Megan Nguyen

“What drew me to physical therapy was the opportunity to build relationships with my patients and to be a part of their health journey,” says Megan Nguyen, a student in the School of Health Sciences of Touro University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. “I have always wanted a career related to healthcare because I have a passion for helping people.”

It’s this passion for helping others that led Megan to choose physical therapy. “As physical therapists we get to spend more time with our patients than most other healthcare professionals, which allows us to have opportunities to better provide and listen,” she explains.

Physical therapy has a holistic perspective to overall health that Megan values, encompassing physical, mental, and even spiritual well-being. Her early coursework and clinical rotation experiences have led to a desire to specialize in neurological physical therapy. “I like the complexity of each patient and how it challenges my thinking and creativity. It gives me many chances to think of different ways to treat my patients. I like to be able to translate my knowledge to help patients be more functional and to help them restore movement,” she says.

Megan is grateful to Touro for thoroughly preparing her for her professional journey. “The program at Touro provides opportunities to tailor my clinical experiences and pursue my interest in research. I also chose Touro because of the smaller class size, as it would allow me to get to know my peers better and to develop a closer relationship with my professors,” she says. “The program not only has prepared me by giving me the knowledge and skills to develop my own clinical decision making, but it has also taught me a lot in conducting myself professionally. The rigorous course work consistently pushes me to be outside of my comfort zone and to improve.”

As for the future, Megan’s goal is to work at an inpatient rehabilitation facility that will allow her to pursue her interest in academic research. As a first generation Asian American, advancing opportunities within the physical therapy field is especially important to Megan. “I want to be able to create more accessibility to physical therapy, especially for minority and low-income populations, as well as provide more opportunities for diversity within the field,” she says.