the past VCU-Marquette Challenge fundraiser. As time went on, I took on larger projects, like gathering contact information for schools and analyzing data related to the Foundation’s scholarships. These projects will help expand the Foundation’s reach to a wide variety of schools and students who could participate in the Marquette Challenge or apply for Foundation scholarships. The ability to work with Foundation team and understand the role they play in supporting researchers develop evidence has been eye-opening.

Tess at a Nationals game fundraiser for Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

I also was given the opportunity to work with the APTA State Affairs team. One of my favorite tasks was tracking bills across states, and this gave me the opportunity to learn more about legislation involving physical therapy and healthcare around the US. Towards the end of July, APTA’s Director of Public Affairs, Mike Matlack, invited me to a fundraiser at a Nationals game for Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore. It was great meeting the Congresswoman and getting to learn more about the federal legislation the APTA is pushing for, like continuing physical therapists’ ability to provide telehealth services.

Now, heading into my first year of PT school, I have an expanded view of what being a physical therapist means. I have grown to value physical therapy research more, want to continue being involved in advocacy, and am ready to use the analytical and administrative skills I have developed in my future career as a physical therapist. Before this experience, I did not fully grasp the extent to which the APTA is involved in the physical therapy profession, and it has been enriching seeing the association and a corporate side of physical therapy compared to a clinical side. I hope to have a membership with APTA every year from now on!

I look forward to starting PT school in a couple weeks with a new outlook on physical therapy and am grateful for this opportunity to see a different side of the profession. I am excited for future Marquette students who will get to be part of this exchange and learn more about physical therapy research, the Foundation, and APTA while experiencing the DC area for a summer. Thank you to everyone within the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, including Ashley Brinkley, Tammy Burkhardt, Sarah Cioffi, Rebecca Elrod, Nora Sanzo, Abdul Zahed, Beryl Leach, and Barbara Malm; within State Affairs, including Maryam Emory and Tajah Franklin; and within the APTA for letting me join you for the summer. I look forward to seeing everything the Foundation and APTA will accomplish in the future!