D'Youville University Physical Therapy Department

Big announcement from esteemed faculty member, Dr. Jeffery Podraza:

I am honored to share that I have been promoted to the rank of Clinical Professor at D'Youville University.
Since joining the faculty in 2015, I have had the privilege of working alongside an exceptional team of physical therapy faculty and support staff who are deeply committed to excellence in education, scholarship, and service. This achievement is not an individual accomplishment, but rather a reflection of the collaboration, mentorship, and support I have received in my career.
My sincere thanks to my colleagues, students, and the D'Youville community for their encouragement and partnership over the years.
Thank you all.

Shout out to Dr. BJ Ryan and Ascend Physical Therapy for always being a strong supporter of our DPT students! See below about student Patrick Hajos' experience:

I’m excited to share that I have completed my first clinical rotation at Ascend Physical Therapy Group. I would like to thank both Dr. BJ Ryan, DPT and the Shawn Conrad, PTA for their support, guidance, and tutelage over the last 6 weeks. I was privileged to have had the opportunity to serve the community of South Buffalo where I was able to help treat a diverse population, across a variety of age groups, with a wide array of outpatient orthopedic conditions.

Dr. Ryan helped me further my understanding of musculoskeletal pathology as well as provided a fantastic environment where I could start to develop my clinical decision making and build confidence as a future physical therapist. I’m excited to apply what I have learned at my next clinical rotation and continue to build on my abilities to provide patients with the best possible care.

We offer so many clinical options in different areas of New York. See what student Henry Smith has to say about his first clinical:

I’m excited to share that I have completed my 6-week clinical rotation at Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina, NY.

This experience provided valuable opportunities to expand my clinical knowledge, strengthen my patient care skills, and gain a deeper understanding of rehabilitation in the skilled nursing setting. Working with a diverse patient population allowed me to continue developing as a future physical therapist while learning the importance of individualized, patient-centered care.

I would like thank my Clinical Instructor, Smithamol Ajayan, for her guidance, support, and mentorship throughout this rotation. I also want to thank the entire rehab team at ORCHARD MANOR REHABILITATION AND NURSING CENTER for welcoming me and contributing to my professional growth. I look forward to applying the lessons I learned as I continue my journey toward becoming a physical therapist.

See below for an exciting team up of the D'Youville DPT department and Roswell Park Cancer Institue. Shout out to Dr. Jeff Podraza of the DPT program for the collaborative effort!

D’Youville University and Roswell Park Partner on Innovative Wellness Program for Cancer Survivors | DYouville D'Youville University Physical Therapy students gain early exposure to research and clinical settings through program funded by Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.

Check out the DPT students at their White Coat ceremony!

Great picture!

We offer some amazing PEDIATRIC clinicals! See below from Brooke Foschini-Carpenter about her experience.

I’m excited to announce that I have completed my first clinical rotation with Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center- NF Public School District!

Over the past six weeks, I had the opportunity to work across 6 elementary schools, supporting children from pre-kindergarten through grade 5 with a wide range of gross motor delays, developmental disabilities, and neurodevelopmental needs.

During this clinical rotation I grew immensely in my clinical skills, confidence, and professional judgement. Throughout this experience I progressed to independently managing my CI’s caseload, developing individualized treatment plans, performing re-evaluations, administering the BOT-2, and collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team, including teachers, EAs, OTs, SLPs, and school psychologists.

This was a unique experience, as we traveled to several schools throughout the day. While some schools provided dedicated therapy spaces, others had us working in hallways or shared areas. This challenged me to be creative, adaptable, and resourceful with both the environments available and the equipment we brought with us.

A huge thank you to my CI, Lennie Giannini, PT, for her patience, encouragement, and incredible mentorship throughout this rotation. I am incredibly grateful for all the insight I gained from both my CI and the amazing kids I had the pleasure of working with! Most of all, I will miss hearing “Miss Brooke” and the meaningful therapeutic relationships I was able to build with the students over the past few weeks. This clinical experience will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will carry the lessons, relationships, and memories with me throughout my journey to becoming a DPT.

Please read below about student Josh Halim’s first clinical experience at Highpointe:

Incredibly grateful to have completed my first clinical rotation at Highpointe on Michigan with Dr. Gray Hendershot. I was able to experience working as a student clinician in a subacute rehabilitation setting, and gain confidence in my ability to help patients restore their function!

I want to sincerely thank my Clinicial Instructor Dr. Hendershot for his guidance during the past 6 weeks. I was able to learn so much about treating patients, helping them achieve their goals, and improving functional mobility in a variety of different ways!

I am also very appreciative of all the staff at Highpointe who readily welcomed me. They facilitated my ability to grow and learn, including the great therapists working in OT and Speech. I’m greatful to have had the opportunity to begin my clinical fieldwork here, and am looking forward to my future clinical work on the road to becoming a physical therapist!

Representing Western New York at the state level APTA Delegate Assembly. Encouraging anyone interested in promoting our profession at a high level to get involved!

See below about student Anthony Dean completing his second clinical:

I’m very grateful to have completed my second 8-week clinical rotation at Trinity Physical Therapy with Dr. Ronald P. White. This experience gave me the opportunity to continue growing as a student clinician and gain more confidence in my abilities.

I want to sincerely thank Dr. White for the patience, guidance and expertise he showed me throughout these past 8 weeks. I learned a tremendous amount from him every day and gained valuable experience in manual therapy, examination skills, clinical reasoning and patient interaction that has expanded my orthopedic knowledge tremendously. Being in an environment that challenged me while also supporting my growth made a huge impact on me both professionally and personally.

I’m very appreciative of everyone at Trinity Physical Therapy for welcoming me and allowing me to be part of the team. This clinical experience strengthened my passion for physical therapy and motivated me even more as I continue working toward becoming a physical therapist.