Preparing the Next Generation of Physical Therapists

On a recent summer afternoon, a handful of local high school students huddled in the Michael Jaharis Jr., M87P, H15, Anatomy Laboratory at Tufts University School of Medicine, watching with rapt attention a demonstration that simulated a total knee replacement. 

“They were just enthralled,” said Evan Papa, associate professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and founding director of Tufts DPT–Seattle. “I think about the experiences that I had prior to finding my career path and becoming a physical therapist, and it was nothing like this. But it gave us a chance to explain how, as physical therapists, we understand why patients are in pain, and why they need help to rehabilitate to get back to their baseline function.” 

The high school students were part of Tufts’ first immersion program to encourage careers in the health sciences, and specifically physical therapy. Called SPARCC-PT (Student-Centered Pathway to Advance Research and Clinical Careers in Physical Therapy), 10 under-represented students were selected among many applicants from high schools in the Boston area. Their participation was fully funded by a Tufts Springboard grant, with help from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Each student was assigned two mentors, one of whom was a licensed physical therapist, with whom they met on a regular basis to receive guidance and support. In addition, the high school students attended a week of activities both on and off Tufts campuses that included visiting the Camilla Bessey Thompson and Paul D. Thompson, M.D., Clinical Skills and Simulation Center at the School of Medicine, where Papa said students were wowed by the high-fidelity nature of the simulations. They also went to several different types of physical therapy clinics and MIT's Center for Clinical and Translational Research.

“This is an opportunity to show high school students that not only do they belong in this profession, they can thrive in it, and there are supports in place for them to be successful,” said Moyosore Tillery, assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and director of admissions in the Tufts DPT-Boston program. “But it’s important to start early, so we focused on high school students to start building their support networks long before they apply to PT school.”

Chandi Edmonds, assistant professor and assistant director of clinical education for Tufts DPT–Seattle, served as a mentor to a high school senior in the program, and said they delved into numerus topics during their time together, including how to prepare for college and whether the student could juggle a job with academics. 

“I really loved it,” said Giselle Salvador, who recently graduated from Revere High School. “It created a lot of exposure for me, especially since I want to go into PT. Seeing how everyone works as a team in the clinics and how PT clinics can have different settings was really cool.”

“What’s special about this program is that it’s very student-centered,” said Edmonds. “We focus on the students to find out what their needs and wants are, and give direction based on that. It was spectacular to see growth in a short period of time for this particular student.”