Norm has been a CI for the CCRI PTA program for over 20yrs. He builds confidence in students through constructive feedback and an unfailing positive attitude. This combined with his high standards and dedication to clinical teaching promote the development of successful and skilled PTA students. This statement was written by a CCRI PTA students in 2017: From day one Norm welcomed me and made it clear that he was ready to make sure that I had the most educational experience possible. He went out of his way to insure that I was exposed to a wide variety of patients, diagnoses, and interventions. Not only was Norm committed to making my experience great but he was also extremely patient with me (especially since it was my first clinical) and really took time to thoroughly answer all my questions. Being out on clinical for the first time, I was very nervous, but also relishing this experience that was so different from classroom/lab instruction. Seeing real patients with real limitations and real dysfunction was very eye opening. Norm was there to guide me in more than just textbook protocols. From him I learned a tremendous amount about the psychology of providing a physical therapy treatment. You can know all of your interventions by the book, but if you can't put the patient at ease, or at times distract them, or make them laugh, it could jeopardize the treatment. I watched him bring people to tears, but by the end they were patting him on the back and thanking him. You can't learn that from a textbook or in the classroom. Another area that I felt like he excelled in was body mechanics. At first I was worried that it would be hard for me to learn by watching him. At about double my weight and almost a foot taller, Norm is a much bigger person than I am. In many cases what worked for him was absolutely not going to work for me. Despite this, he always had suggestions on how I could position myself for better leverage in order to achieve the same result. Finally, I want to praise Norm for his excellent communication skills. He was always very clear with what he expected of me. As I acclimated to the clinic and his expectations grew, there was a very open line of communication that made me feel very confident. He gave great constructive criticism that enabled me to hone in on exactly what I needed to improve upon, and also suggestions on how I could progress. To wrap up - I feel incredibly lucky to have been placed with Norm for my first clinical. He is a wealth of information and clearly he enjoys sharing it. I left there so much more knowledgeable and skilled than when I walked in, and I know I put in a lot of hard work, but I would have never learned as much as I did had I not had such an incredible teacher.

From the first day I started Susan engaged in an open, clear and honest dialogue with me regarding her commitment to my learning experience and always made herself available to any questions that I had or patient challenges or concerns that arised. She lead by example with excellence in her craft and compassion with her patients. She had an uncanny intuition to know when a moment presented a great "coaching" opportunity and when to let me learn-by-doing. She sought out my constructive feedback regarding my experience as a whole and any suggestions that I could offer for future students. Susan has been a great coach and mentor during this clinical experience and I will be forever thankful for the opportunity and her time.