Kessler Rehabilitation Center

I am currently finishing my last year as a PT student. Dave was my clinical instructor (CI) for my first clinical rotation during my first year. I’ve worked with and observed MANY physical therapists over the past 5 years, and I have not met a PT that treats and cares the way that Dave does.
From a student’s point of view, Dave taught me so much about evaluating and treating patients in the outpatient setting. He challenged me to learn more about orthopedic PT by continually asking me questions, without ever reprimanding me for not knowing the answers. I hadn’t taken any musculoskeletal PT classes prior to this rotation, so I was thankful that Dave never said to me, «How come you don’t know this?» In addition to many aspects of orthopedic PT, He also taught me a lot about billing, insurance companies, and how to maintain professional relationships with patients. He told me stories about many of his previous experiences as a PT so I could learn from them. If you ever have Dave as a CI, let me just say that you’re definitely lucky to have him. Pick his brain and ask him questions to get as much as you can out of your rotation.
From a patient’s point of view, it really doesn’t get better than Dave. He is kind and gentle, but also firm when he needs to be. He maintains a professional relationship with his patients, but isn’t too serious all the time because he really does like to joke around a lot. What’s unique about David is that he doesn’t leave you to do your therapeutic exercises on your own, like many other PTs do. He WATCHES you and makes sure you are doing every single exercise correctly. He greets you as soon as you walk in and wants to know how you are feeling. If a patient was having pain with a particular exercise, he would try to figure out what was causing the pain and modify the exercise so it would be pain free (as opposed to disregarding the exercise entirely).
Sometimes I wish he was my CI for my last clinical rotation as opposed to my first because I’m sure I won’t have the pleasure of working with a CI as great as him. Regardless, I am thankful I even had the opportunity to work with and learn from him.