TheOncoPT Podcast

Send us Fan Mail I speak with Dr. Abby Hegerfeld, PT about her journey from cancer survivor to oncology physical therapist.  Being a cancer patient herself opened up new avenues for Abby: she's been able to help her patients regain their strength with the help of her own experience and research.  This interview is a must listen: you'll find so many great tools, tips, and suggestions abou...

Send us Fan Mail Our guest this week is Dr. Teresa Lee, a lymphedema  physiotherapist specialist. Lymphedema is often referred to as a 'dreaded side effect' in oncology. However, it is something we cannot always avoid. Her book, Navigating Lymphedema, A Guide for Cancer Survivors, provides cancer survivors with the tools to treat lymphedema. This week, we will discuss what you should kno...

Send us Fan Mail Mentorship can be a real selling point for PT jobs. It is unparalleled to be able to continue learning in a structured environment with a guide. But does this really happen in reality? We're often promised mentorship in a job interview, but as soon as we start working, that quickly disappears. Now it's "learn on the fly and keep up." Oncology physical therapy i...

Send us Fan Mail Are you seeing red flags show up as your work for your employer? It might be time to look at what you are doing and make a decision to change your situation. When you are suffering, lacking joy, and feeling that your patients are not getting the best care because of the practices your employer wants you to follow, this stress and unhappiness will follow you in all areas of your li...

Send us Fan Mail This week we are talking about time. Most of us don’t feel that we have enough of it. We are running from one thing to the next, putting out the fires that are started by the notification dings on our phones or other devices.  What do the constant notifications do to our quality of patient care? When we keep trying to keep up with the demands of everyone else. We are in this fight...

Send us Fan Mail After nearly a year & a half, I finally ventured out from my cave (as my husband calls it) to attend my first in-person conference. This was my first NLN conference, so I don't have prior experience with this organization. This conference was structured heavily around lab sessions. Much more hands-on time than traditional conferences I've been to - & after 3 year...

Send us Fan Mail Joe Sanok joins us today to talk about his journey to releasing his new book, Thursday is the new Friday. After experiencing the burnout of the long hours of a five day workweek in healthcare, he knew something had to be different. Today we talk about that journey and how he is helping other professionals, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs take back their life, slow down, work...

Send us Fan Mail I'm attending my first in-person conference this week at the National Lymphedema Network 2021 Conference. After almost a year & a half since my last in-person conference, I'm really excited & a bit nervous. I absolutely love conferences. I love connecting with people I've encountered through social media & the podcast, meeting new people, & learning...

Send us Fan Mail Fan-favorite Dr. Angela Wicker-Ramos is back! This time, she's updating us on how her practice was exploding pre-pandemic, how she & her team navigated changes quickly over the past year, & how she's now running a non-profit foundation to help even more patients with cancer. Tune in to hear her talk about all of these amazing things, plus the advice she gives to...

Send us Fan Mail Access to care is one of the central tenets of high-quality cancer rehabilitation. What good is a residency, board certification, etc. if people can't actually get your care? Answer: It's not. It's worthless. We've talked previously on the podcast about meeting patients where they're at, improving accessibility, but today's guest is taking a unique ap...

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...