Purpose: Imposter syndrome (IS) explores the feelings of fraudulence within personal and professional settings. Commonly IS results in impaired self-confidence, and self-perceptions of one's own abilities, their mental health, and places them at a higher risk of burnout. Imposterism is linked to transitionary periods, such as being newly graduated, and while IS addressed amongst the medical community [doctors and nurses], there is a gap in literature relating to IS amongst allied health professionals (AHPs). Additionally, there is no known literature in which IS presence or severity is explored in relation to an individual's geographic location. The aim of this study was to report on the presence of imposter syndrome (IS) in newly graduated allied health professionals (AHP), and to determine if there was an association between IS and occupational location. Methods: Allied health professionals from 12 disciplines across Australia, who graduated between November 2021 and December 2023. The study was conducted as a single-phase observational quantitative cross-sectional design via an anonymous online survey. The online questionnaire included the collection of demographic information, responses to the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) questionnaire plus five imposterism self-perception questions, and classification of occupational rurality using the Modified Monash Model (MMM). Results: Of 205 eligible participants, 97.6% reported "Moderate" to "Intense" feelings of imposterism. Sixty-one percentwere 21-25-years-old, 88.3% identified as female, MMM 1 and 2 accounted for 77.6% of participants' occupational location. Participants' IS levels did not correlate with their occupational location or previous knowledge. Contrastingly, participants' imposter syndrome levels and experiences of imposterism, the impact of imposter syndrome on their personal and professional life and perception of stigma associated with imposter syndrome displayed positive linear correlation. Conclusions: This study found high imposterism amongst the new graduate allied health professional population, and a correlation between IS scores and self-perception. Despite no correlation to occupational location, these findings demonstrate concern for clinician personal and professional wellbeing. Future research should explore the prevalence of imposterism amongst a wider range of clinicians, inclusive of students, new graduates and experienced clinicians to gain adequate insight into presence, severity and to guide intervention.
Purpose: A patient's social determinants of health (SDOH) and socioeconomic status (SES) play an important role in the quality of healthcare they receive. Patients of low SES tend to face greater obstacles in receiving healthcare and experience greater health disparities. Understanding how physicians provide care for pediatric student athletes of low SES is critical in ensuring they can receive appropriate care. Methods: Thirteen physicians shared experiences they have in providing care to patients of low SES, including challenges they have encountered and what strategies, if any, in overcoming those challenges in providing equitable care. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews. Data saturation was met, and the sample size aligned with other interpretative phenomenological analysis studies. Results: Physicians identified several strategies to identify patients of low SES and their SDOH, common barriers/resources their patients face, and ways to navigate care utilizing alternative methods that met the needs of each patient and involved collaborating with other healthcare professionals. The following three themes were interpreted: (a) Patient Circumstances, (b) Meeting People Where They Are, (c) Learning On The Job. Conclusion(s): These findings can help inform physicians on how to best approach pediatric athletic healthcare, specifically in patients of low SES.
Purpose: Caregivers play a critical role in providing support to stroke survivors during recovery, but they often face emotional, physical, and educational challenges that can lead to caregiver burden and burnout. Despite the significant impact education can have on caregivers, rehabilitation professionals in inpatient rehabilitation settings often struggle to provide comprehensive training due to time constraints and strict productivity standards. This feasibility study aimed to evaluate whether an individualized onetime caregiver education session, integrated into the discharge planning process, could enhance caregiver confidence and whether the necessary education could be practically integrated into the existing staffing, reimbursement, and organizational structure of an inpatient rehabilitation unit. Methods: Fifteen caregivers of stroke survivors admitted to two inpatient rehabilitation units in Pittsburgh, PA, participated in a single, individualized stroke education session lasting 45-75 minutes each. Caregiver confidence was assessed using pre-and post-surveys to measure the impact of the intervention. Aspects of feasibility that were explored included acceptability by caregivers, the implementation and practicality of the education sessions, and the scalability of the intervention. Results: Survey responses indicated a measurable improvement in caregivers' perceived confidence following the one-time education session. Caregivers reported high levels of satisfaction with the individualized format, suggesting strong acceptability of the intervention. Implementation was feasible due to the relatively short session times and the ability to incorporate it into daily treatment sessions. The practicality of the model was supported by its adaptability to varying caregiver needs and session durations. Furthermore, the intervention demonstrated potential for scalability, given its low resource demands and alignment with current staffing and reimbursement structures. Conclusions: These sessions, when delivered individually and supplemented with educational materials, may improve caregiver confidence, potentially reducing caregiver burden and burnout. Recommendations: Rehabilitation professionals seeking to implement similar one-time individual sessions should consider integrating them into the discharge planning process, utilizing available staff and resources. Given the intervention's acceptability, ease of implementation, and alignment with current productivity standards, these sessions may be a practical and scalable addition to routine care. Future research is warranted to further validate these findings and explore long-term caregiver outcomes.
Purpose: Research has indicated patients have better outcomes when their healthcare providers are comprehensively trained in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) related areas during their academic preparation. By understanding students' perceptions of the DEI education, they receive and knowing how that training may impact future patient interactions, educators can allow educational programs to prepare health science students better. This study aimed to garner and examine the perceptions health science students have on the DEI education they receive as undergraduate and/or graduate students in a regional public comprehensive university. Methods: Upon approval of research from the Institutional Review Board, 2,700 health science students and alumni from a regional public comprehensive institution were invited to participate in a 10-question survey. The conceptual framework that guided this research was Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL was appropriate for this study because it is commonly used in higher education to explore and analyze the inclusivity of teaching and learning strategies. UDL includes three main principles.13 The three principles include providing multiple strategies to share information with students, allowing students to express and articulate their thoughts and concerns freely, and finding out how students best engage with the content being taught. What is often explained as defining what, how, and why of a concept. Since this study pertained to student perceptions of inclusive learning and the foundation of UDL is built on the presence of inclusive teaching and learning strategies, UDL was a perfect design. Results: 183 current health science students or alumni consented and participated in this study. Approximately 38% of participants did not recognize the value and role learning DEI during their academic training would have on their future careers as a health science practitioner. Only about 40% of participants reported that DEI training would help them better identify biases and reduce or eliminate them to provide better patient, client, or customer care in their future careers. There was notable room for improvement in the amount of DEI training students were receiving and in helping them understand the value and role DEI will play in their future careers as a health science professional. Conclusions: With the level of diverse populations steadily increasing, there is a greater need for health science practitioners to be more comprehensively trained in topics related to DEI. This study revealed the value health science students find in learning about DEI during their undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Additionally, data findings support the need for more lessons in DEI and inclusive, equitable learning environments. Educators need to create and guarantee the appropriate DEI learning spaces and then teach the lessons necessary to provide better patient, client, or customer care as future health science practitioners.
Purpose: This descriptive report outlines the development and operation of a faculty-student collaborative occupational therapy (OT) clinic embedded in a community-based primary care setting serving uninsured individuals. The clinic's dual mission is (1) to reduce disparities in access to OT services and (2) to serve as an educational model for developing student competence, cultural humility, and advocacy skills. Description: Established in 2019 and relaunched in 2023, the clinic operates one day per week, providing consultative OT services primarily for musculoskeletal conditions, with additional referrals for neurological and systemic issues. Over two academic years, the clinic delivered 229 service hours across 202 patient visits, while engaging Level I fieldwork and capstone students in patient interviews, documentation, culturally responsive communication, and program development. Students practiced trust-building strategies, adapted education for low health literacy, and contributed to bilingual and telehealth initiatives. Lessons Learned: Key implications include the importance of culturally responsive engagement, the value of immersive experiences for student learning, and the need for sustainable outcomes tracking. A trial of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) demonstrated the utility of patient-identified outcomes but revealed challenges in consistent implementation. Future plans include embedding standardized outcome measures to support quality improvement, program sustainability, and workforce development. Conclusions: Integrating culturally responsive service delivery with experiential student learning offers a replicable teaching model for allied health education. This faculty-student collaborative clinic describes how equity-focused practice and immersive education can prepare future practitioners for advocacy-driven care in underserved communities.
Purpose: This case report describes the clinical application and preliminary outcomes of Arabic-adapted Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA), Phonological Components Analysis (PCA), and Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) in an Arabic-speaking adult with post-stroke aphasia and highlights language-specific factors that affect the adaptation of these interventions to Arabic. Methods: The participant was a 53-year-old right-handed native Arabic-speaking man who developed moderate to severe nonfluent transcortical motor aphasia after a left middle cerebral artery stroke. One month after stroke onset, he underwent assessment with the Short Aphasia Test for Gulf Arabic speakers, which showed relatively preserved auditory comprehension and repetition but marked impairments in naming, spontaneous speech, reading, and writing. Intervention was delivered over four weeks using a block design with three sessions per week, each lasting 60 minutes. During the first two weeks, SFA and PCA were alternated to target lexical retrieval, while VNeST was introduced during the other two weeks to supportverb retrieval and sentence-level production. Probe measures were administered every two sessions, and the assessment was repeated after treatment. Results: Posttreatmentfindings showed improvement across language domains, with the largest gains in naming, which increased from 14% to 82%, and semispontaneous speech, which improved from 0% to 33%. Additional gains were observed in auditory comprehension, repetition, reading, and writing. Clinically, the participant became more fluent, used phrases and short sentences more effectively, and showed positive treatment trends on trained probes. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility and clinical utility of Arabic-adapted SFA, PCA, and VNeST in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. They also suggest that Arabic morphosyntax, root-pattern morphology, and diglossia complicate the direct transfer of English-based treatment protocols, underscoring the need for Arabic-specific treatment procedures, scoring criteria, and larger controlled studies.
Purpose: Accompanying the contemporary need for a collaborative practice ready health workforce is a focus on health student preparation for interprofessional collaborative practice. This research explored allied health pre-registration student preparation for interprofessional collaborative practice. Further, this examination illuminated new understandings of interprofessional collaborative practice itself. Methods: Informed by philosophical hermeneutics, this research involved two studies. One study was drawn from interpretation of the literature. The other study drew from 24 academic and student participants' experiences from five allied health professions, accessed through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Thematic interpretation was used to highlight key themes and topics. Results: This research revealed interprofessional collaborative practice to be unequally and dynamically shaped by six key shapers within and across structural, social, and personal domains. These shapers were: in-situ standards and physical environments (structural); interpersonal engagements and evident reciprocity (social); individual contributions and embodied endeavours (personal). Using practice theories to examine these shapers may provide a firm foundation for the development of interprofessional collaborative practice ready allied health graduates. Conclusion: Allied health educators are invited to reflect on the shapers and construct education approaches to make the shapers explicit, enable students to engage with the dynamic interplay between shapers, navigate tensions created by shapers and explicitly develop student capability to respond to and work within the shapers of interprofessional collaborative practice. This research brings fresh insight into understandings of allied health student preparation for interprofessional collaborative practice.
Purpose: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common causes of anterior knee pain, but its radiographic diagnostic indicators are still not clearly defined. This study aimed to evaluate key radiographic morphometric parameters, including Q angle, sulcus angle, patellar tilt angle, and Insall-Salvati ratio in individuals with PFPS compared with healthy controls and to determine their association with anthropometric variables. Methods: A quantitative crosssectional study was carried out involving 110 individuals diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and 110 age-and sex-matched asymptomatic controls. Standardised digital radiographs were analysed using INSTARISPACS software to obtain morphometric measurements. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression to evaluate group differences and variable associations. Results: PFPS patients showed significantly higher Q Angle (p < 0.001, r = 0.9134) and Patellar Tilt Angle (p < 0.001, r = 0.8072), indicating strong diagnostic value. Sulcus Angle was moderately elevated (p < 0.001, r = 0.3574). Insall-Salvati Ratio and BMI showed no significant differences. Height and weight were lower in PFPS patients but did not independently predict diagnosis. Multivariate analysis confirmed Q Angle and Patellar Tilt Angle as key predictors (R-2 = 0.732).Conclusion: Radiographic measurements, particularly Q Angle and Patellar Tilt Angle, are reliable indicators of PFPS. Structural alignment plays a more critical role than body composition. Further longitudinal studies are recommended to validate these markers for early detection and intervention.
Purpose: Many studies have been conducted on falls in individuals older than 60 years of age with diabetes, so the current study focused on comparing and contrasting the fall risk and lower extremity strength in diabetic and non-diabetic people of 50 years of age and above and early identification of fall risk. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study recruited 210 older adults 50 years of age and older from community dwelling areas. Thirty-one (31) participants were healthy and free of diabetes, while 179 of the same age range were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The study was conducted over a period of six months. For muscle strength, the five times sit to stand test (5-STS) was utilized; and for balance, the time up and go (TUG) test, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and one leg stance (OLS) were used for balance. The Mann Whitney Test was applied to compare groups using SPSS 26. Results: Thirty seven percent (37.4) of participants in the diabetic group reported a history of falls while 25.8% of participants in in the non-diabetic group reported previous falls. The p-value was only significant for BBS (p= 0.0001) with moderate effect size (r=0.3). In women, the BBS showed moderate effect sizes with r=0.352. Additionally, small effect sizes were noticed for OLS with r= 0.246 for eyes open and r=0.255 for eyes closed. In diabetic participants less than 60 years old, the BBS was slightly affected with r=0.233, and in participants more than 60 years of age small to medium changes in effect sizes of all measures of balance were reported except for the TUG. Conclusion: More falls were reported in the diabetic group, and the BBS scores were moderately affected by diabetes in women 50-60 years of age. No differences were reported in lower extremity strength between both groups. Findings from this study provide valuable insights to multidisciplinary teams dealing with diabetic populations to prioritize assessments of balance and fall risks in in this population older and particularly women with diabetes in order to prompt early intervention and prevention of fall-related mortality.
Purpose: Rural communities experience allied health workforce shortages that detrimentally impact health care access and outcomes. Allied health student exposure to rural practice is a key strategy to influence rural practice uptake in Australia. Yet, these placements can be short in duration and undertaken across multiple speciality areas contributing to fragmented learning, challenges in translating theory to practice in rural contexts, and host site fatigue. We aimed to review placement standards and key rural and metropolitan university stakeholder perspectives of placements to inform the co-design of a rural longitudinal placement to address the challenges described. Method: This qualitative study was undertaken in two stages: Stage 1: document analysis to identify standard requirements for allied health placements and semi-structured interviews with rural and university stakeholders to identify benefits, concerns, barriers and facilitators to rural placements and placement duration preferences, and Stage 2: the delivery of a co-design workshop to inform the development of a longitudinal allied health placement model. This paper discusses findings from Stage 1. Stage 2 findings will be described in a subsequent publication. Results: Document analysis identified that Australian standards do not mandate allied health placement durations but do mandate student experiences across contexts, populations, and placement types; inter-professional experiences; support for student development of cultural responsiveness; and supervision and assessment, though these differed across disciplines. Findings from semi-structured interviews identified overwhelming support amongst rural participants for longitudinal placements. However, there was resistance to this concept from university participants. Rural participants were also positive about student learning and direct care benefits associated with longitudinal placements. Overall, there was no clear direction provided by participants on how longitudinal placements might be developed or implemented. Findings were drawn on to inform subsequent co-design workshops. Conclusion: The future development of allied health placements must be informed by, and reflect, Australian standards and the evidence, whilst bridging the divide that exists between rural and metropolitan university stakeholder requirements and expectations. Placement innovations are vital, including longitudinal placements, if we are to address critical rural allied health workforce shortages experienced and respond to pressing rural workforce, health system, and public health imperatives.
Purpose: When a shared decision-making design is employed in the return to sport (RTS) Continuum, the athletes' outcome improves. Yet, many professional programs (i.e., athletic training and medicine) integrate interprofessional education into curricula differently or not at all. Therefore, there may be a mismatch between theory, curricula, and practice implementation. This discrepancy could impact care team operations and RTS outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess perceptions of shared decision-making practices, communication strategies, and perceived barriers among interprofessional RTS care team members in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Methods: A mixed-methods, cross-sectional study including anonymous, web-based survey responses from 253 varying professionals from RTS care teams at NCAA member institutions. Results: The majority of professionals (77 %) from a variety of professions perceived their care teams to exhibit a shared decision-making approach. However, of those who did not, themes to explain a lack of shared decision making model included barriers such as lack of trust, hierarchy, and a lack of effective communication To support collaboration, strategies in communication should possess a spirit of mutual respect, promoting collaboration, and trust. Conclusions: Participants expressed willingness for additional interprofessional education in the workplace of intercollegiate RTS care teams. Informed shared decision-making models may support improved collaboration and decision processes within intercollegiate athletics.
Problem: Physiotherapy research increasingly requires methodological precision and clinical relevance. Among available designs, the randomized crossover model offers distinct advantages by allowing each participant to serve as their own control, thereby reducing inter-individual variability and improving statistical efficiency. Purpose: This perspective article discusses how appropriately designed crossover trials can enhance the quality and interpretability of physiotherapy research when applied under stable clinical conditions and with adequate washout periods. Methods: Three representative crossover studies illustrate these principles across physiotherapy specialties. In musculoskeletal practice, manual therapy for thoracic pain demonstrated measurable reductions in paraspinal electromyographic activity following counterstrain compared with spinal manipulation. In neurophysiotherapy, a combined program of electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation and mirror therapy in post-stroke patients produced greater functional gains on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment than conventional treatment. In cardiorespiratory rehabilitation, volitional pursed-lip breathing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease significantly improved six-minute walk distance and reduced respiratory rate. Results: Together, these examples highlight how crossover methodology enables reliable within-subject comparison of short-term, reversible interventions common in rehabilitation science. The article also outlines essential statistical considerations, including carryover and period testing, baseline adjustment, and reporting standards specific to crossover trials. Conclusions: When supported by transparent methodology and proper analytical handling, the crossover design provides an efficient, ethical, and clinically meaningful framework for physiotherapy research, strengthening its evidence base and supporting individualized, outcome-driven practice.
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education and practice, leading to emergency transitions to online learning and interruptions in clinical experiences across the United States. These disruptions raised concerns about their impact on new graduate DPTs' self-efficacy and professional readiness. The current issue addressed by this study is the effect of these disruptions on new graduate self-efficacy and confidence in their professional role. This mixed-method study aimed to assess the extent of clinical education disruption, evaluate its effects on self-efficacy, and explore the lived experiences of new graduate DPTs during the pandemic. Method: A survey was conducted with 2020 and 2021 DPT graduates (N = 101), including the Self-Efficacy of Physical Therapist Student Outcomes survey and an open-ended question on pandemic impacts. Groups were defined as <4 weeks or >= 4 weeks of clinical education disruption. Results: Independent tests analyzed differences on the SEPTSO and thematic analysis explored participants' lived experiences. Significant differences were found in planned and actual clinical education lengths between groups, with overall poor self-efficacy in patient management but high self-efficacy in professionalism. Here we show that new DPT graduates faced substantial challenges that impacted their self-efficacy during their transition into the workforce, influenced by a lack of clinical experiences. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for targeted strategies by employers and DPT programs to support new graduates during crises, ensuring their professional development and mental well-being. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of the pandemic's impact on health professions education.
Purpose: Short-term medical service trips (SMSTs) are widely used to deliver healthcare and population health interventions in resource-limited settings, yet few evaluations examine their operational performance using routinely collected field data. This study presents an operational and implementation-focused evaluation of a student-led SMST serving Indigenous communities in rural Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Methods: An operational and implementation evaluation was conducted using three data sources: patient encounter forms, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) survey data, and volunteer experiential survey responses. Data were analyzed descriptively to assess service delivery patterns, data quality, workflow constraints, and volunteer-reported implementation challenges. Results: Over four clinic days across four field sites, 478 patients received care, 12 households received water filters and improved cookstoves, and six group health education sessions were delivered. Identified implementation challenges included incomplete clinical documentation, limited tracking of medications and referrals, translation-related workflow constraints, and gaps in volunteer preparation. Despite these challenges, volunteer satisfaction was high and operational feedback informed targeted recommendations for program improvement. Conclusion: This evaluation demonstrates how routine program data can be leveraged to generate actionable operational insights for SMST activities. Findings highlight feasible opportunities to strengthen clinic workflow, data collection, and volunteer preparation, with lessons that are transferable to similar global health initiatives operating in resource-constrained settings.
Problem: Physical therapy (PT) outcome disparities exist among racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. Implicit racial and ethnic biases (IREBs) may contribute to these inequities. Understanding IREBs within PT practice is crucial for addressing disparities and helping physical therapists comply with the American Physical Therapy Association Code of Ethics Principles. Purpose: This study examines the role of IREBs in PT by exploring physical therapists' awareness of them and their potential influence on PT practice. Methods: A virtual explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. Fifty-one United States physical therapists participated in the survey phase, with a subset of these participants engaging in qualitative interviews (n = 16). All participants completed the Bias Awareness (BAS), Bias Experience and Actions (BEAS), and demographic surveys. Interview participants completed a semi-structured qualitative interview to explore the perspectives and experiences of their IREBs. The primary outcomes were participants' levels of bias awareness and their perspectives on how IREBs influence clinical practice. Measures included BAS and BEAS scores. Qualitative interviews used an interpretive phenomenological analysis. Results: The survey results indicated moderate to high levels of bias awareness, with differences in awareness across personal, societal, and healthcare domains. Qualitative data revealed that participants' awareness of IREBs varied by experience, education, and clinical exposure. Participants identified multiple ways IREBs influenced PT practice, including client interactions and treatment decisions. Conclusions: Participants acknowledged the existence of IREBs and identified multiple ways in which IREBs adversely influence PT practice. Recommendation: Future research focusing on intersecting social identities could clarify the effects of IREBs in physical therapy practice.
This opinion paper argues that threshold-based lottery admissions offer a strategically necessary response to equity challenges, enrollment pressures, and evolving definitions of merit in allied health education. Current admissions models, whether traditional or holistic, often reflect underlying tensions between academic metrics and institutional missions and may unintentionally privilege certain applicant groups. As demographic shifts and the looming enrollment cliff intensify these pressures, allied health programs must reconsider how they define and identify admissions excellence. Drawing on examples from other sectors and recent literature, this opinion piece argues that a threshold-based lottery system, applied to applicants who meet baseline academic criteria, can promote fairness, transparency, and sustainability without compromising standards. The paper introduces the CLEAR Admissions Framework as a conceptual tool to guide implementation, emphasizing the importance of defining success outcomes, identifying predictive variables, and establishing data-informed thresholds. Rather than attempting to eliminate bias entirely, the model encourages programs to use mission-driven weighting to reflect unique values and communicate institutional priorities to prospective students. The discussion also considers faculty habitus, particularly the tension between gatekeeping and transformative orientations, and how a lottery-based model might offer a middle path that honors both rigor and representation. Ultimately, reimagining admissions is not about lowering standards but about aligning all interested parties with the evolving goals of the allied health professions. A lottery-based approach, grounded in evidence and mission, offers a promising alternative for programs seeking to build a more inclusive and resilient healthcare workforce. This perspective is intended to prompt discussion, pilot exploration, and reconsideration of admissions assumptions within the allied health community.
Background: Educational units that house a variety of healthcare programs require unique skills and knowledge development and vastly different professional responsibilities. The training for students is similar in that they use clinical educators to provide practical educational experiences. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore healthcare students' perceptions of their clinical educators' skills across six domains related to clinical education for six health professions. Methods: The data collection process involved a survey of students who have completed clinical rotations with at least two different clinical educators. Results: Seventyfour responses were included in data analysis. Students have positive perceptions of their clinical educators' abilities across areas surveyed, ranging from 66.7% to 95.4% agreement. The lowest overall ratings fell in the areas of evaluation and teaching strategies. This was consistent across all professions surveyed. Conclusion: Development of an interprofessional clinical educator training can assist in addressing the shared needs of students and programs.
Purpose: This paper explores the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the profession of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). AI is widely recognized as a transformative force, presenting opportunities across both service delivery and professional practice in SLP. Method: The analysis employs the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology as an organizing framework to systematically evaluate AI applications across professional and service delivery domains. Within each domain, the study identifies emerging use cases, evaluates the capacity for AI technologies to automate or augment clinical processes, and examines broader implications for the profession, with particular attention to anticipated changes in clinical practice, educational curricula, and professional training requirements. It also addresses associated challenges, including data bias and the "black box" problem while advocating for proactive engagement with AI technologies. Results: AI will reshape the field, serving as a collaborative partner for SLPs, enhancing efficiency, and expanding access to care rather than replacing human professionals. Conclusion: Graduate programs and the discipline is urged to act swiftly and adopt AI. Professional organizations across the world need to be proactive to develop guidelines for the use of AI in service delivery and professional practice in SLP.
Purpose: Burnout among academic faculty is a growing concern, particularly within health professions education. This study examines the prevalence of burnout, associated risk factors, and protective factors, including professional fulfillment, among faculty and leadership in U.S. graduate physical therapy (PT) programs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to program leaders in graduate PT programs for distribution. The survey included validated metrics from the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index along with custom items assessing workload, institutional culture, mentorship, and wellness factors. Comparative analyses were conducted between individuals who reported burnout and those who did not. Results: A total of 152 responses were received. Burnout was reported by 53.9% of faculty in the past academic year, and 65.1% in the past three years. Among those affected, 84.1% attributed burnout directly to workload (p < 0.001). Faculty with burnout reported significantly lower professional fulfillment (2.2 vs. 3.16), greater work exhaustion (2.4 vs. 0.87), and higher interpersonal disengagement (1.8 vs. 0.42; all p < 0.001). Burnout was also associated with perceived unfairness in workload, reduced sleep and family time, adverse effects on both mental and physical health, and increased contemplation of job departure (p < 0.001). Protective factors included higher professional fulfillment, personal resilience, and structured workload processes. Conclusions: Burnout is very common among academic PT faculty and is closely linked to systemic workload and institutional culture factors. Promoting professional satisfaction, increasing workload transparency, and creating a wellness infrastructure could help reduce burnout and improve faculty retention. These findings highlight the urgent need for academic institutions to implement systemic policies that ensure workload fairness, support faculty well-being, and foster professional satisfaction to improve retention and sustainability in physical therapy education.
Purpose: The significance of connectedness, motivation, and professional identity formation in healthcare education is well documented in recent research. The purpose of this case report is to evaluate the impact of an interactive, peer-led learning experience between graduate physical therapy students and undergraduate pre-physical therapy students. A specific focus is placed on identifying the effect this professional early-exposure event had on each group's perceived connectedness to the program, motivation to continue studying physical therapy, and a developing professional identity. Methods: Graduate physical therapy students designed and facilitated a hands-on learning session for first-year pre-physical therapy undergraduates. Post-event surveys were used to assess self-reported changes in participants' understanding of the profession, sense of connection, and motivation to pursue a career in physical therapy. Graduate students also completed surveys to reflect on how the experience influenced their own professional identity development. Results: Both graduate and undergraduate participants reported meaningful benefits from the experience. Most undergraduates indicated increased motivation to pursue physical therapy and a stronger sense of connection to their peer group and the program. Graduate students reported enhanced leadership skills and a deepened professional identity because of designing and leading the session. Conclusions and Recommendations: These findings suggest that involving graduate students in experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates fosters a stronger sense of connection and contributes to professional identity formation for both groups. Healthcare education programs that intentionally bridge connections between students at different stages of training may enhance student engagement and cohesion within the field.
