It’s Tuesday, and you’re in for a treat today friends!

I am sharing some #blackgirlmagic with y’all today: let’s meet Briana Scott, PT, DPT!

Briana is an outpatient physical therapist who is currently also working PRN in Acute Care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She graduated with her DPT from the University of Miami in 2019, and has been practicing for about 10 months. Her personal mission is to support and inspire ambitious Christian women in their pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ by sharing  practical, honest, and transparent lessons about how to apply the truth of God’s word in relationships, career pursuits, and life’s everyday moments. She is also an advocate for minorities joining and making an impact on the physical therapy profession!

How did you decide that you wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy?

As a gifted high school senior, I honestly was very confused about my next steps in pursuing a college degree. I was excelling in all subjects, I enjoyed being a track athlete, and I was a natural leader as senior class president, yet still, I was having trouble narrowing down what my true passion was. One day I wanted to be an accountant, the next day – a pharmacist, and a week later – a marine biologist. My mother encouraged me to take a career personality quiz to help me combine my academic strengths with my passions in life. After completing the quiz, every single type of rehab therapist was on the list along with nursing. I researched each one and found that I related most to becoming a physical therapist! I could see myself working in a career where I get to help people move again, return to their sports and hobbies, pursue healthier lifestyles, and not have to sit down at a desk all day. I learned in high school that sitting at a desk makes me very sleepy so that was a major factor for me.

As of now, I have been practicing for 10 months!!

What was your favorite part of PT school?

My favorite part of PT school was being the coordinator of our student run pro-bono physical therapy clinic. Every Tuesday and Thursday night I had the privilege of managing and mentoring my peers in clinical experiences as they learned to interact and treat patients from the local underserved population in Miami, Florida. The majority of our patients were native Spanish speakers, which allowed me the opportunity to improve my Spanish fluency and advocate for special cases beyond the clinic on their behalf. For one patient in particular, I was able to help her receive the additional care she needed by getting a custom orthosis made for her leg and foot, personally take her to orthotic follow up care appointments, and assist her transition into self care by teaching her how to use the equipment at her local gym.

What type of setting do you work in/What does a typical day look like?

As a full time outpatient physical therapist at Benchmark Physical Therapy I start my day bright and early every week day. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I currently see on average 14-20 patients per day at a rate of 2 to 3 patients per hour. Our population largely consists of workers compensation cases and motor vehicle accident cases. Because I made my interests known to my clinic director, I also treat the majority of our pediatric population, amputees, and our neurologically impaired population including TBI and stroke!  

At times, the caseload can be very overwhelming. However, I am able to push through by praying in my head throughout the day, avoiding time-wasting conversations, and fully engaging with my patients each hour. I am able to complete documentation as I go by prioritizing new evaluations and completing as many daily notes as I can before the day ends in order to avoid memory lapses. On my lunch breaks I regroup by either taking a nap, engaging in the “Team Huddle” with my co-workers, or spending time with my husband who luckily works around the corner from me as a realtor!

As a PRN Acute Care Physical Therapist in the midst of a COVID-19 Pandemic, my Saturday morning typically starts with a text or phone call at around 6:00 a.m. requesting my assistance on the floors. I get dressed and ready as quickly as I can, drive to Piedmont Fayette Hospital, clock in, and start my chart review right away. My work day in acute care is much different than my work day in outpatient. At Piedmont Fayette Hospital, I work autonomously and independently while also coordinating with the entire health care team for each of my patients. It is a race against the clock to see as many patients on my list before my 12 hours end. I prioritize my patients according to their diagnosis, discharge recommendations, and visit count. I then coordinate with the nurse, patient care technician, occupational therapist, respiratory therapist, and occasionally the physician to time my visits with each patient. The time I spend with each patient varies depending on their medical stability, cognitive awareness, diagnosis, and of course their physical strength and endurance. At Piedmont, thorough documentation is of extremely high priority and therefore I always document my work immediately after treating 1 or 2 patients. I absolutely love working in this setting because I enjoy the complexity of the environment, and I get to learn something new while interacting with other professions every time I am called in to help out! Additionally, acute care physical therapy requires me to truly consider and treat the entire patient as a whole more than any other setting in my personal opinion.

Do you have any specialty certifications?

At this time, I do not have any specialty certifications, however, I am interested in becoming a Credentialed Clinical Instructor. I am still deciding on what I would like to specialize in, although the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Clinical Specialist is high on my list of considerations.

What is your favorite thing about the PT profession/your job?

As cliche as it may sound, my favorite thing(s) about this profession are my patients! I absolutely love to see the brightness in their eyes when they finally rediscover just how well their bodies can move. My second favorite thing is inspiring minority students to BOSS UP in this profession and make their mark in DPT programs, in the clinic, and in our communities!

What advice do you have for pre-PT or current DPT students?

Don’t shut yourself off to any setting. Explore as much as you can, and be open to a variety of experiences. You may never know what hidden passions lay dormant inside of you until you test the waters. So test them all!

If there is anything else you would like to touch on or add, please do so below!

Outside of being a physical therapist, I am a woman with a lot of ambition, a wife, and I love Jesus. My personal mission (and brand if you will), is to support and inspire ambitious Christian women in their pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ by sharing  practical, honest, and transparent lessons about how to apply the truth of God’s word in relationships, career pursuits, and life’s everyday moments. If that sounds like you, follow me on Instagram! (@dr.bri_thept)

Thank you to Briana for sharing her journey and experiences with us: she is definitely a “Jill” of all trades! To connect with her, she can be reached on Instagram!

If you are a practicing PT and would like to be featured in my next post, please email me at hello@thecurlyclinician.com! If you missed the last “Life as a PT” post, feel free to check that out! Stay tuned for the next PT that will be featured!