Summer means leaving the classroom behind for second-year students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and focusing on clinical experiences for the first time. It can also mean leaving behind something they had grown accustomed to — daily interactions with their classmates. 

“After a year together in the classroom, this shift to diverse clinical settings can feel isolating,” said Assistant Professor Monica Arrigo, PT, DPT, who is part of the Clinical Education Team. “Our past program evaluation data demonstrated that opportunities for shared discussion during their first clinical experience help foster a continued sense of a strong learning community.”

As a result, the PT clinical education faculty incorporated structured small group discussions into the students’ first full-time clinical experience course to leverage the benefits of reflection, discussion, and peer connection to support learning. These discussions took place last Thursday in 1CW. 

“These sessions offered space to share initial impressions of their clinical experiences and explore focused themes of communication and patient education,” explained Arrigo. “By discussing challenges and strategies together, students benefit from one another’s insights and build confidence in a new environment.” 
Many of the students arrived at the session directly from their clinical sites and had the chance to reconnect with others in the program and share their experiences informally during a casual social gathering with PT faculty and staff before the discussion groups. 

“There was so much to love about the social last week,” said Elena Bramante. “My favorite part was getting to hear everyone’s various stories and different experiences. It’s lovely to hear about everyone’s successes and/or setbacks and to know you aren’t on the struggle bus alone!”