SLU PT Student Abby Sullivan had an Amazing Clinical Experience at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, MO

SLU PT Clinical Site Spotlight – Missouri Baptist Medical Center - St. Louis, MO

By Abby Sullivan (Class of 2023)

I have had an amazing clinical experience at MoBap with my primary location being on the neuro floor. I was also able to get experiences on various other floors including cardiac, palliative, rehab, ICU, and orthopedic care. I learned all about acute care and the varying patient populations within it. I was taught all the logistics of working in the hospital setting which included how to work with different lines and tubes, communicate patient status with other professionals, and how to address different patient situations. I worked with patients who had complicated medical conditions and patients who were near independent. This also means our treatments were anything from bed exercises or getting to a chair to walking and doing complex balance activities. I was able to see clinical manifestations of a variety of diagnoses including strokes, Parkinson’s, MS, heart failure, kidney disease, cancers, COPD, and more. This setting challenged me while also giving me endless learning opportunities and experiences. My Clinical Instructor and alumnus of SLU Program in Physical Therapy, Carolyn Carrabine, allowed me to be as independent as possible while also making sure I was comfortable in the situations I was entering. I was able to learn from amazing physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, MDs, and more. I am super grateful for this opportunity where I grew as a student and future physical therapist!

Thank you so much for all that you’ve done for me during this 10-week experience. I am super lucky I got to learn from and work with a therapist as great as you along with all the other amazing therapists at MoBap. You helped me build confidence as a therapist and learn to love the acute care setting. I am happy this was able to be my first experience out in the clinical world and I wish it could last longer!

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy students featuring their clinical site and their clinical instructors. The number, quality, and diversity of clinical instruction are major assets for the SLU PT Program.