Tina Pham, a physical therapy assistant (PTA) student from American Career College-Orange County, presented her first case study poster at the recent California Physical Therapy Association conference.
Posters are selected by the association to be presented based on clinical significance, relevance to practice and interest. Pham's case study was about a 13-year-old patient with patellofemoral pain she saw during her internship.
"It is an honor to be selected to present. I'm proud of Tina for this accomplishment and glad I could help her with this opportunity," ACC-OC Physical Therapy Assistant Program Director Janice Lwin said.
While Pham was the only ACC student to present at the conference, she wasn't alone. Lwin also displayed two research posters from her own practice. One case study involved a patient's complete resolution of symptoms from a 20-year history of chronic migraine headaches; the second detailed a patient with an unusual nerve entrapment in their shoulder.
Nearly 40 PTA students from ACC attended the conference and were able to see what it takes to hang a poster in the exhibit hall. Lwin's goal for next year, she said, is to need a very big box of thumbtacks.
"We hope to have many of them present at the next conference after their internships in 2018," she said.
