Trexo PT & Performance

Academicians often fall into 1 of 2 camps – their lecture (and lab) content either stagnates, remaining the same year-after-year despite emerging evidence, or…they continue to add more and more content in order to present ‘breadth and depth’ to students.

Neither is helpful to students 🧑‍💻 who are trying to handle multiple classes, varied and diverse content, and lives beyond the lab and classroom.

It is derelict to send students into a profession ill-prepared for contemporary and holistic practice due to dated instruction and content. So too, inundating students with more material year-after-year perpetuates a notion that “more is better” (which is often not the case) 🤦‍♂️

As I prepare for the start of the Spring 2022 semester my goal is to reduce content where and when able, synthesize, and present information in a way that is approachable and digestible by students. (e.g. my lecture on “Symptom Modification in LBP” has reduced from 116 to 92 slides despite updated references and additional content)

It’s a process I’ve yet to perfect (…and likely never will…)

However, we can and should do better.

What are your thoughts? 🤔

Without diluting programmatic rigor or failing to appreciate the very real requirements from accrediting bodies (institutional and professional - i.e. CAPTE) what realistic changes should be considered to better equip students entering the profession of physical therapy?