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Can you truly prepare for your first patient dying?  Today’s guest says no.

Death & dying is absolutely a part of OncoPT, but it doesn’t get talked about nearly enough.

We may have a natural tendency to avoid these topics, but this actually hurts our patients.  So how do we start talking about death & dying?

By having these conversations ourselves.

When we talk about death & dying, we can open the door for our patients to have these conversations.  Today I’m talking about death & dying with the person I literally go to when I need to have these conversations: my sister.

Back by popular demand, Corissa Decker, RN, BSN is an oncology nurse, BMT extraordinaire, & advocate for having the hard conversations to truly improve patient care.  We talked about our first patient deaths, the injustice of not talking about death & dying, & how to start making a change in our practices.

Listen now!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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A 2022 JAMA report found that nearly 60% of patients with terminal cancer thought their cancer could be cured.

This is not a reflection on our patients.  This is a direct reflection of our own failings as healthcare professionals.

And it starts with our own discomfort in discussing death & dying.

We owe it to our patients to have difficult conversations.  

In this episode, I’m bringing back my interview with Dr. Liz O’Riordan, the breast surgeon who got breast cancer & host of Don’t Ignore The Elephant Podcast.

Liz encourages us to have difficult conversations by having them first ourselves.  Listen in to learn how.

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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We tend to treat what we see: range of motion, scar tissue, lymphedema, etc.  

But there’s some side effects of cancer treatment that are invisible.  So they often go untreated.

Cardiopulmonary toxicities are some of the most sinister long-term side effects of cancer treatment.  In fact, breast cancer survivors are more likely to die of heart disease than from their breast cancer.

In my interview with Dr. Julie Skrzat, PT, & Scott Capozza, PT, we discuss the overlooked, important aspects of patients in treatment & the long term effects that continue after treatment, the "Silent Sequelae."

They’re presenting their long-awaited APTA-CSM session at San Diego 2023, & you DEFINITELY don’t want to miss this preview interview!

Listen now!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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In PT school, I got to attend PT Day on the Hill.  It was so inspiring to be a part of so many therapists advocating for our profession.

But this isn’t the only way to advocate for our profession & our patients.  In fact, starting small is even more POWERFUL than trying to get legislation passed.  

In this episode, we’re covering 3 easy ways to advocate effectively for your patients that you can get started with TODAY.

Listen now!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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“Cancer is a disease of the old”...bullshit.

Cancer is a disease that affects many people, young & old.  In fact, younger patients often have to undergo more aggressive & more extensive treatment for their disease, leaving them with significant impairments.

Beyond the physical, cancer has a tremendously pervasive effect on AYA patients, impacting their finances, careers, relationships, fertility, & so much more.

Rosalina of the Too Young For This Shit Podcast stopped by to discuss her AYA breast cancer experience, plus how she’s curating a supportive community for young breast cancer survivors with her co-host Shauna.

Listen in now! 

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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As newer OncoPTs, we sometimes put extra pressure on ourselves to be the perfect oncology physical therapist.  

We may have this idea of how an expert oncology physical therapist looks, talks, & treats patients. 

The reality is, not every patient needs this one version of an OncoPT.  In fact, your patient likely needs something else entirely.

Are you implementing this strategy yet?
Listen now!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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If you told me 2 years ago I would be treating children with lymphedema, I would have laughed in your face.  I wanted nothing to do with pediatrics & definitely didn’t feel confident treating primary lymphedema.

Well, joke’s on me, because OncoPTs have EXACTLY the skill set required to treat pediatric lymphedema.  And we MUST.

But as you’ll learn from this interview: you’ve already got what it takes to treat pediatric lymphedema.

I interviewed Betty Westbrook, Andrea Branas, & Amber Prailey about our APTA-CSM 2023 pre-conference session & how stinkin’ excited we are to see you in San Diego!

Listen now!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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As an OncoPT, we sometimes think failure equates to catastrophic consequences for patients, like a pathological fracture or even death.

The reality is, it’s usually not that serious.  As humans, we will fail.  Being an OncoPT doesn’t excuse us from that.

Failing is actually an important part of being an OncoPT, because it’s what happens after the failure that really counts.

Are you failing the right way?

Listen now to find out!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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Patients can experience pelvic floor dysfunction as a result of breast cancer treatment.  However, it’s not just surgery & radiation to the pelvic floor that causes these issues.

Dr. Alexandra Hill (@OncoPelvicPT) combines her love of oncology with pelvic floor PT to treat patients experiencing cancer-related pelvic floor dysfunction.

Among our conversation topics today include how every breast cancer survivor is a pelvic floor patient, common treatment strategies to help these patients, & "the corn test."

Listen now!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

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It's October again, which means that it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

With the explosion of pink ribbons everywhere, we often neglect a small but significant portion of this patient population: those with metastatic breast cancer.

Despite being THE breast cancer that kills patients, most people don't know that much about metastatic breast cancer.

And worse yet, very little funding actually reaches the metastatic breast cancer community every October.

In today's episode, we're covering the top things most people don't know about metastatic breast cancer, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, what we as OncoPTs can do for these patients in our clinical care, our advocacy, & with our dollars.

Listen now!

Looking for more structure and clarity?

If you’re preparing for the ABPTS Oncology Specialty Exam and feeling overwhelmed or unsure what to focus on, I’ve created a short YouTube playlist designed to help you study with more clarity and confidence.

These videos walk through prioritization, common pitfalls, and how to think about exam prep more strategically — without

Follow TheOncoPT on Instagram.
Follow TheOncoPT on LinkedIn.