TheOncoPT Podcast

Send us Fan Mail One of the coolest things is to watch a person lean into their strengths, help people, & serve their community - it's even better when it's an OncoPT buddy! Friend of the podcast, Lisa Sylvestri, is back for a follow-up episode, & buckle up my friends: her practice has been CRUSHING it over the last year. Not only has her practice grown, but it's about to OU...

Send us Fan Mail One of my students recently shared that their mom is cancer-free. And the whole class clapped & cheered. Damn, that felt good. One of the coolest things we do as PTs is to help patients navigate the "after cancer" experience. But we have a lot to learn about this side of the diagnosis. Dr. Eric Galvez, PT is a brain tumor thriver & advocate who has traveled the w...

Send us Fan Mail When I started my first job, I knew what to do with every patient I saw.   Just kidding.   I was sooooo lost. Even after an amazing final clinical rotation, nothing could have prepared me for treating patients on my own, by myself, in a brand new environment. And it took me months, probably close to a year, before I felt like I wasn't drowning. But it doesn't have to be...

Send us Fan Mail For every 1,000-10,000 people living with lymphedema in the United States, there is one lymphedema therapist. Read that again. It's even worse for children with lymphedema. And I'll be the first to say: I'm part of that problem. Prior to Camp Watchme, I was terrified of treating children. My only oncology & lymphedema experience was with adults! How could I poss...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing ed is great & all, but it's worthless unless you actually do something with what you know. The real value of learning is applying it & sharing it with your colleagues & patients. Amanda Curry, PT, DPT, Board Certified Oncologic Clinical Specialist, is taking what she learned over the last year of preparing for the oncology specialty exam & is litera...

Send us Fan Mail A cancer diagnosis is bad enough, but experiencing cancer during a pandemic is on a different level. Dr. Bri DeWitt, PT, is a physical therapist from Hawaii who treats patients with orthopedic, pelvic floor, & oncologic impairments. She also is a survivor of triple negative breast cancer, diagnosed smack-dab in the middle of the pandemic. I'm so grateful to Bri for so ope...

Send us Fan Mail Last week, we heard from Dr. Andrew Chongaway, PT, Board Certified Oncologic Clinical Specialist about his experience completing an oncology residency. And it was awesome ! In this week's episode, I interviewed Dr. Chris Wilson, PT, Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist, who is the director of the Beaumont oncology residency program director. So we get the other side...

Send us Fan Mail Physical therapy residencies are becoming more popular, but what are they actually? Right before graduation, we were told that residencies were the future of PT, so we should hurry up & do one. But we only heard about neuro & ortho residencies...I didn't even know oncology had some until several years later! Andrew Chongaway is a board certified oncologic clinical spe...

Send us Fan Mail Burnout has been plaguing health care at increasingly alarming rates over the past few years. But is it inevitable? Today's podcast guest has a resounding answer you need to hear. Jette Stubbs is a career & business coach who is empowering people to create fulfilling careers through her Happy Career Formula. In our interview, Jette is doling out some hard truths we need t...

Send us Fan Mail In PT school, I remember practicing my history-taking skills for HOURS. I was so concerned I was going to miss something, so I interviewed classmates again & again until I felt confident. Well, that confidence went out the window once I started treating patients with cancer. It's like when my brain heard "cancer," it just turned off. So I had to basically relear...

Send us Fan Mail Inservices are a fantastic way to reach out to your community & make more connections with patients & practitioners alike. But how do you actually find useful resources & references for your inservice? Tune in to cut down your search time & make a bigger impact with your next inservice. If you want a structured way to get started on your ABPTS oncology case report,...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know it's possible for a cash-based oncology private practice to survive a pandemic? Hopefully this isn't a surprise to you, but it's sure nice to know they're out there still! My guest today, Dr. Megan Bradley, PT, is breaking down the challenges & successes of owning a practice during 2020, plus the advice that STILL holds true more than a year af...

Send us Fan Mail Last week, we talked all about how to dose exercise safely for patients with non-metastatic cancer. In this episode, we're grabbing the bull by the horns & tackling metastatic cancer head-on. What can we even do exercise-wise when a patient has metastases? Reminder: metastases are the cancer spreading to other places, often distant from the original cancer site. It's...

Send us Fan Mail In last week's episode, we discussed a recent case study with some really problematic results - check it out here . So how are we supposed to be safe when dosing exercise for our patients, to avoid DISASTROUS results (see Ep. 130)? By dosing safely & smartly. And by asking yourself these five questions, you'll be able to do exactly that. If you want a structured way...

Send us Fan Mail A 1-rep max causes a vertebral fracture in a breast cancer survivor. This is a loaded statement that we MUST unpack: A fabulous case report just came out discussing a vertebral fracture in 1 repetition maximum testing for a postmenopausal female after breast cancer treatment. The question is now: how do we safely assess & then prescribe exercise for our patients with a history...

Send us Fan Mail Cancer is already a cataclysmic event in a person's life. But what about when it happens during childhood? Cancer & its treatments have profound effects on a young person's physical, mental, & emotional health now & potentially for the rest of their life. Enter PT Dan. PT Dan, also known as Dan Steventon, PT, DPT (Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Physic...

Send us Fan Mail ROM? Check. MMT? Check. Lymphedema measurements? Check. I thought I had all my ducks in a row for assessing my patients, but I was neglecting a key component that affects LITERALLY all of these things & so much more. It was actually keeping my patients from improving significantly in many cases. Any guesses yet? SLEEP. I wrote everybody off as already having cancer-related fat...

Send us Fan Mail After months of planning, we had an absolute blast at the recent Virtual Oncology Physical Therapy Summit back in April! I'm still reeling from the amazing knowledge bombs dropped by all the speakers & can't wait for the next summit! To keep the fun going, PT Pintcast & I are releasing my presentation from the Summit for your enjoyment this week. Listen in as I b...

Send us Fan Mail I hated wound care in PT school. Didn't ever pique my interest. So when I went into OncoPT, I told myself I wouldn't be seeing patients with wounds. WRONG. My very first solo eval had severe radiation burns - guess what? A wound. And just one of many I have seen so far in my career. We will see wounds in OncoPT. So even if we're not wound care PTs, we still need to...

Send us Fan Mail The case report is part of the initial application process for the oncology specialist certification exam, but boy is it a doozy. It's critical to plan for success, so here's 5 things you MUST know about writing your case report. 1. Know the deadline & plan backwards. 2. Be intentional with your time. 3. Revisions are part of the process. 4. Writing your case report...

Send us Fan Mail The deadline for the oncology specialist certification exam is rapidly approaching (July 1!), so don't let it sneak up on you! In today's episode, we're covering important dates to know, plus a step-by-step walkthrough of how to complete the application. If you want a structured way to get started on your ABPTS oncology case report, I'm hosting a LIVE writing s...

Send us Fan Mail The 4-part formula for star assessments works great - until you get a patient without any problems or impairments. So how the heck do you write a star assessment without a problem sentence??? I'm covering exactly this in today's episode (thanks to my listeners who messaged me with this exact question!). If you want a structured way to get started on your ABPTS oncology c...

Send us Fan Mail Oncology PT is rarely like outpatient orthopedic PT.  Pts often aren’t seen for 2-3x/week for 6 weeks & discharged.  Some are, but the vast majority don’t fit into this neat box.  In fact, they may need months of skilled PT services & ongoing check-ups, depending on their functional mobility impairments.  So how do we make sure our patients get the appropriate care they ne...

Send us Fan Mail PT school teaches us a lot, but not really how to be safe when working with people after a cancer diagnosis. When our patients are a walking red flag, we need concrete info on how to actually help them. In this episode, we're discussing 5 key factors of being a safe OncoPT. Are you paying attention to these in your practice? If you want a structured way to get started on your...

Send us Fan Mail Are you on social media?  Because your patients are. Kelly Reed, PT, DPT, combined her love of arts & crafts with her passion for people with cancer to command a powerful Instagram presence & steadily building YouTube channel. With these platforms, she is improving education for both patients & providers, especially when access is limited. In our interview, Kelly share...