I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend APTA's Combined Sections Meeting (CSM ) 2011 in New Orleans, LA as a student physical therapist! During the weeks leading up to CSM I had no idea what to expect, and tried to plan out a schedule of all the lectures and activities I wanted to attend. However, I never could have expected what I was about to walk into on day one! Even the night before attending the first day of CSM, it felt as if physical therapists were taking over New Orleans!There were so many opportunities of things to attend: breakfasts, receptions, lectures, debates, research platforms and posters, and exhibits just to name a few! There just was not enough time to get to everything that I wanted to. I was nervous before attending the first lecture, that all of the information would be way over my head as a student. However, I really felt like I belonged. Every single lecture I attended was incredible, especially since you knew you were listening to one of the top physical therapists in that specialty or topic. I constantly saw one of my professors or classmates either passing them on the walkway between lectures or sitting in on one of the lectures or platform presentations. It was a great experience to be learning the information presented in these lectures as it is presented and heard for the first time. You get to hear all of the frontrunners in the field of physical therapy, and the new, emerging evidence. CSM is also a great way to network and meet your future colleagues, and talk with the professionals who are practicing in the specialty that you may be practicing in! It really made me feel like I belong in the physical therapist community! I plan to attend as many CSMs as I can!
-Laura VanHassel
2nd Year Doctor of Physical Therapy Student
Krannert School of Physical Therapy
University of Indianapolis
Comments for DPT Students Attended CSM in New Orleans