Dr. Adam Matichak is a rare bird. Not in the "exotic diagnosis" sense, but in the "really cool guy who does rad things" sense. He is a board-certified oncologic clinical specialist who knows more about cancer rehabilitation than is appropriate, and still has time to be a swell guy. He hopes that you, dear listener, know a little more about oncologic physical therapy after this episode than you did before. "How an insurer abandoned a cancer patient in his most critical hour." Are you a PT or PTA in Michigan? You can get PDR credit towards license renewal by listening to Waves episodes! Fill o ..read more

It's here! Part two! The sequel! Drs. Nikki Pappas and Sara Wallace continue our conversation about vulnerability and curiosity, wherein we also stack soapboxes on soapboxes and idioms upon maxims. There's a lot going on here, but I think you'll like it. PTs and PTAs in Michigan! You can get PDR credit just for listening to Waves episodes! Fill out this form and keep it for your records. Boom. Done ..read more

Dr. Nikki Pappas and Dr. Sara Wallace are physical therapists and educators in Salt Lake City, UT, and the captains of Team Vulnerability and Team Curiosity, respectively. They have wonderful insight into how to leverage those traits to improve patient care as well as promote well-being among clinicians. Also, I've never had to bleep out as many swears as I did in this interview. Part 2 of this episode is coming up next in the feed so stay tuned! If you are a PT or PTA in Michigan, you can get PDR credit towards license renewal by listening to Waves episodes! For reals! Just fill out this fo ..read more

PTs can work just about anywhere, including the exclusive niche market of running comedy content creation on Instagram. And that's exactly what Dr. Laura Green has done. She has traveled the world to work as a PT in some amazing (and not so amazing) places. She has also turned her lifelong love of running into a side hustle that became her main hustle: funny videos about running on social media. This path let her travel the world (again) while helping create a community in the running world that we didn't know we needed ..read more

Jordyn Bowman is a 3rd year SPT at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI. She used a personal tragedy as an opportunity to help other people, and by doing so, helped her realize what could be possible in the physiotherapy profession. Guiding Light Mission APTA Magazine article "How PTs Can Help Those in Addiction Recovery" Editing help from Chris Shumate. Music by Andy Wicks and Mark Joesting ..read more

Dr. Drew Contreras is the Vice President of Clinical Innovation and Integration at the American Physical Therapy Association. And while that title may not give you the clearest idea about his job description, he can share a lot of pearls of wisdom as to where our profession has been and where it is going. Oh, and he used to be the White House physical therapist during the Obama Administration. There's a video somewhere about that ..read more

Did you know our very own co-host Dr. Katharine Cline is a published author? She is! Dr. Cline is a pediatric pelvic floor physical therapist who wanted to create a resource to help kids when they may be having difficulty controlling their bowel or bladder. She collaborated with medical illustrator Rylee Lane to make Potty Heroes: An Interactive Coloring Book, a book that aims to be accurate, anatomically correct, and helpful for young kids. We spoke to the author and illustrator to hear more about how the project came to be and what might be next for our Potty Heroes ..read more

Physiotherapists say that they are the movement system experts across the lifespan, but what about the very end of life? What if the patient has a terminal diagnosis? Do we have a place there? Dr. Chris Wilson has strong opinions (and evidence!) on the topic. APTA Oncology World Health Organization statement on palliative care www.facit.org ..read more

Morgan Andrade is a 3rd year DPT student at Oakland University and the first winner of APTA Michigan's DEI Student Award. He serves as the Health and Wellness Advocate for Transcend the Binary, a non-profit serving the transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse community throughout Michigan. He has guest lectured for various programs across Michigan, such as Wayne State University's physician assistant program, on providing trans inclusive healthcare. In his free time he enjoys jiu jitsu, boxing, and hiking with his wonderful wife and two pups ..read more

Many PT and PTA students are exposed to pro bono work while in the clinic, but few have an opportunity to continue that work as a licensed clinician. Dr. Kari Ayoob, co-founder of The Movement Network, tells us how she is helping to build a network of physios across the country to provide care to underinsured and underserved populations. USC Fit Families Phillips Neighborhood Clinic UCLA Mobile Clinic Midnight Mission USC PT Multicultural Leadership Alliance California Physical Therapy Association ..read more