Student Climbing Special Interest Group
Goal:
The goal of the Rock Climbing Special Interest group is to provide an environment for Physical Therapy Students to learn through mentorship, guidance, panels, and article reviews about the management of rock climbing injuries.
Who can apply:
Any physical therapy student entering their 2nd or 3rd year with a GPA of > 3.3
Meetings:
Meetings will be held monthly via zoom throughout the Fall and Spring semesters. There will be seven total meetings. Each meeting will consist of a research article review followed by a case based scenario that involves clinical reasoning to assess and treat rock climbing injuries.
Independent Project:
Throughout the year, you will be mentored in the process of writing an article on a topic of your choice related to rock climbing injuries.
Application Due Date:
Applications are now open for the 2024 cohort. Applications are due by September 20th 2023 and will be reviewed in the order they are received.
Faculty:
Dr. Jared Vagy PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS – Director
Dr. Kevin Cowell, PT, DPT, OCS – Officer
Julien Descheneaux PHT. MSC – Officer
Cost:
None. This is the faculty’s way to “give back” to students of physical therapy with our knowledge and expertise of managing rock climbing injuries.
Note:
To improve your likelihood of selection for the SIG, make sure to be detailed and descriptive with your answers to the question and prompts. Tell your story, highlight your interests, and share your passion!
“The Climbing SIG has been an incredible privilege to be a part of. I have loved the opportunity to discuss relevant research, work through case studies, and receive mentorship from experts who treat climbers. Above all, my passion for this niche really came alive with the help of this group. I realized that incorporating climbing into physical therapy practice is well within reach if you’re willing to go for it!”
“The Climbing SIG was a great way to meet other students with similar interests and to get a glimpse of the intricacies of treating rock climbers. The faculty brought in some great clinical cases to challenge us and help to deepen the knowledge we have been learning in school while applying it to scenarios that are personally more relevant to me as a student and a developing clinician.”
“This group was amazing for hearing perspectives from a wide range of PT students and PT faculty. The discussion was great as it tested my understanding of the upper and lower extremity during movement. Lastly, the group provided great insights into lesser known conditions that present in a climbing population and how to assess for them.”
“The SIG gave me the knowledge and confidence to treat climbers and higher level athletes in a more specific fashion. Through this SIG I was able to form connections with peers and mentors as well as improve my movement analysis and intervention thought process. This experience was invaluable:”
“It was not only a great place to discuss climbing specific cases but it was also a really great setting to receive guidance and practice with finding evidence based research on the topic of our choice (specific to climbing injuries). Although it may seem like a lot of extra work (added on top of your school and personal life), this SIG is very structured with dates pre-planned which made it extremely easy for me to fit into my busy schedule. I highly recommend this SIG, especially if you are a SPT interested in working in the sport/orthopedic population or if you are a climber yourself!”
“Whether you are a climber or not, this is a great way to expand your overall PT knowledge and improve your clinical reasoning skills. Getting input from not only the extremely knowledgeable staff, but students from other programs as well, serves to expand your frame of thinking beyond what only learning from your DPT program provides.”
“The SIG is an amazing learning opportunity that teaches you evaluation and intervention approaches and considerations for climbers. It also connects you with a network of PT’s who are passionate about climbing and addressing the sport’s specific movement and training.”
“The Climbing SIG has been an amazing experience! The knowledge gained throughout the SIG is invaluable. It provides access to an awesome community of likeminded individuals. Once, completed this experience gives you the tools needed to help manage climbing specific injuries in order to keep people in the gyms and at the crag.”
“This was a great experience to learn from some of the PTs that are leaders in this niche of PT. It was wonderful to get to connect with other PTs/students with similar interests in the practice and be a part of this growing specialty.”
“The Climbing SIG is an incredible opportunity to practice working through rock climbing related patient cases, get involved with a great community of physical therapists and have the opportunity to write an article that gets published online. This group got me excited about the possibilities as a physical therapist and taught me so much!”
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