Welcome to Digication Scholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
In this episode, you'll hear part one of my conversation with Kyle Hewson, Vice
Chair and Clinical Associate Professor in the Doctorate in Physical Therapy
program at Stony Brook University.
More links and information about today's conversation can be found on Digication's
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Full episodes of Digication Scholars Conversations can be found on
YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
Welcome to Digication Scholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
And today I'm so excited to introduce our guest, Kyle Hewson.
Kyle is the Vice Chair and Clinical Associate Professor in the Doctorate in
Physical Therapy program at Stanford.
Stony Brook University.
Welcome, Kyle.
Thank you so much for
having me today.
Absolutely.
So I happen to, uh, So I'm going to track Kyle down, uh, after seeing
some extraordinary student portfolios Digication where the students,
I feel like, are just showcasing this exemplary use of high impact
practices across their education there.
And uh, I discovered that many of them are creating this beautiful showcase of both
their undergraduate work and what they're doing at Stony Brook University within
the platform in really remarkable ways.
And, uh, I discovered, Kyle, that you created what looks like
possibly a beginning template that the students were using as kind
of a springboard to this process.
So I wanted to reach out because you're kind of the powerhouse.
What they're doing in this area.
And I'm so excited to celebrate what you do and learn more about your
background and how you started using these tools with your students.
So I would love Kyle, if you could share with our listeners a little
bit about how you found your way to.
Stony Brook University.
Great.
All right.
Thank you again, Kelly.
Um, so I am a physical therapist, graduate from Hunter College, and for almost 20
years I was clinician, uh, love working in the hospital setting, long term care,
uh, and a little bit of outpatient.
Um, but I always had the dream to be a teacher.
I do have the gift of gab.
I love to communicate, um, and I've had a lot of great patient stories through
my life, which I'm very grateful for.
So I, um, started to teach a course at Nassau Community College
in their PT assistant program.
And I was lucky to start, um, as a Clinical Coordinator at a new
program at New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury.
So they were starting a program there and I was able to start
with the chair and that was my first full time job as faculty.
Um, and I loved, uh, I learned so much.
The, the, the The jump from clinician to academics is huge.
Different language, different ways of being viewed and ideas.
And your, your really, your brain explodes a little bit, but also your heart.
Your heart is like, I get to share all of the, Richness and
challenges of being a clinician.
And, uh, and we always know more than our students.
So you, you feel confident initially.
Um, so there I was able to do some great things.
Um, with a colleague, we did a pro bono clinic and it was
just a great, great experience.
I also started my doctoral degree and education, which helped me, you know,
give some foundational, uh, knowledge to the different areas that I was learning.
I always was kind of in the professionalism and ethics.
So that was kind of my area, and that's what I did my dissertation in.
So then I got the call from a colleague that there was an opening at Stony
Brook University for a similar position.
So I moved over, and I have been here for 20 years.
Um, and I've had different roles.
Um, Usually involving some type of administration, which is really, I guess,
one of my strengths in the sense of, I love, I call myself a process person.
I like to make, I like to make the whole thing smooth and clear to
whatever the students have to do.
Um, so we're very, it's a customer service here and having our students do the work.
is happening.
Um, at the same time, every year you get to go to a conference, which
is the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting.
And that is when educators from all over the nation come together.
And either you go to something in your area like orthopedics or, so I
used to go to things about clinical education, ethics, professionalism.
And kind of, you know, how education goes in waves.
So definitely the portfolio was mentioned, um, and, uh, they were
talking about showing growth over time.
So they were talking about art and different areas like that.
And, you know, when you go to go for a job, you bring this
large portfolio of your work.
So they started talking about this.
So the light, like.
I would say maybe 2010, 2009, um, we started, um, creating a
portfolio in a binder with, you know, tell us about yourself.
Um, I did connect it to one of my classes, kind of had a portfolio.
Pre and a post.
Uh, so be something that you did in the beginning of your time.
It's a three year program.
So that, and then getting ready to graduate.
What is the information that you'd want to have in case a boss asks you, you
know, tell me about yourself, you know, a future boss, I should say, that you have
a chance of kind of tooting your own horn.
So then in 2013 or so, we heard about Stony Brook University
having Digication and having the opportunity for an ePortfolio.
I had gone to a meeting with Nancy, who was our head of our area there,
and she brought together someone from PA, also the medical school,
and we just talked about, because now this is the buzzword out there,
kind of what is electronic portfolio.
And I thought, oh my goodness, this is so So much nicer and so much easier than me
collecting 85 portfolios in the back of the room and the binders and everything.
So, so that's when we started that ePortfolio here.
So I'm going to stop for a second if you have any other questions.
Oh, I have, well,
I have so many questions.
So, um, just hearing you talk, I'm very curious how you, uh, you
know, where the interest in, um, physical therapy really started.
You mentioned that you've always been interested in becoming an educator and
how did you find your way into the field?
Yes,
I read it in a career corner when I was in high school.
Always loved science and math, believe it or not.
The future STEM girl, without even knowing that that was around.
The column basically said, did you want to do something medical, but you didn't
want to be a nurse or a physician?
And I'm like, mm hmm.
So, um, I just thought it was so interesting and I did some shadowing
at a local, large hospital and I was put into some situations that I saw.
I saw a patient that had burns and I saw another patient that had
amputations and I saw someone who was mentally challenged and I thought, wow.
I didn't never have these experiences, but I was able to communicate and help.
And I got home, went home and I remember talking to my
parents saying, I can do this.
I feel comfortable and I feel like I can have learned the
skills of what I needed to do.
Um, so then I went to a community college, applied to 10 universities
and I got into Hunter College.
Um, It was very difficult.
So we do have empathy still for our students that this is a very rigorous
program, very intense, partially.
I think what it is is you, uh, have a conscientiousness about, I want to
remember everything because it's all building blocks and things don't go away.
So you can't just study for an exam and forget about it.
So that feeling is kind of on them, weighted on their shoulders.
It's a good thing because it kind of keeps them on track.
But we all can relate to that, even if we had a bachelor's or a master's.
The programs years ago were bachelor's degrees and now, of
course, it's a clinical doctorate.
So it's at least seven years to become a physical therapist, so it's four
undergrad and then the graduate.
So, um, yeah.
So, and then I was always, um, involved with students.
So as I, you know, you can move up as your clinician, it's like a senior
position or the head of a unit.
Um, so I was in charge of the student program, I think at my third job.
And after that, you know, Who's coming in and what level and, and then who's
having some personality issues or who's having knowledge issues and
trying to be that like a mediator.
My parents joke around that I've been born a mediator because I have four
brothers and I always was like, you know, mom, dad, you know, you know, Lawrence
or Michael, they didn't mean to do that.
And this is what, so that's kind of my thing.
Oh, I love it.
So I have one daughter.
So, I'm just curious.
So where were you in the lineup?
Were you the oldest?
Okay, so is she.
Oh yes.
I'll talk to her later.
I'm sure you guys could have a very good chat.
It's an exciting time.
Experience.
Yes.
And she definitely, uh, does a good job at kind of leading, leading the pack.
That's when you say, was your career chosen for you or you
were chosen for the career?
Yeah, absolutely.
Oh,
well, thank you so much for, for sharing that background and, uh, you know, as
you're Speaking, I can tell that you do have this incredible passion for being
able to communicate and, um, you know, kind of provide support for individuals,
even just speaking about your family.
You know, you were trying to make it clear to your parents that your
brothers did something by accident.
Um, and it sounds like this has been a really useful experience.
Full skill for you to bring into what you're doing in your work
with patients and also with your work with, uh, the students too.
Um, so I wanted to talk a little bit about, uh, some of the, so I
mentioned when we started speaking that it just seems like what your
students are doing really exemplifies.
A lot of high impact practices that are a big focus in
higher
education today.
You know, you've got experiential learning built in, you've got
project based learning built in.
They're clearly having a very integrative and reflective experience as they
move from Each course to the next, as you mentioned, kind of building
upon that foundation of knowledge and making connections throughout.
So, I wanted to spend some time talking about that a little bit, because I
think some of our listeners are really familiar with the Hyatt practices,
some are not, you know, and how that might fit into these kinds of
healthcare education I think is really important for people to understand.
Um, so, if you could talk a little bit about what the kind of experiential
learning opportunities that your students have at Stony Brook University?
I'm imagining there's probably a great deal of kind of field work and beginning
to have connections with patrons.
Could you describe that a little bit?
Absolutely.
So, as a kind of connected together, at the same time, I want to say probably
it's maybe 2010 also, um, I had spoke to my chair about the idea of including
a service, uh, uh, requirement.
So they had to do 30 hours.
We tried to...
We.
Figure out as a faculty how many hours When should they be able to start this?
And, you know, service learning is incorporated in many physical
therapy programs as a course.
Um, it's also, especially if someone has a faculty clinic or a pro bono
clinic, then they have hours in there.
So I wanted to keep it, uh, looser and more open, um, with different areas.
The idea was to kind of get out of the classroom and do
something good for the world.
And, um, if they already had been a coach for their child's team,
You got to do something new.
So you can create something or not.
So anyway, it was really good.
And, and the idea that this actually fit into the portfolio beautifully.
So they have to log their hours and then they have to write reflective
paper, um, about, and with different questions, you know, some of it is,
you know, what was your best moment in the 30 hours that you chose?
What do you do?
Um, do you think that physical therapists should be advocates?
And do you see that this is something that you would do once you become a clinician?
Like, so now you are in a small outpatient practice.
Do you sponsor a health fair?
Do you pick a charity for the year that you do things for?
So, it's to kind of open their mind and see that even if you're
busy, you can fit this in.
So, um, so that was a great, so it was a great place on
the portfolio to put that in.
And through the three Classes that I have with them, we would always
spend time on the last class.
All right, we've updated our portfolios, let's go in.
And they would look at each other's and we would share.
What have you been doing in service?
Okay, everyone that helped on interview day.
Everybody that helped with the health fair.
Let's go into some groups and talk about it.
Open up the portfolio and see, Oh my gosh, there's great pictures.
Our students have been at the New York City Marathon.
Um, you know, we're very lucky.
We're the east end of Long Island, but we have access to the city.
Having a large faculty, we have over 16 of us.
Everyone has different interests and different, um, you know, Some
things have been created by them, um, and it's on our website.
They're different.
And then other ones we just join.
Um, so it's just to kind of get them up and out, you know, to take a walk
or a run with one of your students on a Saturday is a very different
experience than, you know, but there we're done, so it's been really good.
And every year is different.
Some students have.
Spearheaded some very, you know, involved things and then everything is okay.
Like we have a Super Bowl going on now.
Bring some cans of soup.
Very easy, you know.
And so, yeah.
So that's, we don't, um, we, the first semester is very difficult.
And so is the second.
So we just start kind of talking about service right now for the first year.
So they have, you know, now how, where can you put an hour or two in?
And they have plenty of time, but, um, it is really, uh, initially they always
say, Oh my gosh, this sounds like such a difficult thing, but then it's good.
So that's one piece of it.
Very fulfilling.
Yeah,
absolutely.
And you know, they've done some great things as undergrads too.
So, so that's for me.
That's the ePortfolio too is, um, it's two pieces for me.
It's toot your own horn.
And also in the beginning, who are you?
So they get to come in and I'm asked and it did create a template and
the first page is a welcome page.
And basically it's fun.
Five, five fun facts about yourself.
Yeah.
Tell us, you know, someone, look, I love spaghetti, or you know, I have
four dogs, or there's a of thing about food and pets and travel.
Um, but we'll have something like, oh, I play six instruments.
Be like, what?
You know?
So, um, and then we, you know, so these type of things, and there's
pictures and videos and quotes.
So the first page can kind of be, and it's really fun.
So they, um, so I of course look at that and I'll get to
know them through the summer.
And then I tell their faculty advisors, okay, you know, uh, your
students have put up their portfolio.
They told you about themselves, um, and there's pictures and they get to put up
their diploma, pictures of undergrad.
It's just like a, you know, initially it's kind of like electronic scrapbook, uh, but
it's just kind of everything about them.
Um, and then I tell them, you know, Some of the faculty then
use this to kind of use as ice breakers throughout the courses.
So it'll be like, all right, I heard that two or three of you are into surfing.
All right, stand up, tell me.
So, and then they use that, you know, as kind of like, or, or something funny
about, you know, oh, someone's who's been to Alaska in this, in this class.
I know who it is.
And then, you know, that person.
So, so it's just a nice way to, and you know, we, we've done that through
the years and it's been a lot of fun.
So just like a little area.
And then.
Sometimes while we've done reviews at the end, even in the third year, I'll
say, okay, pick someone in the room that you don't really know that well, even
after all these years of being together.
Okay.
Open up their portfolio.
What?
I didn't know that you've gone to 26 countries or that you, your goal
is to hit every national park in America, you know, so they still
can learn things about each other.
Um, so, which is great.
So again, it's definitely, yeah.
Yeah, and the fact that, so it kind of, so at Digication, we talk a
lot about students being able to use the platform as a way to be
seen, be heard, and be recognized.
And it sounds like you've had a number of different opportunities for the
students to use it like that before they're even thinking about possibly
using it as a career advancement tool.
It sounds like you're using it as a tool to kind of build
community within the program.
Yes.
I love that the advisors have an opportunity to see it.
It sounds like before the students even arrive, is that correct?
Yes.
So in the summer, it's kind of quiet.
Most of our faculty.
Only two of us teach them, and they have a very large anatomy class.
So, kind of full, full blast is back in the fall.
All the faculty are back, and they get to meet their students.
Yeah.
How wonderful that they have that kind of introduction to them and already have
a face to a name before they have their kind of first in person interactions.
And I love that it's being used as a tool for the students.
To connect to one another in their classes as well.
I'm sure going through this program as rigorous as it is to have as
many, you know, strong connections to other peers is really valuable.
Um, and it sounds like this is being used as a great way to kind of set
the stage for where they may have some common ground or interesting
things to learn about each other.
I love that.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Um, and as we're talking about service, um, I just wanted to bring up as I was
kind of preparing to talk to you today, I learned about some of the service work
that you're doing on in your, um, bio and, um, I believe it's called parfore.
Am I remembering that correctly?
Yes.
So, um, yeah, this is a great program.
It's actually not at Stony Brook anymore, but it's, um, it's over
at Toro's been using at MIT.
So, but I'll talk quickly.
So this is, um, how we, yeah, it was a golf program for children in middle
school where gangs are prevalent.
in Suffolk County.
So, um, again, it's one of those kind of brainchilds.
It was my good friend, Alex Lopez, who was an OT and the two of us work together.
Um, and then we would have our, open it up to our students and able to let them,
um, you know, join, um, basically golf is, has rules and, you know, you, someone
does a good shot and you, you know, Give a little proper clap, you know, and you,
you walk, you walk around fresh air, um, one of the students, I'll never forget.
He was so funny.
He says, Kyle, it's so beautiful out here on the golf course.
Um, you know what?
They should really put houses up here.
I'm like, no, no, no.
The idea is, it's just, you know, so we, we laughed, you know, but, um,
Kids who wouldn't join a normal club in their school, everyone would join our
program and the idea was that everyone is equal and everyone has a chance to,
to try and learn and mentorship that way.
So we had, it was really, uh, the whole model was just wonderful.
And that's kind of how the other programs that we have presently, it's, there's
always, uh, our students being, you know, in their twenties is that, you know,
between the actual whoever's involved.
It could be an eight year old who's now working out for the first time,
or it could be someone, you know, older, who's having falls recently.
Like they're the ones to kind of give that extra, um, warmth and knowledge
and make the person feel comfortable.
So, and that teaches them again, how to adapt to different types of audiences.
You know, they have four clinicals and they have different experiences
and some of them are very nervous.
Some of them have never worked in a large.
So, um, this lets them do that.
Um, the other idea with the ePortfolio is that it's a scrapbook for them.
So they only get this beautiful note from a patient, you know, it was so great to
work with you, you know, you're going to make a great physical therapist.
What do you do with that?
I'm like, Oh, you can scan it in.
and put it in your portfolio.
Um, the idea, you know, I said it, so it's kind of like a meet and greet.
Who are you?
But also then of course, like typical growth over time.
So the idea that they put up a PowerPoint that they did in their first year with two
or three people, even just to show them how advanced they've become in some of
their presentations by the third year, you know, they have this and that, and they're
just, their references are awesome.
And they're able to pull in a video or something.
So just, and they feel.
cause I'd say, Oh, I was such a nervous person that first time I
had to get up in front of 80 80 students, you know, so, so it's kind
of neat, you know, that, that happens.
Yeah, we find it's very empowering for students to be able to look back on where
they were and really in just learning.
It's a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, you know,
who they were and what their skills were when they joined your program.
And this incredible transformation that happens over those few years.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
It's so telling, you know, being able to not only see kind of their
reflections about the experience, but to be able to look at some of the actual
work and projects that they created.
Um, again, it just kind of supports what you said about how rigorous the program
is that the students have this really kind of longitudinal showcase of what they've
done throughout your program at various levels and this beautiful way that they
connect pieces of what they've done.
Right.
I also love there's an area, um, where I think some students have a
presentation and some have written these beautiful personal statements
about, you know, maybe why they've come.
To study physical therapy.
Some of them have very powerful stories about, you know, maybe their connection
to past physical therapy when they were younger or a family member that
needed that and the impact that it has.
Um, what kind of, uh, maybe mentorship or scaffolding do
you give the students as they're creating those personal statements?
Are they doing that as part of the
curriculum?
Yes.
So that is actually, um, The application, we use a company, P.
T.
Cass, and every year there is a new question.
So that is their physical therapy essay.
So they are given the option to post that essay or to actually just then
share Why did you want to be a therapist?
If, if it was, you know, because sometimes, um, you know, one year
it was a little more like, uh, tell us about qualities that you feel a
healthcare professional should have.
And that would be the essay, which was again, very powerful.
But then, so I kind of give them the option.
I said, you can go back into your essay that you had posted,
which is very, Really great.
And usually there is part of their story of why they, something in their family
or on themselves, or again, why did you want to be a physical therapist?
So that's up there too.
And it's just, again, more information about them.
It kind of starts the beginning of their story.
I, uh, in the summer, I joke around like, all right, so, you know, again,
how many people here were into sports and then they, you know, they hurt
their knee and then, you know, a third of them stand up or, you know, so
we kind of talk, cause we talk about my classes in the summer with is.
Professional Practice One and its foundations.
So it's all about physical therapy.
We kind of bring them all together like, Oh, who's, who's worked as an aid and
who's had therapy on them and who, what do you know about physical therapy?
Um, some of the legal and some of the ethical.
And so it's like, it fits really nicely in there.
Like who, who are you bring?
And then everyone will be like, and there's connections.
So it'd be like, Oh, I worked with a therapist and she was a wonderful
clinician with vestibular problems.
Oh my gosh, me too.
They know this same person.
So you'll find all these connections throughout the summer of people
who have worked together or know each, knew a therapist and, uh, they
talk very proudly of the therapist they have worked with either as a
volunteer or as, you know, employed.
They said, Oh, I, I watch this person across the room and I see how they're
able to temper their voice or they're able to, you know, Use their non
verbals or they're able to bring kind of people together through a funny
story or so the feeling of community.
So, that's really what they're learning then.
So, they bring that because then we, you know, of course, you always talk
about what a professional isn't and of course, there's some, some good
stories with, with no names mentioned.
Right, right, right.
Yeah, but it really speaks to this power of storytelling really in, uh,
creating connections with others, which is a huge part of what they're
going to be doing as part of their field experience and after graduation.
Um, so it makes a lot of sense that it's kind of built into, um, kind
of that initial essay as they're, they're joining the program, then
you continue to give them opportunity to, I think the students know
that I always say that, that you, and again, that's why if you are a good
clinician, hopefully you become a good teacher because you may explain, this
is the medical diagnosis and these are all the signs and symptoms, but then
you share a story about someone that you work with who, you know, Again, was
not able to take their medicine and look what happened and that, or that they were
able to handle a very traumatic event.
Those things, they remember those stories, you know, kind of how
it happened and the pieces to it.
Here's a preview of what's coming up next in part two of my conversation with Kyle
Hewson, Vice Chair and Clinical Associate Professor in the Doctorate in Physical
Therapy program at Stony Brook University.
I think it's three classes that they really enjoyed and did some
kind of project like you mentioned.
So, um, you know, I, I always say to them, by the time you graduate, after three
years, you'll have every type of learning methodology, teaching methodology to you.
You know, there's.
Group work and there's presentations and there's, um, going out to a clinic.
Uh, so we use our, um, veterans home right on campus.
And so you learn something in neurology, neurological, physical therapy, but
now you actually go and try it and connect with one of our residents.
See you next time.