The Characteristics Of Professionalism In The DPT Student

Throughout my time in the professional world, I have realized that professionalism is not an innate quality an individual possesses, but rather the mastery of multiple skills that demonstrate true competency. I have been a participant of the professionalism realm in numerous capacities, but I discovered that being a student is easily the most versatile professional role. Students are required to demonstrate professionalism through multiple capacities such as physical, verbal and writing as well. Healthcare providers experience a similar versatility in their professional roles as well. A fantastic example of the combination of the student and healthcare provider is the doctor of physical therapy (DPT) student. It is crucial for DPT students

A DPT student should master four specific skills to demonstrate professionalism: communication, ethics, accountability and dedication. Communication is a crucial skill for any individual entering the health professions. As a DPT student, communication means effectively expressing both verbal and written ideas to multiple entities such as faculty, fellow students, patients, and clinicians. It is extremely important for DPT students to understand how to alter communication styles based on the audience and the communication method. For example, when discussing a patient’s diagnosis, a PT will communicate differently with the general practitioner in person than over the phone. I have personally gained experience altering communication styles during my job as a physical therapy technician. Different patients require different forms of communication. While one patient may prefer to visually learn a new exercise by watching the physical therapist, another patient may prefer auditory learning and would rather be told how to perform a new exercise. The final aspect of communication that is imperative for DPT students is to regularly demonstrate and use effective listening skills. DPT students will frequently receive information from faculty, patients and clinicians, and this feedback must be actively heard and then applied to be a successful student and a successful

Accountability is being responsible for one’s own actions and accepting those actions. DPT students are held entirely accountable for their own education and must accept this immense responsibility. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have been held entirely accountable for my education. It has been my responsibility to complete my coursework, study for exams, and speak up when concepts needed to be clarified. As an undergraduate student, the greatest repercussion of being unaccountable is a low or failing grade. However, as a DPT student, unaccountability affects far more than just your grades; it affects patient care. If a DPT student lacks initiative for their education and chooses to be unaccountable, it will decrease their overall comprehension of the profession and could negatively impact their patients in the future. One of the most professional qualities any physical therapist can have is great patient care, which is why it is vital for DPT students to remain accountable during their education. Accountability is a valuable skill for DPT students to master, but this skill must be paired with dedication to demonstrate