TheOncoPT Podcast

Send us Fan Mail What if you could transform your oncology specialty exam prep from overwhelmingly stressful to confidently strategic ? Well, that's exactly what we're diving into today!  I’m thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Candace Alexander, PT, who just passed her Oncology Specialty Certification Exam earlier this year . In today’s episode, we’re going behind the scenes on her special...

Send us Fan Mail Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training has been used for years to help patients make greater gains during strength training.  But does BFR belong in oncology rehab? Short answer: yes ! Dr. Kelly Martin, PT, is back on the podcast to discuss the benefits of BFR, plus important safety considerations for our oncology patients. Dr. Martin also shares her experiences using BFR in clinic...

Send us Fan Mail Oncology specialization can feel like Fight Club - because nooooobody talks about it until you’re in it. So in this episode we’re busting open the doors & diving into the process of specialization with Dr. Tori Crook. Dr. Crook is a board certified clinical specialist in oncologic physical therapy & acute care oncology physical therapist. She shares her effective study tec...

Send us Fan Mail With just a few weeks left until the September 30 deadline, it's officially crunch time for your ABPTS Oncology Case Report and Application! In this episode, we're going to break down how to strategically approach your writing and how to avoid the common pitfalls that can derail your progress.  Plus, I’ll share some tips on budgeting time for reviewers so you can make th...

Send us Fan Mail It's been 12 years since the Prospective Surveillance Model was first published.  This model saves our patients money, can prevent functional decline, & has changed our entire paradigm of how we treat people with cancer. So why is it still so rare to see it implemented? Buckle up, OncoPT, because there’s a lot to cover today.  But it’s soooooo needed. In this replay episo...

Send us Fan Mail If you ask any rehab professional what scares them the most about oncology patients, their answer 99.9% of the time will be bone metastases .   And this fear is keeping rehab professionals from actually helping their patients with cancer (even those without bone mets). The fact is patients with bone metastases benefit from rehab, from exercise, & from physical activity.  High-...

Send us Fan Mail ICYMI: Katie Ledecky is 🐐 And while she’s been crushing it at #Paris2024, she’s also been serving up some lessons that cancer rehab NEEDS TO LEARN. In short, you can’t practice in a silo & realistically expect to see improved patient care. What you need instead is COMMUNITY. Learn how sharing knowledge, providing support, leading by example, empowering peers, and creating gro...

Send us Fan Mail In this first edition of our special Research Round-Up series, we dive into groundbreaking research that examines a novel way to put adolescent & young adult (AYA) survivors BACK in the driver’s seat of their care. Dr. Kelly Martin, physical therapist & TheOncoPT team member, joins Elise to discuss the importance of education and bridging the gap in AYA cancer care by leve...

Send us Fan Mail Oncology physical therapy is a SIGNIFICANT departure from what most people know & expect from physical therapy. Think about it: cancer itself is a red flag condition you likely learned about & how you should refer the patient with cancer back to their referring provider. And that is totally antithetical to how you as an OncoPT approach your patient with cancer. Most PTs wo...

Send us Fan Mail In PT school, you may have heard that cancer is a disease of the old . But this is only half true. Cancer affects people of all ages, including those in their childbearing years, even during pregnancy .  And you’re likely going to be seeing more of these patients in your own practice. Dr. Rebeca Segraves, PT, & Dr. Alexandra Hill, PT, are back on the podcast to discuss this un...

Send us Fan Mail Need the essentials for evaluating & treating your next patient with prostate cancer? Then you’ve come to the right place.  In this interview with Dr. Matthew Johnston, PT, you’ll learn the essentials of educating, setting expectations, & prescribing interventions for prostate cancer survivors. You’ll also learn about the challenges of accessing pelvic floor PT, why OncoPT...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re listening to this in real time, we are just days away from finding out the results of the 2024 ABPTS Oncology Specialty Certification exam.  It can be so easy to hinge your future as an OncoPT on finding out these results. But your worth has absolutely nothing to do with this exam. Your value as an OncoPT isn’t tied to a certification, exam, or promotion.  This journey i...

Send us Fan Mail We are halfway through 2024: let’s check in. How are YOU (like for real)? How are things going? Where are you at, compared to where you want to be? No matter what your answers are, you're in the right place right now.  In today's episode, we're diving into reflecting on your 2024 progress so far, how to reassess your goals & priorities, & how to stay motivat...

Send us Fan Mail Keeping home exercise programs (HEPs) fresh and exciting is key to maintaining patient motivation & adherence.  BUT it’s easy for the HEP to take a back seat to all the other stuff you have to manage in patient care. That’s why we’re spicing up the HEP in this episode, with unique exercise & physical activity ideas. To inject some life into your worn out HEP handout from 1...

Send us Fan Mail Summer is here, which means it’s time to DIVE IN! Just like the water might be cold when you first get in, it’s crucial to embrace the discomfort & challenges that come with cancer rehab if you’re ever going to get better at treating oncology patients. So are you going to just dip your toes in? Or are you going all in on yourself & for your patients? LISTEN NOW TO DECIDE....

Send us Fan Mail BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) is a common vestibular issue that affects people of all ages. BUT DID YOU KNOW there is significant crossover between BPPV and oncology? Yep - cancer treatments & even certain conditions we see in cancer rehab can increase your patient’s likelihood of developing BPPV.  In this conversation, Dr. Kayla Gomes, PT, breaks down the import...

Send us Fan Mail OncoPT is not always the first career path for physical therapists - today’s guest included! From starting her career at the USDA to now pioneering cancer rehab in her area, Dr. Alyssa Carey, PT, shares her journey to specializing in OncoPT, plus the major decisions that transformed her career into what it is today.  Listen for all the juicy details today! If you want a structured...

Send us Fan Mail Prostate cancer survivors sometimes fall into the gap between pelvic floor PT & OncoPT - who should be treating the patient & when? The short answer is all hands on deck, but Dr. Matthew Johnston, PT, breaks down exactly how to prioritize your patient’s impairments & which team your patient should see first. In today’s episode, we dive into the physical, cognitive, emo...

Send us Fan Mail Cancer rehab may not always be the first step on your PT journey - but that doesn’t mean you’re behind or you can’t become an expert clinician. Today’s guest is the PERFECT example of this: Melissa White began her PT career nowhere near oncology. But after she transitioned into pelvic floor therapy, she found herself treating more & more cancer survivors. And soon, she was HOO...

Send us Fan Mail Trauma-informed care is super trendy to talk about in health care right now, but what does it actually mean & how do we implement it into practice? This conversation with Dr. Adam Matichak emphasizes the importance of creating a safe & welcoming environment, through trauma-informed care, for patients to be seen, heard, & understood .  Dr. Matichak challenges us to be i...

Send us Fan Mail ICYMI the American Cancer Society estimates that 2,001,140 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. While treatable & in some cases curable, cancer is becoming a bigger problem than we probably thought possible. Survivors are surviving longer, but at what cost…to their lives, their independence, their function, their mobility, their quality of life ? PTs are perfectly pr...

Send us Fan Mail Holistic care is such a buzz phrase in health care, but is it actually possible in today’s cancer rehab?   The answer is a resounding yes, & Dr. Katie O’Bright shares exactly how in today’s podcast episode. Dr. Katie O’Bright is a leading voice in primary care PT (yes, it’s a thing & not new at all), & she breaks down common misconceptions about primary care PT, how it...

Send us Fan Mail You’ve probably heard that oncology specialization is the best way to catapult your cancer rehab career - but what does this actually look like for a practicing clinician? Sheree King, a physical therapist specializing in oncology, shares her journey of opening a private practice and becoming a board-certified specialist in oncology. Despite the challenges of starting a practice d...

Send us Fan Mail Advocacy is inherently part of physical therapy (advocating for your patients, advocating with other health care professionals, etc.). We also need BIG ADVOCACY: advocating for your patients, for your profession, TO your elected officials.  BUT - it doesn’t mean drop everything & hop on a flight to Washington D.C.  Dr. Mercedes Aguirre Valenzuela, PT, ( @ThePTAdvocate ) is on...

Send us Fan Mail TW: This episode talks about grief, loss, depression, suicide, & mental health. If you’re not in the headspace to listen to this episode, no worries friend. I’ll see you next time. 💜💜💜  In this intimate & vulnerable episode with Dr. Jimmy McKay & Dr. Rebekah Griffith , we talk about our own experiences with loss & grief. We cry, we laugh, we cry some more. This...