Service-learning has been an integral part of Mercer University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program since its inception. Students assist long-standing partner organizations with their programs, allowing them to apply their knowledge in the real world and gain valuable experience working with clients of all ages.
During the three-year program, physical therapy students complete a one-hour service course in their first, third and fifth semesters, with each one focusing on a different client age: pediatric, adult and older adult.
“When the service-learning aspect was developed and made to be a critical part of the program, it was very intentional,” said Dr. David Taylor, director of clinical education in the College of Health Professions. “It meets a curricular thread for us for health promotion and wellness, which is part of physical therapist practice, for underserved populations or groups that are in our area. And in doing that, we address the lifespan.”
This service-learning component was built into the curriculum by Dr. Jeannette Anderson, former clinical director of the physical therapy program, and has involved every physical therapy graduate since 2010. While enrolled in the service courses, students go out into the community every week to assist their partner organization.
“They get their proverbial shirts dirty and are patient-client facing within the first three weeks of starting the program,” Dr. Taylor said. “I think what’s novel about this is it’s a shared experience for all of our students. They work with the same clients. They’re in the same building, but their level of knowledge increases across the semesters, so they can apply and then bring more to the interactions. And then lastly, our partners depend on us. They are excited to have us come back and look forward to that.”
Students in the pediatric service class work with FOCUS (Families of Children Under Stress), an organization that provides support and resources to families of children with disabilities. Students serve as coaches for the adaptive swim team in the fall and spring, and in the summer, they lead physical activities and serve as counselors during the organization’s camps, said Dr. Lisa Fraher, visiting assistant professor and pediatric cohort coordinator.
Mercer’s physical therapy program also assists with the paddleboarding summer camp at Tender Ones Therapy Service, and next summer, it will partner with Way to Play Together camp.
“The (organizations) love partnering with our students,” Dr. Fraher said. “They can always rely on a certain number of Mercer students to be there, so they can continue to provide these services to the community. Our students bring positivity and compassion, and they appreciate it.”
In the past, students have also assisted with FOCUS’s family respite care program and with camps and exercise programs for young adults, Dr. Taylor said.
Students in the adult service class assist clients with Parkinson’s disease during boxing classes at the Center for Movement Challenges in Sandy Springs. The program has been shown to help people with Parkinson’s improve their strength and coordination.
“When we’re not there, many of (the clients) have to stay in their wheelchairs and box out of chairs,” said Dr. Niamh Tunney, clinical associate professor and adult service cohort coordinator for 12 years. “They can’t do the boxing standing because they’re not steady enough. When we’re there, we’re one on one with them and facilitating their movement, so they can do a lot more and do it safely.”
Students in the older adult service course help teach group exercise classes to residents at Parish Grove senior independent living community and to individuals with prediabetes or diabetes at Good Samaritan Health Center, both in Atlanta, Dr. Taylor said. For the second time, Mercer’s physical therapy program is offering an eight-course health-focused series for seniors this fall at Senior University of Greater Atlanta, and students will assist Dr. Taylor with some of the related activities.
For more than five years, Margo Hester has been attending the Mercer exercise classes at Parish Grove with a friend who is a resident there. She said it’s a positive environment, and she appreciates the variety of movements and activities that they do in class. In addition, her friend loves getting to know the Mercer students.
“I’m very impressed with them,” Hester said. “A lot of people who live in the building have families and are active, but some aren’t. I think it’s very good for people who live in the building who don’t have a lot of interactions to have those interactions with students. They are personable, caring and knowledgeable about physical therapy.”
The physical therapy students show up with smiles on their faces, and the people they work with see that they believe in them, Dr. Fraher said. They bring a unique set of skills to the table at these community programs, since they have knowledge of movement and a medical background and understand diagnosis. This means they often require less training and can take on a more active role with clients.
“The thing that is really cool is that you’re invited into the culture of the disability community with open arms,” said Dr. Fraher, who graduated from Mercer’s physical therapy program in 2015 and has been teaching at the University since 2020. “You get to interact with families in a different way. You get to meet people where they are, and you get to connect with individuals. It’s a really positive community to be a part of. Everybody is there to be supportive. Conversely, it allows you to see some of the struggles and challenges.”
Students witness what individuals and families go through on a daily basis, and this broadens their perspectives, makes them more compassionate practitioners, and helps them advocate for people with special needs, Dr. Fraher said.
They learn how to be patient-centered practitioners and how to communicate with their clients and gain a better picture of their lives and challenges, Dr. Taylor said. They also see how adaptive equipment can be used to aid people with mobility challenges, and they discover why it’s so important to see each client as an individual and not just a diagnosis. Dr. Tunney said.
“People with very reduced mobility are prepared to work very hard, at great inconvenience, to keep their mobility,” she said. “It’s that important to them. It’s all difficult, and yet they keep doing it. And I think that’s a really important lesson for students to learn about people with disability. Anything that we can do to make it easier and better for them to navigate their world is incredibly valuable.”
In addition, students gain an appreciation for what it’s like to work with certain populations, and the service work sometimes helps them confirm or discover their career focus, Dr. Taylor said.
“It helps with their professional formation and their professional behaviors,” he said. “It just integrates all of their learning in a low-stakes environment that they can take forward into their practice.”
Dr. Taylor said Mercer’s longtime, consistent community partnerships ensure the service-learning work is continually impactful, and students can often make connections that they continue in their careers.
“The biggest thing is, when there’s a community partner, that it’s sustainable,” Dr. Tunney said. “It’s not a one and done because you never want to start something and then not follow through indefinitely on it. So, I think we do that very well. We have had the same community partners for years.”
In addition, the Mercerians and the organizations are mutually invested in one another. Mercer faculty support their partners at community events; students have continued as FOCUS swim coaches just because they enjoy it; and Parish Grove residents have volunteered their time in physical therapy classes and attended hooding ceremonies and graduations, Dr. Taylor said.
“I really do truly believe in service-learning as a part of the curriculum and its impact on the students,” Dr. Fraher said. “Students refer back to their service-learning experiences as being really formative. It’s a really powerful tool we can use. It reminds you of why you get into this: to get out there and into the community and engage. It’s good for (our partners), but it’s good for your soul too.”
