MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Jael McCants PT, DPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant 

January 2021

Jael McCants, PT, DPT, has a background in the music industry and modern dance.  Her background, which was inspired by the concept of movement, led her to the field of physical therapy and New York University, where she obtained her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. Jael is also an experienced Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant and brings valuable insight to the intersection of health equity to marginalized people. Jael brings her valuable experiences to NYPTA and we are grateful to have her as a member. Read more about Jael, this month's NYPTA Member Spotlight.

 Enjoy the Q&A with Jael below.

1. How Long have you been a member of NYPTA?

             4 years

2. What do you enjoy most about NYPTA?

Most recently, I worked on the NYPTA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) task force where we collaboratively created and passed motions around renaming and updating the roles and  responsibilities of the NYPTA DEI committee. Though there is much work to be done, this experience left me energized and hopeful for positive change.

3. Tell us a little about your background, and how your path led you to where you are today.

I am an empathy-driven practitioner, constantly exploring the ways our social identities matter in therapeutic alliance, patient safety, and beyond. As a queer Black woman, I am passionate  about the healing of folks commonly discriminated against in healthcare settings. I am committed to health equity for people of color, the lgbtqia+ community, and the hyper  marginalized. Before becoming a physical therapist, I worked in the music industry where I saw a need for improvements in workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. This started my journey  as a DEI educator and consultant. As healthcare providers, our abilities to effectively serve society rely on learning to better communicate and collaborate across our differences. In the  wake of countless Black bodies lost to police violence and in the midst of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, recent events highlight the devastating health and social inequities we  face as a country. It is my hope that by challenging the diversity, equity, and inclusivity of physical therapy spaces, we can create environments where marginalized people can come up  for air and, most importantly, heal. I believe in the power of education to drive social change and see this work as central to my role in the profession.  I received my bachelor of arts from Oberlin College where I studied biology and modern dance, a combination people found odd and surprising. For me, it made perfect sense; I envisioned a  career in physical therapy as a beautiful hybrid of my passions and studies. After working in the music industry for several years, I found that conversations about music were never far from  dance; that at my core, it was movement that inspired me. I received my doctorate of physical therapy from New York University, continuing a life dedicated to movement.

4. What’s the most rewarding part about your work and what are some challenges?

The most rewarding part of DEI consulting is seeing people’s bravery and willingness to lean into conversations around identity. There are many challenges in this work, and talking about  racism is challenging! In my experience, I often leave conversations around identity feeling like I didn’t express myself adequately, or that I missed an opportunity to say the most important  thing on my mind. It can be challenging to expect and accept a lack of closure.

5. What is a typical day like for you?

              To be honest, I haven’t felt a normal day since February 2020. 

 6.Who is one of your role models and why?

Of all the teachers and professors, I had in my academic experience, Dr. Ericka Merriwether, Assistant Professor in the NYU Department of Physical Therapy, was the first and only Black  woman to contribute to my formal education. Words cannot describe how meaningful it was for me to learn from someone who shares these important aspects of my identity. I say with  confidence that representation matters in the classroom and clinic. Dr. Merriwether’s research focuses on chronic pain in adult bariatric populations, including a line of research that explores  relationships between chronic pain and racial discrimination in adults with obesity. In the classroom setting, Dr. Merriwether approaches topics like disparity, race, and gender with  compassion and thoughtfulness. There is nothing more powerful in lightening the load of Imposter Syndrome than seeing someone who looks like you achieve such success in your field.  I hope to inspire other black women in the ways she has inspired me.

7. What’s the most important trend you see today?

In response to worldwide anti-racism protests following the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and other Black lives lost to police brutality and racism in 2020  alone, many medical and educational institutions have taken a stance against racism, declaring that Black Lives Matter. Though acknowledging and denouncing racism is an important first  step, the learning and unlearning required to practice anti-racist medicine requires lifelong commitment. In an article entitled, “Moving towards anti-racist praxis in medicine, ” by  Crear-Perry et al., the authors state, “Being anti-racist necessitates that institutions challenge structural racism and other intersecting oppressive systems—eg, ableism, classism,  ethnocentrism, homophobia, sexism, transphobia—by shifting power—eg, funding and other critical resources, policies, processes, leadership, culture—so that marginalized and minority peoples can live healthily and thrive.”

8. What advice would you give NYPTA members who are new to the profession and want to make a difference?

In the words of my dear friend Ruby-Beth Buitekant, Lawyer and Organizer, “If you work, your work has racial implications. If you work in any job where you have clients, you can do so in an  anti-racist way. You are probably NOT already doing so. It’s hard. It’s a ton of work every single day...Now seems like a good time to start. Seek out workshops about racism, go to those panels  at the conferences. If those panels don’t exist in your field, the internet does...Google: ‘[My industry] + racism.’”

9. How do you make time to volunteer and be active in groups you’re involved with?

     Again, ask me this when 2020 is over and we have made it through the COVID-19 pandemic.

10. What else would you like your fellow NYPTA Members to know about you? (Feel free to tell us a little about yourself here, whatever you’re comfortable sharing –family, hobbies, pets, fun facts about you, etc.)

I am from Madison, Wisconsin. I am one of seven kids. I have a twin brother. I am a Capricorn. I am an orthopedic physical therapist practicing in Brooklyn, New York. My favorite bone is the clavicle, my favorite muscle is the Gluteus Medius, and my favorite trigger point is  the subscapularis.