Dear Alumni,

Greetings from the almost-DPT IIIs! This year sure has been jam-packed – we’ve been keeping busy!

Academics. Last summer we split up for the first time to attend our 6-week Acute Care affiliations, then returned to Newark in the fall, where most of had our first experience treating in UD’s own NOA and S&O Clinics. Also in the Fall, our courses were enhanced by visits from guest volunteers from the community with stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and amputations. We thank them for their time. After returning from the holiday break, we were privileged to have our Pediatrics course taught in UD’s Early Learning Center, where we had both lectures and immediate hands-on time with the children. In Spring, some of us are finishing our integrated experiences, and all of us are keeping busy with Dr. Tara Manal’s spine readings, Dr. Lucca’s Disability in the Community project, and Noel Goodstadt’s Business Plan Project. About half of our class attended APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting in Boston in February, braving a treacherous winter storm to do so!

Charity. In the fall, in just under 3 weeks’ time, we helped Dr. Scholz reach his fund raising goal for the Livestrong Challenge by hosting a benefit at Shaggy’s on Main. It rocked! At the time, he was about $1500 short of his $15k goal. But with the outstanding turnout, nearly 20 great raffle prizes from area businesses, a DPT I Date Auction, and faculty bartenders, $2,758 was raised for Dr. Scholz’s cause by the end of the night.

Other charity activities we hosted this year include a Thanksgiving Food Drive, in which we collected over 200 lbs of food for the Food Bank of Delaware, and a Holiday Toy Drive, in which we collected a car-load of toys for Toys for Tots. We participated in Bike to the Bay to benefit the National MS Society, and had a booth at Newark Community Days. This spring, as a class, we are spending an activities day with local Special Olympics participants, and an afternoon cooking and serving dinner to guests of the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.

New this fall was the creation of the UD Stroke Clinic, under direction of Dr. Scholz, which meets a few times a semester to provide free assessments and direction to area stroke patients. The MS Clinic, now in its 5th year and still going strong, received a “Friend of the MS Society” Award by the Delaware Chapter of the National MS Society, for its outstanding service to the community.

What’s Ahead? We are looking forward to departing soon for our 6-week outpatient ortho affiliation, then returning for our last 5 weeks of classes – Advanced Seminar, First Responder, and Sports PT. As the first class to have four full-time affiliations in our curriculum, we do not have any time off, but will finish up the program with two 8-week full-time affiliations in neuro and in an elective of our choice.

It’s hard to believe that graduation from the program is less than a year away, and even more amazing to reflect on all the things we’ve managed to accomplish in this short time. We wish you well, and ask for your wishes of luck as we approach the embarkment of our careers!

Cheers,

UDPT Class of 2007

P. S. As we begin job hunting, we value your advice and input. Email us at dptclassof2007@udel.edu!