Health is multifaceted so our solutions should be just as multifaceted.
Sophia Sears
Student, UCSF/SFSU Graduate Program in Physical Therapy
Sophia Sears, a second-year student in the UCSF/SFSU Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, is representing the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science as a member of the inaugural class of UCSF Interprofessional Collaboration Scholars. This program offers UCSF health professions students a unique opportunity to engage in interprofessional collaboration activities and scholarly pursuits, including small group projects, simulations, research endeavors, and hands-on interprofessional clinical immersion experiences.
Sears chose the UCSF/SFSU Graduate Program in Physical Therapy (DPT), in part, because of its opportunities for interprofessional collaboration. “There’s so much cutting-edge research happening, and people collaborate across professions to produce the best possible outcomes for their patients,” Sears said.
Sears aspires to work in an outpatient healthcare setting where interprofessional collaboration may not be as deeply ingrained in the work culture. Her goal is to foster change by promoting cooperation across disciplines in her own clinical setting. “Health is multifaceted so our solutions should be just as multifaceted,” Sears said. “I think there should be open lines of communication with pharmacists, physicians, dentists, and other health care professionals.”