Advocacy at USC – Reaching Out to Make a Difference

	Teresa Gill Doctor of Physical Therapy, Class of 2008

Being involved in USC’s Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy means more than transforming your own life – it means making a pivotal change in the lives of others. That’s because USC makes community outreach top priority and believes in better education through advocacy.

USC’s Physical Therapy Community Clinic is a shining example of this philosophy. Working from referrals from local schools, nurse practitioners and physicians, the clinic assists low-income families in the East Los Angeles area through a variety of free healthcare services.

One of the newer and more promising programs within the clinic is Fit Families. Run by a dedicated volunteer staff, the Fit Families program serves children and parents at risk for diabetes and hypertension. Through interactive tutorials about general wellness, basic nutrition lessons, developing individualized strengthening programs and one-on-one family counseling, participants learn how healthier choices can positively impact their lives.

“Our target service community is families in East LA – where it’s not always safe to play outside,” explained Teresa Gill, a second year student in the entry-level DPT program and coordinator of Fit Families. “Our biggest mission is to create realistic exercise goals for them and help them recognize how easy it is to make small changes like switching to wheat bread and giving up soda.”

In addition to a wide range of volunteer opportunities at places like the community clinic, students and residents also embrace advocacy through study. Gill, along with all other second-year students, is currently involved in a curriculum-embedded program that assists and treats patients living with neurologic involvement sclerosis on a weekly basis.  Programs like this are key to providing hands-on training and developing physical therapy professionals passionate about patient care.

“I grew up volunteering in soup kitchens and food pantries and didn’t realize what my education was lacking until I came here,” Gill continued. “Service and altruism are core values for me as a person, but also as a physical therapist. Those ideals keep me grounded and remind me why I’m doing what I do.”