Spooner Buckeye Clinic Director Stefanie Reid, MPT, DPT, has built an impressive career in physical therapy spanning multiple decades. Despite her many titles, some of her most meaningful contributions have been to her community and the organizations she supports. As a member of the National Board of Black Physical Therapists and a committee member of Rizing Tide, an organization dedicated to providing support, resources, and opportunities for BIPOC physical therapists, Stefanie devotes her time outside the clinic to helping people of color enter the field and feel supported. We are honored to share her experiences and advice to other BIPOC that want to become physical or occupational therapists.
What do you feel are the most important qualities that make a physical therapist or occupational therapist effective, especially when working with diverse patient populations?
Stefanie: I think regardless of a person’s racial or ethnic background, physical therapy is so hands-on and face-to-face with people that connection is essential and shows up in the form of empathy, compassion, and active listening which is important for creating value for the patients that we are treating. Sometimes, we get caught up in the tasks—getting treatments done or meeting goals—and don’t take the time to actively listen or understand where a person is coming from.
How have you navigated any obstacles you’ve faced in the profession?
Stefanie: Physical therapy historically has not been a diverse profession, so when I started my educational journey, I was the only Black student in my class. Over my 20 + year career, I’ve only worked in two places where I had other Black therapists as colleagues. Throughout my career, I have worked for both small and large organizations, yet there is under-representation at the clinical level and even less representation once you get into leadership and operational roles. I worked for a larger company with thousands of employees, and I could count the number of BIPOC leaders at the clinical level and above on less than two hands. For a company of that size, it really highlighted the underrepresentation in the field.
Being seen as a “unicorn” of sorts comes with its challenges. There is often the need to prove that you deserve to be in the role that you are in and go above and beyond to prove your worth and value, due to pervasive biases. Being asked “So, you’re the therapist?” to “You own this place?” to “You must really know your stuff” has been a bit of an annoyance over the years, but it has pushed me to continue to grow not only in experience, exposure, and credentials and be an example for others that may be interested in pursuing a career in physical therapy.
That’s part of what drew me to organizations like Rizing Tide—understanding the obstacles and barriers for people of color entering this profession, which often have nothing to do with decreased ability but having a lack of access to financial resources and a lack of exposure and knowledge of the field. Physical therapy is one of those fields you need to know about early, ideally in high school, so that you are taking the necessary coursework to gain admission.
How do you think representation within the physical therapy profession impacts patient trust and treatment outcomes, especially working with BIPOC?
Stefanie: I believe representation matters in patient outcomes. People are naturally drawn to those who share similarities with them, whether its a shared experience, shared hometown, shared interest, it helps to build connection. Moving from focusing on what commonalities we share versus what makes us different is one method for building trust and connection. Taking the time to get to know someone that you typically wouldn’t engage with is important to not only gaining awareness but also challenging our own biases that we have all developed over the years.
History has shown that BIPOC patients often experience biases in their care as well as disparities in access to care, resulting in negative experiences and less than favorable outcomes. These biases often influence the quality of care that they receive based off of misguided assumptions about patients. Exposure to therapists who share a similar racial and/or ethnic background, can result in patients feeling safer and more comfortable and help to build trust. This trust building can help to break down fears of judgment, with the patient trusting that the information shared between them and the treating therapist will be used to enhance their care versus used against them.
However, it is our responsibility as therapists, who have made a choice to work in a patient-facing role, to challenge our own implicit biases, which we all have. Exposure to differences helps to challenge our own beliefs and biases by bringing greater awareness and consciousness to them. Through that awareness we are better able to ensure that those biases don’t influence how we treat our patients or influence what services we choose to offer.
What advice would you give your past-self when entering the field of physical therapy?
Stefanie: Don’t be so uptight. Take the time to breathe and listen and observe. Listen to what the patient and/or family are telling you. You can gain a lot of insight by just taking the time to observe and watch. Trying to check every box and assess for every special test and trying to remember what was on page 22 of your neuroanatomy text is not what’s going to drive the best results and outcomes for the patient.
Now, my approach is way different. I meet the person where they are at the time and I listen to what they are saying and how they are presenting. Taking a more holistic approach in which you are looking at the person as a whole versus a body part allows you to have a greater impact on function, results, and perceived value for the patient. Over the years, I have also learned to let go of expectations and not focus on what the textbook or protocol tells me should be the goal but focus on what the person in front of me actually needs.
As therapists, we want to get people better. But we also have to give ourselves grace and understand that not everyone is going to get better or meet our expectations in terms of functional outcomes. You can’t beat yourself up when that happens. It’s about learning from that particular patient experience, reflecting, and moving that learned experience forward. We put so much pressure on ourselves to meet certain expectations—and we impose these expectations on ourselves, our patients, our daily lives. Setting goals is one thing but coming to the realization that there are often an unlimited number of ways that something can be accomplished allows us and others the grace to move in more fluid ways to get to the same result.
And–stay hungry. Continue to expand your knowledge and remain an active learner. There is so much in the field to learn. Don’t box yourself in. There are so many ways that PT professionals are contributing to the field of healthcare outside of direct clinical care. If we are tying it back to this theme around diversity, the real key is to be engaged with your patients and create safe spaces and experiences that allow patients to bring their authentic selves, and you will see people thrive. If you’ve never worked with someone from a certain background, take it as a chance to learn—ask questions, get to know their story. Be engaged with the person and not just their diagnosis.
You mentioned that BIPOC typically have more of a barrier to entry. What advice would you give to them to get their feet in the door?
Stefanie: There’s definitely a financial barrier to entry into physical therapy. PT school is expensive—coming out with $180,000 or $200,000 in debt is common. If you don’t have access to scholarships or federal funding, it’s tough to even get your foot in the door. That’s why starting at the ground level is so important. Research scholarship opportunities using sites such as Scholarship Owl or Big Future/College Board and get involved with organizations like Rizing Tide.
Shadowing and taking on roles like a technician can make a big difference. Rehab techs get the chance to engage with patients, learn the ins and outs of physical therapy, and figure out if this is something they truly want to do. It’s a way to test the waters before diving into PT school. Create a LinkedIn profile and connect with physical therapy professionals that have been in the industry and network with them and ask questions.
It’s not just about the clinical skills; it’s about connecting with people—listening, communicating, and genuinely caring. Take the time to build up your emotional intelligence and develop strong communication skills. This is a field where we are patient-facing and we are dealing with people that are in pain and/or limited in function and we have to know how to effectively manage diverse personalities and the different ways that people show up. If you’re going to work directly with patients, you need to love working with people. And if you don’t, maybe consider research or a translational program where you can contribute to the profession behind the scenes.
So, my advice? Start small. Shadow, find a mentor, take on a tech role, and see how it feels. Make sure you like people, because this job is all about engaging with and listening to them. That’s where it all starts.