Marking a Milestone in CU Physical Therapy
Since the first class of six students graduated from the University of Colorado Physical Therapy Program in 1948, the program has attracted learners with a passion for helping and healing.
Texas native Yesenia Maddaford is one of them. The first-year student found her way to CU PT after her mother suffered a stroke and spent over a month in the hospital recovering ‒ at her most hopeful when learning to walk again with the help of a physical therapist.
Yesenia is one of many students benefiting from innovative training through our CU PT program, ranked #11 in the country and #1 in the Rocky Mountain region today.
On the heels of CU PT's 75th anniversary, we highlight Yesenia's story and the new academic initiatives taking the program into its next chapter.
A Burgeoning Field
In the decades since CU PT’s founding, the program has trained thousands of skilled therapists to treat people across the pediatric to geriatric spectrum.
With an aging population remaining active later in life and growing recognition of movement as a preemptive measure for staving off disease, physical therapy is gaining tremendous momentum in the healthcare landscape.
Physical therapy ranks among the top 25 fastest-growing professions in the United States, and demand shows no signs of slowing. CU PT is attracting record numbers of applications from bright students across the country, drawn to our respected education programs and the unmatched training opportunities that academic medicine provides.
A Passion for Helping and Healing
First-year CU PT student Yesenia Maddaford grew up in a tight-knit community in El Paso, Texas. She was close to her grandfather, whose strong values and many sacrifices for the family inspired her to pursue a career helping others.
“I want to help improve the lives of others in a way that is meaningful for me and for them.” - Yesenia Maddaford
After initially pursuing nursing, Yesenia decided physical therapy might be a better fit but was waitlisted by several schools and began looking at other options. Her interest in the field was reignited after her mother suffered a stroke and spent over a month in the hospital. While all of the hospital staff played critical roles in the recovery process, Yesenia found her mom happiest when she began working with a physical therapist to learn to walk again.
“After seeing her joy in her recovery, I knew I had to try to apply for physical therapy again,” Yesenia said. “I want to do for others what my mom’s PT did for her. I want to help improve the lives of others in a way that is meaningful for me and for them.”
At CU Anschutz, Yesenia is active with the PT community and a volunteer at the student-run DAWN clinic. She hopes to inspire other Hispanic students to consider physical therapy careers, just as she was inspired by her family’s focus on caring for others.
Expanding Our Reach
Throughout its history, CU PT has evolved its curriculum to meet the demands of a changing healthcare environment. Under the leadership of Michael Harris-Love, PT, MPT, DSc, FGSA, FAPTA, the program has launched two new offerings over the past two years, making novel educational tracks available to future leaders in the field.
“Our mission has never been clearer. We are leading the way for physical therapy education in the Mountain West region and beyond.” - Michael Harris-Love, PT, MPT, DSc, FGSA, FAPTA
Serving Southern Colorado with Hybrid Training Pathway
Students pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy now have two options: a residential pathway on our campus or a new hybrid pathway at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Both pathways combine a uniform curriculum with intensive hands-on lab experience.Last month, the inaugural cohort of 34 hybrid students joined 73 residential pathway students to kick off their training. The hybrid pathway is a particular draw for students interested in rural healthcare, with opportunities to complete clinical experiences in their local communities.
“Hybrid education allows our students to learn where they are.” - Daniel Malone, PT, PhD, CCS
Daniel Malone, PT, PhD, CCS, is director of the hybrid pathway. “There is a lot to be excited about,” he said. “Hybrid education allows our students to learn where they are. It also has the potential to bridge gaps and address healthcare disparities by increasing access to rehabilitation services in rural areas and underserved populations.”
Integrating PT and Public Health
Through a new dual-degree program created in partnership with the Colorado School of Public Health, students are exploring the intersections of physical therapy and population health, focusing on issues surrounding health equity, community health promotion and disease prevention.“We want students to think about how they can leverage the skills, knowledge and behaviors developed in both programs, and integrate these to better serve patients and communities.” - Dawn Magnusson, PT, PhD
Launched last summer, the DPT-MPH dual-degree track is one of only a handful of such programs in the nation.
“As physical therapists, we're really great at tertiary care ‒ supporting people once they're injured or they become ill,” says Dawn Magnusson, PT, PhD, who led the development of the new degree. “But over the past several decades, there has been a shift toward trying to keep people healthy and keep people moving.”
The CU PT program provides a solid foundation in helping learners understand and enact their role in promoting health, preventing injury and disease, and reducing health disparities. The dual-degree program affords students an opportunity to dive more deeply into these concepts with additional training in areas like behavioral and community health, environmental health and health systems management.
“We want students to think about how they can leverage the skills, knowledge and behaviors developed in both programs,” Dr. Magnusson said, “and integrate these to better serve patients and communities.”
Leading the Way
CU PT’s remarkable history of accomplishment and growth has positioned the program well for its next chapter.“The nationally ranked program of today has been shaped by the major accomplishments of our past,” said Dr. Harris-Love. “Our mission has never been clearer and our recent accomplishments are evidence that we are leading the way for physical therapy education in the Mountain West region and beyond.”
Sincerely,
Don Elliman