Liz Harvey – 30 DoS – Day 23

I am a Senior Instructor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. I have been a physiotherapist for over 20 years and have had the opportunity to work in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. My latest adventure, closer to home, is that I am a part-time PhD student. I believe that my combination of being a mid-career physiotherapist and educator, and an early PhD student brings a somewhat unique perspective to the CPN. I recognize a vast amount of privilege that I have experienced in my life, and have long been an ally to those who do not experience the same privilege.

I am new to the CPN, having been introduced by my PhD supervisor, Dr. Patty Thille, when starting my PhD. Truly it was eye-opening to discover that other physiotherapists world-wide were recognizing and articulating issues that I had been thinking of, and chatting with colleagues about, in our profession. I believe that learning about our past and reflecting on our present will help our profession in planning for a better future.

I am still early in my PhD journey, and those who have taken this path know this may change, but I am planning on including research on how physiotherapy students develop professional identity in their educational programs; specifically focusing on how systems of power and/or oppression influence this in students who are from historically under-represented backgrounds. I’d like to see the critical physiotherapy community engaging with students, and finding the nuances that exist in balancing teaching basic, foundational skills and introducing critical teachings in the entry-to-practice programs.