Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) hosted its second Annual Scholarship Symposium around the theme, “Linking Scholarship and Practice,” where 20 faculty and students presented their studies and examined the rich intersection of clinical practice and research.
Researchers displayed and discussed highlights of their work in a poster gallery, which was open throughout the symposium. Two awards were given for best student and best faculty poster presentations. Dr. Jeffery Lau, one of RMUoHP’s faculty members within the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, (DPT) won for best student poster for, “The effect of video feedback on physical therapist student performance of a low back manipulation intervention: A randomized controlled trial.” Dr. Hina Garg won for best faculty poster for, “Students’ perspectives on their interprofessional experiences during a 15-week clinical rotation in an entry-level PT program.”
Dr. Gregory D. Myer, Ph.D., an alumnus of RMUoHP’s Athletic Training doctoral program delivered the keynote lecture, “The Future of Injury Prevention Today: Novel Techniques to Translate Scientific Theory into Practical Applications.” A main point of Dr. Myer’s talk was using his experiences as a strength and conditioning therapist with young athletes to develop technology to visualize joint impacts to help prevent harmful knee injuries. Through his observations of young athletes with knee injuries, he was able to create computer visualization of their joints as they performed typical sport-related movements, and then would suggest specific strengthening and exercises to prevent future injury.
The symposium included a panel of experienced health professionals from diverse disciplines discussing, “Linking Scholarship and Practice.” The panel was led by Dr. Jessica Immonen, RMUoHP’s co-chair in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology as well as a faculty in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The panel featured Dr. Elizabeth Unni from Roseman University of Health Science who gave advice on how to create a research agenda. In addition to Dr. Unni, one of RMUoHP’s own, Dr. Stephanie Richardson, Graduate Nursing Program director touched on her experiences as a Nurse in an intensive care unit to change the patient experience during over-night stays.
Dr. Derek Clewley, a recent Ph.D. graduate of RMUoHP, said, “The research symposium was a fantastic experience. It was a nice way to celebrate the research that is being conducted and published at RMUoHP. There were a number of speakers and presenters with a wide variety of backgrounds and research interests which made for a dynamic scholarly environment. It was a highlight of the graduation weekend.”
