PHiT Alumni Experiences

Current Job and Institution

Medical Spine Physiatrist
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN

What was your favorite part of being on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council?

Working with residents and fellows from different programs to create content valued by our peers and learning their perspectives.

Share a memory of your time on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council.

I started on the PHiT board during the pandemic, so it was mind boggling to see everyone for the first time at the Annual Assembly in 2022.

Have you worked with or collaborated with former PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council members after graduating residency? How so?

Have not yet. Happy to do so at Annual Assembly or anywhere else!

How did your participation on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council affect your career trajectory?

Several attendings who I met while serving on the PHiT Board provided great career advice in selecting my current position. I also met my department chair, Dr. Kennedy, while serving on the PHiT Board!

Thank you to Farah Hussain, MD, 2023-2024 PHiT Council Board Vice President, for connecting with Dr. Chen.

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Current Jobs and Institutions

KDV Orthopedics (known as OSS Health)
York, PA

Clinical Assistant Professor
Temple Hospital, Department of PM&R
Philadelphia, PA

What was your favorite part of being on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council?

I developed great leadership skills, learned how the AAPM&R is organized and runs.  I developed some great co-resident and attending friendships that I still cherish.

Share a memory of your time on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council.

The RPC had meetings in Chicago and New Orleans which were fun and productive.

Have you worked with or collaborated with former PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council members after graduating residency? How so?

Randy Roig is still a friend / colleague and I have lectured in New Orleans to residents and fellows based on his invitation.  I also collaborated with Dave Bagnall for courses other Academy activities.

How did your participation on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council affect your career trajectory?

As an RPC member, I learned about strategic planning and learned the workings of the Academy.   I began creating courses and I continue doing so to the present day.  I was eventually on the PASSOR board and later the AAPMR board and have served in many roles for the Academy.  All of this led me to my various roles with our field through the years.

Thank you to Maneesh Tiwari, MD, 2023-2024 PHiT Council Board Past President, for connecting with Dr. Furman.

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Current Job and Institution

Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics
Carmel, IN

What was your favorite part of being on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council?

I enjoyed meeting other like-minded individuals pursuing a future in PM&R who wanted to better themselves and their community. 

Thank you to William J. Naber, II, DO, 2023-2024 PHiT Council Board Secretary, for connecting with Dr. Del Busto.

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First Jobs and Institutions

Attending Physician
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Chicago, IL

Assistant Professor
Northwestern Fienberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL

Current Jobs and Institutions

Physician Scientist Director
Nancy W. Knowles Strength and Endurance Lab
Chicago, IL

Associate Professor
Northwestern Fienberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL

What was your favorite part of being on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council?

Getting to meet, network and work with fellow residents from all over the country with similar drive, passion, and goals to further our specialty. Also, I really enjoyed getting to provide input to the AAPM&R in many novel initiatives that were being developed.

Share a memory of your time on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council.

The team building, meetings, and social events with fellow PHiT Board members were extremely productive and so much fun. In addition. I had the opportunity to represent PHiT on the Medical Education Committee of AAPM&R. This was an amazing experience and I got to meet many leaders in the field. 

Have you worked with or collaborated with former PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council members after graduating residency? How so?

Yes many! A couple of examples - Dr Sam Chu was on PHiT with me and ended up being my co-fellow and close friend. We are now both colleague attendings at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and work together daily. I have also collaborated with Dr Andrew Gordon, who was the President of our PHiT Council. We have presented sessions together at national meetings.

How did your participation on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council affect your career trajectory?

The PHiT Council definitely helped my career.  It was my first experience in PM&R leadership and also provided me the means to advocate for the specialty and residents in particular. I am currently Chair of the Health Care Policy and Leadership (HP&L) Committee of the AAPM&R, and this would not be possible without the foundation provided my PHiT. In addition, I got to network with leaders in our field outside of my institution and this was pivotal for my career.

Thank you to Hannah K. Uhlig-Reche, MD, 2023-2024 PHiT Council Board Nominating Committee Member, for connecting with Dr. Mukai.

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First Jobs and Institutions

Assistant Professor and Director of Adaptive Sports Medicine Program in the Department of PM&R
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX

Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and Pediatric Sports Medicine Attending Physician at
Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and Children's Health
Dallas, TX

Current Jobs and Institutions

Assistant Professor in the Department of PM&R
University of Colorado
Aurora, CO

Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Pediatric Sports Medicine, and Pediatric Chronic Pain Medicine Attending Physician
Children's Hospital Colorado
Aurora, CO

Head Team Physician
Team USA Paralympics Swimming National Team

What was your favorite part of being on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council?

I loved my time serving on the PHiT Board (previously the RPC Board) during my PM&R residency and fellowship years. From an early point in my career, it allowed me to get involved at a high level with AAPM&R, our specialty's primary society. It was awesome being able to weigh in on big picture discussions we had at AAPM&R committee and Board meetings, network with other physiatry leaders while brainstorming ideas or weigh in on important topics relevant to our specialty. I saw that as a volunteer with AAPM&R that we were able to have an impact at a high level on our specialty, and that AAPM&R truly valued the voice of PM&R residents and fellows - the future of the specialty.

Share a memory of your time on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council.

I will always remember the fun team-building activities we did at RPC/PHiT Board meetings, and the fun social events we would do in Rosemont in the evenings of meetings! Another fond memory is one year, as a kick-off to the "What is PM&R?" video contest, we all collaborated and filmed short video clips of ourselves in our residency programs that we collated into a larger video to showcase the scope of the PM&R specialty (check out YouTube to watch the fun video we created!).

Have you worked with or collaborated with former PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council members after graduating residency? How so?

Yes, in many ways! Some of my greatest friends in the PM&R specialty are from relationships I developed during my time as an RPC Board/PHiT Board member. I catch up with friends throughout the year, and oftentimes collaborate with other RPC/PHiT Board alumni to do national presentations, other academic projects like collaboration on research or writing chapters/review papers, and I find that we sponsor each other for various career opportunities such as committee or leadership roles (e.g. one of the team physicians I recently recruited to help out with our national Paralympic Swimming national team was a PHiT Board alumni with me). We have so much fun when we get together to hang out at the AAPM&R Annual Assembly as well!

How did your participation on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council affect your career trajectory?

I served on the RPC/PHiT Board for a total of 6 years during my residency and fellowship years, and during that time, had the privilege of getting to work with many amazing leaders and volunteers. During my time serving on the Medical Education Committee and Membership Committee, as well as during the year I served as President of the RPC/PHiT Board, it was so cool getting to know and eventually becoming friends with many more senior physiatrists on the committees and Board of Governors who I now consider my mentors or sponsors, and they have continued to help mentor or sponsor me for neat opportunities throughout my career. I have come full circle and over the past few years, have rejoined the Medical Education Committee, working with some faculty that I previously worked with when I was on this committee when I was a resident. If I did not have my involvement with the RPC/PHiT Board during my training, I do not think I would have had as many interesting and fun experiences that I now have had in my career.

Thank you to Andrea Nikolis, MD, 2023-2024 PHiT Council Board Nominating Committee Member, for connecting with Dr. Mukai.

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First Job and Institution

Assistant Professor
UT Southwestern
Dallas, TX

Current Job and Institution

Professor and Chair
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center & Penn State College of Medicine
Hershey, PA

What was your favorite part of being on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council?

Networking and getting to know your resident peers across the country.

Share a memory of your time on the PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council.

I remember working on my articles (Research Corner) for the RPC newsletter while sitting in the corner desk in the resident's room, that corner being the one with the computer. Back in those days, computers at every desk were a luxury!

Have you worked with or collaborated with former PHiT Council Board/Resident Physician Council members after graduating residency? How so?

Yes. Mostly in volunteering with the Academy, I have kept in touch with and networked with former RPC members who have been volunteer leaders of the Academy as Committee Chairs and Board of Governor members.

Thank you to Sarah Mahasin, MD, 2023-2024 PHiT Council Board MEC- Graduate Medical Education Committee Liaison, for connecting with Dr. Mukai.

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