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summer 2012 misc 063

Dorothy at her 1977 Class reunion in 2012

The old adage of time having wings rings true; a few years ago, a class of mostly eighteen year olds started their diploma in physiotherapy.  How is it possible that this summer we celebrated 35 years since our graduation from the U of S.    This event in Saskatoon brought back a flood of memories for me. 

The strongest memories are of clinical practicums and of course, the insidious close relationship that developed between the class members.  Within the first year of study, we lost three class members to other university programs.  While this was of significant consternation, it was balanced by the closeness of a small group of people constantly interacting with each other over a period of time that develop almost a familial relationship.  It was expected that Shelley and Joy would pepper each professor with a multitude of questions, that Vic Cottrell’s pipe would never light,  that Joy Schaffer would answer all questions (correctly), that Richard and Carla always sat behind me and Joyce Manton would gaze to the heavens for directions in her thought process.  Clinical practicums confirmed for me that I had chosen the correct field of study and brought with them much anticipation/trepidation of what the following years of study would bring.

The program’s emphasis on clinical excellence provided me personally with exceptional mentors; Debbie Gunther-Hansen, Angela Busch and Arlis McQuarrie were exceptional clinicians who exemplified all that I desired to be in my professional life.  My work life has been varied: orthopaedic outpatients in Australia (after three years of neurological rehabilitation: yikes!!), a regional hospital caseload that was always being prioritized by staff shortages, private practice with Richard with a predominant chronic pain focus, private practice in Montreal with oncology clientele, very acute repetitive strain injuries in a seating assembly plant in Milton and finally, a general orthopaedic outpatient private clinic.   Always, the situation felt the same; I never knew enough but somehow, managed to land on my feet and provide, hopefully, adequate treatment to my many patients.   I firmly believe that it was the school’s emphasis on clinical practice that allowed me to survive and eventually thrive in each new situation.

As we gathered for a celebratory BBQ this summer; the old familiar connections to each other were quickly re-established.  I smiled as I sipped my wine and the conversation turned to impending retirement plans, aging parents and grandchildren that underlying all, was the contentment of people who have enjoyed a happy work life.  This is not to say, that our work has not been without frustrations but only that it has returned to us a sense of fulfillment/happiness/satisfaction that many around me don’t seem to experience.   What an extraordinary gift to be given to each of us!!

The physiotherapy program and profession has expanded in depth and dimension.   I naively thought that our class experienced the “best of times” but when one sees what is happening with clinical research and practice, the best is yet to come.  Good luck and great experiences to all the new grads.

Dorothy Wengler

Class of 77

Liz H at Fall Awards 2012Happy New Year! We have started the year with a bang as we welcomed our new Director, Dr. Stephan (Steve) Milosavljevic from University of Otago, New Zealand.  Included in this newsletter is a short summary of his background and we look forward to introducing Steve to our community and our alumni over the year.  As usual we have provided updates on students, faculty and staff in the School – there are lots of great things happening!  

The School is an integral part of the university and you may have heard that there are significant changes occurring across our campus.  Like most Canadian universities we are faced with funding challenges which will translate into new ways of doing our work.   The School of Physical Therapy continues to evolve to meet the needs of changing environments both internally and externally.  We are proud that we have been recognized for consistently meeting or exceeding expectations in education and research activities.   I am excited about the increasing interest of PT and other health professional colleagues in pursuing research and graduate education opportunities with faculty at the School.  We continue to build PT and Rehabilitation Science research, education and practice capacity for Saskatchewan.  Of course this goal is primarily achieved through a strong alumni  the greatest asset of the School.  I hear at least once a week about outstanding contributions of U of S PT graduates to our society.  Thank-you for being excellent ambassadors for the School!  Remember to tell us your stories; this newsletter is an excellent way to connect with your classmates and our alumni.

A warm welcome to our new Director

Head and torso - sml scaleThe School of Physical Therapy is delighted to welcome Stephan Milosavljevic as the Director for the USask School of Physical Therapy. Dr. Milosavljevic who began his five year appointment on January 28th, joins us from across the globe leaving family and friends in his native New Zealand to take on this important leadership role in our school. Stephan (aka Steve) graduated with a BAppSc (Physio) from Curtin University in Perth (Western Australia) and an MPhty (Manips) from the University of Otago in New Zealand. He then completed his PhD at the University of Otago with a thesis titled ‘The influence of a back support harness on the spinal movement and force profile of sheep shearers.’

Following extensive clinical experience – primarily in rural communities in Australia and New Zealand, Stephan started teaching musculoskeletal physiotherapy at both a post and undergraduate level at the University of the Otago in 1994. He completed his PhD at Otago in 2004. His research interests have been driven by clinical and community-based observation and include rural occupational health, injury prevention, biomechanics, and ergonomics, as well as determining effective clinical examination and interventions within the broad scope of rehabilitation. 

Stephan shared his and his wife Marion’s first impressions with us about their new home. Here are the highlights! 

About Saskatchewan…..

”Very friendly and helpful people both at work and in the community. 

“Bracing weather – but we expected it for this time of the year and it is not a worry to us though we both have taken a tumble on the ice, guess we were used to walking around in New Zealand in summertime”.

“Saskatoon is an impressive city – just the size we like – and we are also looking forward to seeing it in summertime”.

 Why they came here….

“The invitation to apply for the position came “out of the blue”, it made us both look up Saskatchewan and Saskatoon on Google and other websites and it impressed us”.

“Our two children Kate and Daniel are both adults undertaking their own doctoral studies – one in Norway and one in New Zealand. I had achieved a lot in my academic and clinical career in New Zealand – and though I was content and happy in my position- the opportunity to work and live in Canada and take on a fresh set of challenges and opportunities was too good to turn down. A few weeks of discussion and debate and talking with family and friends in NZ – and we made the decision to come. Haven’t regretted it at all and with modern technology such as Skype we can easily keep in contact with friends and family”.

  What Stephan wishes to accomplish…

“I hope to continue seeking research funding and collaborative opportunities and be a strong contributor to the research outputs and profile of the School of Physical Therapy and the University in general. I want to facilitate the use of our research outputs and interests into the teaching programs of the School. To be a leader, mentor and collaborator with other faculty and students in helping to strategize for research ideas, directions, and funding applications. Finally I plan to continue the focus on using both established and innovative teaching methods to optimize the clinical and academic performance of our students”.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADr. Sarah Oosman will be joining the School of PT faculty in August 2013.  Sarah is a U of S PT Graduate, BSc PT, Class of 1998 .  Other academic credentials include a BSc (Physiology) U of S; MSc Physiology and Metabolism (UBC) and PhD (Interdisciplinary) U of S.  Her PhD and post-doctoral research is in the area of promoting Aboriginal health through culture-based interventions and community collaborations. 

As mentioned previously Dr. Kristen Musselman will be filling our Neurological PT faculty position in July 2013.  Her clinical, research and teaching interests include stroke rehabilitation – we are excited about her contributions to this area in the province and beyond.

Dr. Angela Busch has returned from her research sabbatical and Dr. Cathy Arnold started her sabbatical in January.  The contributions of both Angela and Cathy to PT research and teaching, in addition to administration, are really remarkable.

AwardsBBath_pic

Dr. Brenna Bath is a member of the research team, led by Dr. Catherine Trask, awarded the 2012  Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Top Establishment Grant, Socio-health category.  As you will see below the topic is extremely relevant to PT practice and education. Congratulations to the team!
(2012) Trask, C., Bath, B., Johnson, P., Teschke, K. Risk Factors for
Low Back Disorders in Saskatchewan Farmers: Building a Foundation for
Epidemiological Studies.

2012 Student Awards…we are very proud to share some of the many accomplishments of our students in 2012Class of 2012 Group photo

October 27, 2012 was the Class of 2012’s Graduation Day.  The names of the grad awards and recipients are as follows:

  • Talmage E. Hunt Gold Medal (most distinguished graduate) – Shauna Taylor
  • CPA Prize (highest academic & clinical across the program) – Robyn Bauck
  • J. Manton Award (greatest improvement in clinical performance) – Kristyn Petryk
  • V.J. Cottrell Award (leadership) – Nichole Heynen
  • Joan Eaton Memorial Award (proficiency in orthopedic courses, $500) – Elyse Greenberg
  • N.W. Tymchyshyn Memorial Award (greatest clinical proficiency, $1000) – Danielle Brinkman
  • Craven Sport Services: Sport Physiotherapy MPT Student Prize (academic standing in sports physical therapy courses, $500) – Shauna Taylor
  • PTH 992 Major Project Award ($100/student)– Robyn Bauck, Ava Storey, Shawn Friess, Ainslie Myrah, Danielle Brinkman

On November 7, 2012, our Fall Awards Reception was held at the University Club.  Listed below are the awards which were given to students entering their second year (Class of 2013).

  • Arthritis Society Donald Mitchell Memorial Award ($1000) – Erica Yuzak
  • The Arthritis Society Wallace Graham Memorial Award ($1,500) – Rendalyn Preun
  • Sally Purdon Memorial Award ($1000) – Alexis Kindrachuk
  • Saskatchewan Physiotherapy Association Prize ($500) – Helen Hanbidge
  • Directors Award – Marina Forester
  • Physical Therapy Student Society Award – Amanda Paterson
  • Elisa Rieder Memorial Award ($1000) – Jessica McRae
  • Marj Braid Bursary in Physical Therapy (2 x $1,250) – Alexis Kindrachuk & Kaylie WilsonSPT 2012 Awards-Marj Braid Bursary Winenrs 125

Also at the Fall Awards Reception, a few of our students entering into their first year of the MPT program (Class of 2014) were awarded the following: 

  • Arthritis Society Entrance Award (highest admission average, $1500) – Stephanie Buckley
  •  Ronald Bell Arthritis Physical Therapy Student Award (academics and financial need, $2000) – Nathan Dickson
  • Friends and Family of Physical Therapy Memorial Scholarship (highest admission score, $1000) – Kellie Boychuk

 

websitehttp://www.medicine.usask.ca/pt/alumni-and-friends/index.html

If you would like to talk to somebody about making a gift to your alma mater or organizing a class gift, please contact our Development office for the School at 306-966-5763 or at medicine.development@usask.ca

Take a look at some exciting giving opportunities available for your School:

Student Awards

  • the Master of Physical Therapy Student Research Travel Award- this award is to provide financial assistance to MPT students to enable them to participate in academic-related conferences, academic competitions and other formal academic activities. The funding may partially support students’ involvement in one of these activities (thank you to the Class of ’76 for organizing and starting this award and who welcome any interested alumni to contribute).
  • the Friends and Family Award- this award was established in 2009 and is given to an entering student to recognize achievement based on academic proficiency and personal aptitudes for the profession. One or more awards of $1000 are awarded annually with a value determined by the Awards Committee based on the financial resources available to an entering student based on total admission score at the time of admission into the program.
  • the Student Clinical Placement Travel Fund- the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) program has placed a distinct emphasis on accessing terrific clinical learning opportunities throughout the entire province of Saskatchewan – in communities large and small – from east to west and north to south. In order to assist students, the MPT Student Clinical Placement Travel Grant was established in 2009 to help with costs  (e.g travel and accommodation) directly associated with clinical courses which take place outside of Saskatoon. There is no long term dedicated funding for this grant and its continuation hinges upon sufficient funds being available. Each student may receive only one grant during their program. In order to assist students with some of the associated costs of travelling and living expenses we seek your support in building a sustainable funding base for this award.

New Health Sciences Building and Classroom Equipment upgrades

  • The University of Saskatchewan Health Sciences project will create a new standard for inter-professional education, research and practice. Our state-of-the-art, integrated facility will support and enable collaboration between students, faculty and researchers in all health science disciplines and will help us to educate health professionals using a team-centered approach. For more information please go to http://healthsciences.usask.ca
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