Physical Therapy Services

Our physical therapy practice is open and is seeing patients both in person and by telehealth.

Premier out-patient physical therapy services are provided in three practice areas for faculty, students and staff at Drexel, as well as for members of the surrounding community.

All services are individualized and by appointment.

Hand and Upper Extremity Therapy
Hand and upper extremity therapy services provided by experts in this area.

Spinal Rehabilitation
High quality evidence-based evaluation and rehabilitation of spinal pain disorders.

Children & Youth Consultations
Consultations by arrangement onsite or in local home/community locations for children and youth with various disabilities and health issues.

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News & Events

02/20/23

DPT of Color panelists speaking during event, sitting in front of a PowerPoint presentation Doctor of Physical Therapy students at Drexel University, held a Q&A panel with physical therapists of color. The group was started as a student-led diversity, equity and inclusion resource for Drexel’s DPT program to create a safe space for students of color to connect and support one another. They felt it necessary to provide a platform to speak on issues regarding DEI in the physical therapy field from individuals who have firsthand experiences on these topics. With the support of faculty and staff, the group was able to organize and host their very first event.

Close to 90 people attended this first annual DEI event. Panelists Doriean Broady, PT, DPT, Kimberley Cooke, PT, DPT, OCS, Melanie Ferdinand, PT, DPT, MPH, Annalisa Na PT, DPT, PhDm and Akil Piggott, PT, DPT, OCS, ACSM EP-C shared their journey in the healthcare field as physical therapists while navigating the feeling of being “different” based on the way they looked or from where they and their family originated. Many of the panelists shared similar stories about the lack of representation ─ people who looked like them.

Group of five DPT of Color Panel Event attendees standing against a grey wall Akil Piggot, PT, DPT `16 recounted his experience and lessons learned from growing up with Panamanian parents, moving from a predominantly Black school to predominantly white ones. “I grew up in a community where I was people’s only Black friend. Then I go to PT school where I was the only Black student,” he shared. He was used to the everyday challenges of his reality, which, in his mind, gave him an openness and understanding of what struggles people in different communities face. Kimberley Cooke, PT, DPT `04, who always knew she wanted to become a physical therapist, was hopeful that Drexel would be more diverse being in Philadelphia. “All the students and professors I interviewed were white,” she said. She did have a good experience at Drexel crediting part of it to its involvement in the communities she hoped to one day serve.

Panelists encouraged everyone to take pride in who they are as well as advocate for themselves and others. “You may be the minority in your job and that’s something you should wear with pride,” said Doriean Broady, PT, DPT `17. Building a community within the healthcare profession is essential to making everyone feel welcome at the table.

Regarding the topic of alliance, the panelists noted that showing up for others who may lack the privilege, non-minoritized individuals have is vital to understanding and learning from one another. “If you hear someone projecting a stereotype, make the effort to have a conversation with them to help them understand the consequences those biases can have in your work,” asserted Melanie Ferdinand, PT, DPT `17. With an open mind comes understanding and the opportunity to improve connections with everyone in the healthcare community, those who work in healthcare and those who use healthcare to improve their quality of life.

“Our profession needs to do a better job on what our profession does and how they help others,” Cooke added. This successful event brought by the Drexel DPT’s Students of Color is the first of, hopefully, many that can provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone to share, listen and learn from the minoritized communities that are making a place for themselves in the physical therapy healthcare community.

Group photo of all DPT of Color Panel Event attendees, approx. 50 people

Written by Roberta Perry

02/16/23

Student Alexis Robinson sitting with head propped in hand by a tree

Alexis Robinson understands the value of exploring your academic options. A current student in the BS/DPT Bridge Program for Physical Therapy Option, Robinson is on track to complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy in six years. While Robinson shares knew that physical therapy was the right path for her, she advocates for taking time to consider your career path. “Try a little bit of everything to find what fits your professional goals,” Robinson advises.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Robinson began her journey at Drexel in an all-online program, when the university pivoted to remote learning. Now that she is back on campus, Robinson looks forward to exploring the community on campus and meeting with PT program alumni. Most important to Robinson is inclusion in her university and program. She is an advocate for encouraging diverse students to apply to Drexel, and she currently serves as an active member of the Board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CNHP, where she continues her work in this mission.

As for her future career, Robinson says she wants to “be a part of the change.” She is considering pediatric physical therapy in Philadelphia as well as travel physical therapy, which would allow her to work internationally. Robinson is a passionate dancer, and she hopes to incorporate dance and movement into her future physical therapy practice. This desire is informed by her personal experience as the niece of a dance teacher, which inspired Robinson to consider the therapeutic possibilities at the intersection of medicine and dance. In addition to her academic pursuits, Robinson is a fan of science fiction and romance novels.

01/20/23

Veronica Carey, PhD, assistant dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (seated on the left) and Marybeth Gasman, PhD, author of Doing the Right Thing: How Colleges and Universities Can Undo Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring (seated on the right) having a discussion about Gasman's book. On Thursday, January 12th assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion Veronica Carey, PhD, hosted Marybeth Gasman, PhD, author of Doing the Right Thing: How Colleges and Universities Can Undo Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring. The 90-minute event welcomed more than 70 faculty, professional staff and students from across Drexel University. This frank discussion, held in the College of Nursing and Health Professions' new Health Sciences Building, focused on what CNHP can do to support the hiring and retention of faculty of color. Gasman, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair and a distinguished professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University, noted, " the reason why hiring faculty of color is an issue at most academies is because excuses have been made for the hiring of white faculty who may not have been as qualified as candidates of color."

In an interview format, Carey's first question, "why this book now?" Gasman responded, "I was angry enough to know academies should not continue like this." A historian by education, Gasman continued by sharing that she wanted to research how long this practice has been happening. Gasman stated that if an academy wants to do something it gets done. "My initial response to why this book now is also because academies do not want to hire faculty of color and I am tired of them stating we just can't find diverse faculty." She passionately answered Carey's follow-up questions — "why don't academies do more when they know the problem exists?", "what can leaders do to ensure equity in hiring?" and "how did you conduct research for this book?" Then, in and open Q&A, attendees asked Gasman to address concerns stemming from quality vs. pedigree and the excuses given for not doing the right thing.

Attendee Denise Way, DNP, an assistant clinical professor in Undergraduate Nursing, stated, "This was so wonderful to have an opportunity to be in a room where this topic was addressed. So proud to hear peers' comments and suggestions to correct this issue." Board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion student members Alexis Robinson, Charlise Williams, and Seleena Jacob celebrated being at an event targeted to support diverse educational opportunities while they matriculate at CNHP.

Written by Veronica Carey, PhD, assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion and associate clinical professor

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