UNC Chapel Hill Physical Therapy MS Scholarship
Improving the Quality of Care
Recognizing an urgent need for physical therapists with expertise in treating Multiple Sclerosis, the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society teamed with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Division of Physical Therapy to develop a ground-breaking scholarship and education track that benefits four Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students each year. The UNC Physical Therapy MS curriculum is the only one of its kind in the country and seeks not only to produce clinicians with a thorough understanding of MS, but also to educate the physical therapy community at large and develop teaching strategies that can be emulated by other PT programs.
Our goal is to improve the quality of care for individuals with MS by increasing the number of physical therapists who have specialized MS knowledge, clinical expertise, and experience. To reach this goal, the MS Scholarship Committee seeks to create a permanent MS Scholarship endowment at the Medical Foundation of NC, Inc. that will generate the annual investment income necessary to provide scholarship support and the resources needed for faculty curriculum development.
National Need
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, unpredictable neurological disease that attacks the central nervous system. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 mil worldwide. Physical therapy is often the only treatment that can positively impact those MS patients who, to date, have not responded to pharmacological advances.
Physical therapists provide a full spectrum of care for individuals with MS by instructing them in new movement strategies to relieve pain and improve balance and mobility. PTs can help reduce fatigue and enable patients with MS to feel and function their best at home and at work.
North Carolina Need
About 11,000 North Carolinians are living with MS. The Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society realized the paucity of physical therapists trained in the treatment of multiple sclerosis a few years ago when they were asked to provide a list of physical therapists with expertise in treating MS patients. The chapter could not identify any PTs who met that criterion.
Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society’s Commitment
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Realizing that we have one of the PREMIER programs in Physical Therapy education in the nation, the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society partnered with the UNC Chapel Hill Division of Physical Therapy to fund a MS physical therapy scholarship and education track that benefits four DPT students annually.
Last year, the Chapter made a new three-year commitment to provide the funding for UNC Chapel Hill Physical Therapy student scholarships for the 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 academic years. In addition, the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society committed resources for our faculty's curriculum development activities, including follow-ups with on-site clinical preceptors, student evaluations, curriculum evaluation, faculty student mentorship, and academic advising.
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Building the Endowment
We now seek tax-deductible contributions from alumni, colleagues, friends, and others to build a permanent endowment at the Medical Foundation of NC Inc. that will generate annual investment income to support four UNC Chapel Hill Physical Therapy scholarships and provide the resources needed for curriculum development. Our long-term goals for the UNC Chapel Hill MS Physical Therapy endowment are to:
- Attract exceptional students from North Carolina and around the world to become physical therapists with MS expertise,
- Create an innovative and cutting edge curriculum,
- Improve the quality of care for individuals with MS, and
- Build the national reputation of the UNC Chapel Hill Division of Physical Therapy as a center of MS excellence
Leading the Nation
It is our wish to make the UNC PT/MS scholarship become self sustaining so that it is a permanent addition to the physical therapy curriculum. We hope you will consider helping us to identify individuals who might be interested in making a lasting investment in improving the care for individuals with MS.
UNC PT Points of Pride
High national rankings—US News and World Report ranked UNC Physical Therapy:
- 11th out of over 200 programs in 2008 and
- 4th ranked public university
Exceptional students—95-100% of our UNC Chapel Hill Physical Therapy DPT graduates pass the boards on the first try.
Areas of interest—Orthopedics, MS, neuromuscular, pediatrics, sports-related physical therapy
Quality education programs—We offer three challenging graduate level-degree programs to educate the nation’s best physical therapists and human movement science researchers:
- Entry to Profession Doctor of Physical Therapy (eDPT)
- Transitional Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy (tDPT)
- Interdisciplinary Human Movement Science (PhD)
Faculty and research excellence—Our Center for Human Movement Science now features the Interdisciplinary Human Movement Research Laboratory with the capacity to offer virtual reality research experience.
Accomplished alumni—We are very proud of our over 1,300 alumni with accomplishments ranging from becoming president of the American Physical Therapy Association to being in the state legislature or being prolific contributors to the physical therapy literature
Meet the 2012-13 UNC PT MS Scholarship Recipients
"Many thanks to the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society and the UNC Division of Physical Therapy for the unique and exciting opportunity to be part of the MS STEP UP Program at UNC. It is an honor to be part of this initiative and to add to the great work that has already been developed. Integrating physical therapy into the lives of people with Multiple Sclerosis has been a rewarding experience, and I have enjoyed learning about and serving people with MS over the last year. The MS scholarship track offers specialized education and experiences through participation in directed clinical rotations and observations, research initiatives, community advocacy, national MS conferences and meetings, and coursework. Through the program, I have had the opportunity to lead and educate other physical therapists about how to better help patients manage MS, and I have gained knowledge to provide better quality care for patients with MS. I am excited to continue expanding my education and leadership with MS during my fi nal year of this program, and I look forward to working with people who have MS as a physical therapist in the coming years!” |
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“I am delighted to be selected for the UNC Chapel Hill Physical Therapy Multiple Sclerosis Scholarship and am excited by the opportunities and challenges the scholarship provides. This invaluable experience allows me to focus on neuromuscular physical therapy, which I find immensely rewarding and interesting. As I progress through the MS curriculum, I will utilize the wealth of resources the program provides to enhance my education. The immersion into studying MS will prepare me to meet the needs of patients with MS and to share this knowledge with my classmates and community. I am thankful for this collaboration between the UNC Division of Physical Therapy and the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society. As a MS Scholar, I am fortunate to be involved with others that are passionate about their work. Collectively, we will improve patient care, advocacy, and awareness of MS. I have the upmost gratitude to those that have made this scholarship possible and I am committed to giving back to the community.” |
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“I would like to offer a sincere thank you to the National MS Society, Greater Carolinas Chapter, for the opportunity to learn as an MS Scholarship recipient. I am excited to learn with and from others through the MS STEP UP program. I was drawn to physical therapy because of the opportunity to combine academic knowledge and interpersonal skills in creative ways to enrich people’s lives. This program allows me to do so within a complex and challenging neurological population, specifically those with MS. This scholarship allows me many opportunities to develop a more in-depth understanding of the disease and the ways we as therapists can provide effective neurological rehabilitation. I welcome the ability to focus my education on the MS population. Ultimately I hope to help educate patients and collaborate with other medical professions to help with the unique challenges faced by people with MS. Thank you again to all who support this scholarship. I look forward to giving back to the NC and MS communities as I continue to expand my knowledge and experience." |
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“I am both incredibly honored and excited to be selected for the MS Curriculum Scholarship. Being a participant in the MS STEP UP program allows me to enhance my learning outside of our standard curriculum in order to better serve those diagnosed with MS. I am excited to work with the neurological patient population, with a special focus in treating patients diagnosed with MS by utilizing the skills and knowledge attained through this learning track. Not only will I work with patients in the clinic, but I will also devote my efforts towards educating patients and professionals in order to help others understand the importance of physical therapy so we may provide the best possible care for the MS patient population. I want to thank the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society for enabling me to be a scholar for this exceptional opportunity and for their support, which helps me towards achieving the education necessary to accomplish these aspirations.” |
Make a Gift
Online Credit Card Gifts to the UNC-Chapel Hill Physical Therapy
MS Curriculum & Scholarship Fund
It's easy and secure! Follow the three-step instructions below to make an online credit card gift.
Step 1: Visit the UNC-Chapel Hill PT Online Giving Page
Click here to visit the UNC-Chapel Hill Physical Therapy online credit card gift page.
Step 2: Designate Your Gift
In the designation drop down menu, select Physical Therapy MS Curriculum and Scholarship.
Step 3: Make Your Gift
Please provide the personal and credit card information requested and make your gift. Thank you for your support!
For more information, contact Kyle Gray, Director of Development for the Division of Physical Therapy, at 919.966.3352 or kyle_gray@med.unc.edu.
