Media contact: Adam Pope
Katie Deaton Blackburn, Sean Skelton, John LowmanOn Thursday, Aug. 1, Sean Skelton, DPT, became the first to finish the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program. Skelton received a graduate certificate during a small ceremony at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center.
“I just want to thank everyone in this program because each of them has played a role in my abilities, my career and my life,” said Skelton, a physical therapy resident with UAB Medicine. “I’m excited to see how this program grows because this is the first year and it is already an awesome learning experience, and I know it will only get better.”
This novel program, sponsored by the UAB School of Health Professions’ Department of Physical Therapy and UAB Medicine’s Rehab Services, delivers evidence-based practice, critical inquiry and teaching skills to develop advanced neurologic PT clinical specialists.
The UAB Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program accomplishes in one year what otherwise might take a therapist years to achieve on their own professionally. Currently, the program selects only one resident for the 12-month appointment, and they look for a therapist who is self-motivated, is desiring to learn more, do more and be more, has good judgment and intuition, and is willing to be a team player.
“I am incredibly proud of Sean, who completed his year under incredibly challenging circumstances where we all faced a lot in addition to our regular responsibilities,” said Katie Deaton Blackburn, DPT, co-director of the program.
“In his interview, we asked Sean about his strengths and he said ‘adaptable and flexible,’ and boy did he have those — he will be an asset wherever he goes,” said John Lowman, Ph.D., co-director of the program, and associate professor in the UAB Department of Physical Therapy.
Residents of this program receive one-on-one mentoring to help develop clinical reasoning, leadership and interprofessional skills. In addition, they participate in UAB’s Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy training program and become an APTA-credentialed clinical instructor. Graduates of this program are equipped to be advanced practitioners in neurologic physical therapy and have the skills to teach and participate in clinical research.
“I want to not only work with neurologic populations, but also take on a mentorship role,” Skelton said. “I am passionate about helping others the ways I’ve been helped, and that can be as CI to students or helping out in labs at schools.”
The UAB Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program has obtained candidate status from the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). In addition to Blackburn and Lowman, the program is also co-directed by Liz Wylie, DPT, who is a board-certified clinical specialist in neurologic physical therapy.
For more information, email neuroPTresidency@uab.edu or call 205-934-4940.