Coach Amy answers common patient queries about her path into the wide world of healthcare and the physical therapy profession.

Did you always plan to work in healthcare? 

No, I was a journalism major, and as a sophomore in college, I realized that career would not fulfill my desire to help people - I didn't feel it would be rewarding for me. So I took a 180 and became a pre-med student. All those journalism and marketing classes went by the wayside, but I retained some communication and writing skills, which have served me well in running a business. Plus, destiny played a role in my career; I remember as a child tending to my neighborhood friends with Bactine and Bandaids in my bathroom "clinic" if they ever sustained even the slightest scrape! 

When did you decide to become a Physical Therapist? 

I graduated from the University of Kansas as a pre-med student with a major in human biology and a minor in chemistry which I still can't believe because I was not fond of chemistry. But to satisfy the requirements for medical school, I took enough to qualify for a minor.

After graduating, I married and took a gap year before it was commonplace. It was primarily to study for the MCAT, but I also questioned my career path: was it one where I could also raise a family? I was fortunate enough to secure a job as a Physical Therapist Technician or PT Tech during that time. And I liked the profession so much that I ditched the MCAT for the GMAT and applied to PT school. Funnily enough, it was harder to get into PT school than medical school because fewer spots were available then. I remember being notified that I was accepted to the KU Med physical therapy master’s program. I was elated!

Why did you decide to open a private practice? 

Starting my physical therapy practice was unplanned; I never envisioned it for myself. But the timing was right in my personal and professional life. With the current state of healthcare creating pressures and pinches on how a physical therapist practices, I thought about retiring but decided to try instead to provide quality care in a way that I was proud of, and it ended up working out! I couldn't have succeeded without the support of my family, friends, and patients, and I am grateful to them every single day. I get to do what I want, how I want, and I treasure that. 

How did you choose the specialty of orthopedics and sports injury? 

I think it chose me! My plan in physical therapy school was to become a pediatric specialist. However, after one 6-week rotation at Children's Mercy, I realized I didn't have the creative stamina to keep up. Pediatric physical therapists are a unique breed with incredible energy.  

Instead, I unceremoniously landed in outpatient orthopedics, where I honed my manual skills while, at the same time, my love of running and endurance sports rekindled. About a decade later, my coach and former KU physical therapy classmate, Steve Hinman, retired and entrusted me with his established running club business, Personal Best Running and Fitness, now Roadrunners of Kansas City. This surprise gift led me down a path I couldn't have imagined. Endurance athletes began to seek me out for coaching and treating their injuries because I understood the sport professionally and personally. I would never have predicted the marriage of my love of running and endurance sports with my professional life. It chose me, and I'm so lucky! 

Do you treat conditions and injuries that are not running-related or sports-related? 

Oh, yes! I get this question a lot from current patients who want to refer their mother, brother, parent, friend, etc., who has an injury or chronic pain that isn't sport-related. My specialty is treating musculoskeletal injuries, encompassing many issues plaguing nonathletes and athletes. My niche is running and endurance sports, but I relish treating conditions outside that bubble because it provides me a lot of variety. 

How can you see problems with running form without taking a video? 

I get this question from students of physical therapy. I remember that sense of amazement and frustration as a student and a new grad. I'd watch seasoned physical therapists assessing walking and running gait and couldn't see what they saw; it seemed they were making stuff up. It took lots and lots of practice. It helped to take video at first, so I could rewind, pause and replay. But after a while, picking things out became more natural and easy.

Now, my brain translates what is happening in real time in slow motion. If I were a student reading this, I'd want to punch me in the face, but trust me - it comes with time and lots of consistent practice. Infrequently assessing run gait will not do it. But on the flip side, the more you study it, the more you realize that the science of running gait is a vast universe we have yet to understand fully. So, there is some "winging it," but when you fit the gait assessment in with the other puzzle pieces gleaned from an evaluation, it begins to take enough shape to make informed decisions for a patient. Warning: once you become a seasoned gait assessor, you'll find you can't turn it off; I struggle to ignore it when I run a race or attend a race to cheer!

What is your favorite part of being a physical therapist? 

That is a two-parter. First, I like when a problematic case throws me a challenge. I enjoy solving a puzzle no one else has or at least fitting in more of the pieces. In other words, I like when I can help a patient improve who otherwise wasn't. 

Second, I enjoy developing relationships and spending time with my patients, which is only possible because I own my practice. In today's healthcare environment, most physical therapists only perform evaluations and monthly reassessments. They don't get the luxury of treating their patients; if they do, they may treat 2-3 patients simultaneously. Spending quality time with patients improves their outcomes and helps me - they have much advice and experience to share. Once in a while, after a treatment session, I will ask a patient, "how much do I owe you for today?"