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May 2021
“Dare to be different and get engaged” is the personal motto and advice that Lauren Shirley, a member on NYPTA’s Marketing & Engagement Committee, would give to fellow physical therapists. Lauren is a current outpatient physical therapist at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. Lauren explains how working as a PT in a small town has its challenges, but also its rewards. Lauren cites her mentor of 15 years, who she met in high school, as one of the guiding inspirations that drew her into the field of physical therapy.
Take a few minutes and get to know this month's member spotlight with us! Enjoy the Q&A with Lauren below.
1. How Long have you been a member of NYPTA?
2012
2. What do you enjoy most about NYPTA?
The opportunities it provides to grow as a professional. I recently joined the Marketing and Engagement committee and love it! I have met wonderful people and am learning more about our profession.
3. Tell us a little about your background, and how your path led you to where you are today.
Early in high school I knew that I wanted to pursue some type of a career in health care. I was not one hundred percent certain I wanted to be a Physical Therapist as I entered my senior year of high school. My father, who was a college career development director (lucky me!), told me to go to a school I liked, study hard and shadow people working in health care to help focus my interests. I enrolled at SUNY Fredonia as a biology major and played varsity tennis.
That year I fell in love with my minor of public health. I transferred to SUNY Cortland as a Community Health major and began to intern with area Physical Therapists. These experiences and the academic preparation delivered at SUNY Cortland set the foundation for enrollment in graduate school. I was accepted into the SUNY Upstate Medical University DPT program in 2012. Words cannot express my gratitude to the faculty and staff of SUNY Upstate - without them I certainly would not be where I am today. They taught me to be a lifelong learner, to see the big picture, and most importantly, to always be myself.
4. What’s the most rewarding part about your work and what are some challenges?
I work in a smaller town with low-income patients and relatively small hospital. One challenge is accessible and reliable transportation for patients. Patient’s may have to wait long periods of time for transportation, miss their ride, or run late for appointments. This leads to strain on the provider and impacts patient care. Even with these minor challenges, I feel rewarded every day as patients improve and I make a patient or a co-worker smile.
5. What is a typical day like for you?
Well, every day is different - which I love! I primarily treat spine and lower extremity pathologies of all ages. So, I could see a youth athlete, to a crush injury with skin graft and an 80-year-old low back pain and unsteady gait patient all in the same day. Our clinic has good rapport with patients, and we like to keep the mood positive and fun.
6. Who is one of your role models and why?
I have many people I look up to in my life. Each one for different reasons. Since we are on the topic of Physical Therapy, one person I look up to and have the pleasure of working with daily is my co-worker Wanda Sabin, PTA. I have known Wanda for almost 15 years. She was my clinical instructor for a high school learning program I completed, then again for my college internship.
Now we have worked together for five years. The work Wanda completes in the clinic is something special. Our clinic does not have the latest technology or equipment, but people keep returning for services because of the care they receive from people like Wanda. Wanda goes above and beyond for her patients and our clinic. I have learned a great deal from Wanda and I continue to do so on a daily basis. She is a hard worker, cares about everyone, likes to have fun, and is just an all-around good human. I am so grateful I get to work with her every day.
7. What’s the most important trend you see today?
Obviously, COVID has had a major impact on everything we do. Other that pandemic related changes, I would point to gender equity. This issue has received quite a bit of press lately and inequities were highlighted during the 2021 NCAA Basketball Tournaments. Today, one would assume that similar facilities and access to exercise equipment would be provided to both men and women. Unfortunately, this was not the case during “March Madness,” and it raises concerns about what larger scale equity issues are being overlooked.
8. What advice would you give NYPTA members who are new to the profession and want to make a difference?
Dare to be different and become engaged. Look for opportunities and get involved with what might interest you. It does not matter if the opportunity is big or small. For example, if you are knowledgeable about a specific topic, speak up and see if you can talk about it at a meeting or an event – get out of your comfort zone and share your expertise.
9. How do you make time to volunteer and be active in groups you’re involved with?
I am a planner and keep things organized. I keep everything in my phone’s calendar. This way I can keep track if I have to give a tennis lesson, teach Karate, volunteer at vaccine clinic, have NYPTA meeting, or simply get together with a friend
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