CSM 2025 Recap: What You Need to Know (Even If You Were There!)

APTA CSM 2025 was a whirlwind—in the best way possible. From groundbreaking sessions to game-changing hallway conversations, this conference was packed with insights, networking, and some much-needed discussions about the future of physical therapy.

But whether you attended in person or had to sit this one out, I’ve got you covered!

In today’s episode, I’m breaking down my biggest takeaways from CSM 2025, including key session highlights, the best networking moments (which, let’s be honest, usually happened outside the conference rooms), and areas where our profession still has work to do—like making sure patient voices are truly heard.

Plus, I’ll share what it was like to present our session, how the conversations from The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2024 are already shaping real-world change, and why we need YOUR voice at future conferences.

So get comfortable, and let’s debrief CSM 2025 together!

CSM 2025 Highlights & Key Takeaways

Standout Sessions & Hot Topics

CSM 2025 had no shortage of incredible sessions, and I want to highlight a few that really stood out.
[Mention 2-3 key sessions related to oncology rehab, PT innovation, or any big-picture trends in the profession.]
These sessions weren’t just informative—they sparked real conversations about how we can move the profession forward.

Presenting at CSM—Round Two!

It was such an honor to present at CSM for the second time! The first time around was exciting, but this time, I felt even more prepared, more confident, and even more energized by the incredible discussions happening in the room.
Our session, Why Isn’t #cancerrehab Trending? Cancer Rehab in the Age of Social media, focused on the rise of social media as a go-to place for consumers to search for health information & how physical therapists can effectively engage & educate online audiences in order to reduce barriers & improve access to cancer rehab resources.
What made this experience even better was the engagement from the audience—we had some fantastic questions and conversations that pushed the discussion even further.
One of my biggest takeaways? People are ready to take action. It wasn’t just about listening to research and best practices—attendees were already thinking about how to implement these strategies in their own clinics and institutions.

Why This Experience Matters

Presenting at CSM again reinforced how important it is to get involved and share your expertise—no matter where you are in your career.
It’s easy to assume that only “big names” in the field get speaking opportunities, but the truth is, our profession needs fresh voices and perspectives.
That’s why I’m so passionate about helping others take that step—whether that’s applying to present at CSM in the future or starting with The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025 as a stepping stone (more on that later!).

The Best Networking Happens Outside the Sessions

Sometimes, the most impactful networking and conversations don’t happen during sessions—but because of them. Here’s what I mean:

While conferences like CSM always have formal networking events, the real connections happen in the hallways, in line for coffee, or over drinks after the day’s sessions were done.

It was exciting to see so many impromptu conversations turning into meaningful professional connections.

Building on The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2024

One of the most exciting things was seeing how ideas from The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2024 in November were still influencing discussions at CSM!

For example: Nicole Stout’s session from #TCRCC2024 has become a launching pad for expanding cancer rehab access across the country. Our community members are now building their own initiatives based on her work, for example, Mary Hunter & Stephanie McGee with the Stanford Chariot Program & utilizing VR to improve pediatric oncology participation in exercise.

Big-Picture Collaboration

Some of the most valuable discussions didn’t happen in the session rooms—they happened over dinner or drinks when we could truly sit down, process, and plan.

These moments were where we:

Debriefed on sessions—sharing what stood out, what challenged us, and what resonated most.
Discussed real-world application—not just learning for the sake of learning, but figuring out how to implement these ideas with our patients as soon as we got back to the clinic.
Connected across different backgrounds—from students to experienced clinicians, everyone had something to contribute, and these casual conversations often sparked the best ideas.

One of my favorite things about these post-conference conversations? They weren’t just about theoretical discussions—we were actively problem-solving, sharing resources, and making plans to take action!

It’s easy to leave a conference feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information. But these sit-down conversations helped break things down into actionable steps—what can we actually do with this knowledge?

If you’re going to a conference, don’t skip these moments! It’s where the information truly turns into transformation.

P.S. we’re actively brainstorming ways to promote more networking & connection opportunities for The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025, so please message me on Instagram @TheOncoPT with your idea!

Missed Opportunities or Areas for Growth

Not Enough Patient Voices at PT Conferences

While we talk about patients, we rarely hear from them in most PT conference programming.

Patient experiences provide critical insights into what truly works in rehab, what’s missing, and how we can improve care.

Now some sessions through CSM absolutely included patient perspectives in some capacity. But we can and must do more.

If we truly want to advance cancer rehab, we need to include the voices of those we serve.

Poor Scheduling: Don’t Double-Book Special Interest Group (SIG) Meetings & Educational Sessions

Now I know CSM is a busy, jam-packed conference, which makes scheduling challenging at best.

But I was really disappointed that the Student & New Professional Subcommittee meeting was scheduled during one of the educational sessions. I believe this significantly reduced attendance for an especially critical opportunity in networking, mentorship, and leadership development for students and early-career PTs.

Got CSM FOMO?

Worry not my friend! Approximately ⅔ of the conference content (including our session “Why Isn’t #CancerRehab Trending? Cancer Rehab in the Age of Social Media) will be available to view with CSM On Demand starting on March 14, 2025.

You can find more information about APTA CSM On Demand at https://csm.apta.org/programming/on-demand. But note that registration is only available until March 31, and sessions will likely not be around that long, based on previous CSM trends.

5 Must-See Replays from APTA CSM 2025

We Need YOUR Voice!

One of the biggest takeaways from CSM 2025 is that our profession grows stronger when more voices are heard. But here’s the challenge—many large conferences, like CSM, require prior speaking experience, which can make it difficult for new or underrepresented voices to break through.

That’s exactly why The Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025 exists. It’s a place where clinicians, researchers, and passionate professionals—no matter their experience level—can share their insights, their work, and their ideas with our community. If you’ve ever wanted to present but didn’t know where to start, this is your chance!

Here’s some insight from previous TCRCC speaker Dr. Adam Matichak says about presenting: “This is such a great opportunity. I have been lucky to have been featured on The OncoPT podcast a couple of times but have struggled to breakthrough to bigger speaking platforms and this conference was a great gateway to get some experience and to get a message to a captive audience. If you have a particular area you are passionate about in oncoPT please submit a speaker application. We (all oncoPTs) need to hear your voice.”

And he presented at TWO sessions at this year’s CSM!

Applying to present at #TCRCC2025 could be your stepping stone to bigger stages, and more importantly, a way to contribute to the future of oncology rehab. Let’s keep the momentum going—because your voice matters.

Apply to be a speaker at TCRCC2025!

Want to watch the episode instead?

Watch this week’s episode of TheOncoPT Podcast on our YouTube channel!

Transcript

Elise Cantu (00:19)
Hey, Onco PT and welcome back to this episode of the Onco PT podcast. Now over here at the Onco PT, I can confidently say I have just now, think recovered from CSM 2025. Like it took me this long to finally get to a point where I said, oh, okay, I’m back in my usual routine. I’m back at my house. I’m back working in the clinic. I feel like things have settled. CSM 2025 was a whirlwind in the

best possible way. say that with the highest of compliments towards CSM this year. From the absolutely groundbreaking sessions that I got to attend to the game changing hallway conversations that I got to be a part of, but also watch unfold in front of me. This year, CSM was absolutely jam packed with insights, networking connections, relationship building, and some much needed discussions about the future of Onco PT, which is

So, so exciting. Now, whether you attended in person or had to sit this one out, I have you covered my friend. So don’t fret. In today’s episode, I am going to break down the biggest takeaways that I took away from CSM, including some of the highlights from the sessions I enjoyed, the best networking moments, and areas where our profession still has some work to do.

and we’ll talk more about that, okay? But overall, fabulous conference. I cannot wait to go back again next year. I know it 2025 just ended and I’m already looking forward to 2026. Plus I’ll also go into a little bit of behind the scenes on what it was like to present our session. And one of the coolest things that I got to see, which is how the Cancer Rehab Community Conference is already shaping real world’s change and popped up in some really

exciting unexpected ways at CSM and why we need your voice at future conferences. So get comfortable, settle into your seat wherever you’re at, and let’s debrief on CSM 2025 together. Now, CSM 2025, absolutely outstanding programming. Like I say this, I’m pretty sure I say this every single year when I do this podcast episode debriefing on CSM. This year blew me away with the

variety of topics that were covered. The variety of speakers this year, I felt like was way better than what I’ve seen in previous years. Like there were a lot, at least in the oncology section, a lot of first time CSM presenters. So number one, that’s really exciting. But number two, they absolutely killed it. And it was such a privilege to get to sit in the audience and

bask in the amazingness of these presenters. And I was like, when are they presenting again? Because I need more information from that. Just a couple sessions. Honestly, there were so many. There were so, so many sessions that I wanted to go to and simply could not make it happen because of the timing. There were too many sessions happening, of course, at the same time as usual. And I still don’t have a time machine to where I can go back in time and watch these, you know, watch these sessions. But

Undoubtedly, one of the most impactful sessions for me actually wasn’t even in the oncology section. It was in the geriatric section. So let’s see if I can actually find it real quick on my app. I still have the app on my phone, frankly, so that way I can go back and check on sessions that I really enjoyed. Of course, there’s handouts, but also to make sure personally, whenever the recordings become available so that I can go back and watch them.

because they were that good. Some of them I’m going to even be watching again and again. So this particular session, excuse me, session, like I mentioned was in the geriatric section and it’s called Fit and Sit, Ramping Up Seated Exercise Intensity, Variety and Inclusivity for Older Adults. This session was not even on my radar leading up to CSM and that was my own, was so into

you know, lot of the sessions within oncology and the ones that my team had identified like, hey, let’s check these out and frankly get them on the OncoBeauty podcast to talk about our session. So there were a few that I was aware of. This one I was not. And I’m going to say this one was probably my top presentation that I attended, partially because it was so unexpected, but the applicability that I

found in this presentation. And while this particular presentation didn’t focus on oncology, they were mainly working with older adults, especially those who have some kind of mobility impairment. So individuals after a spinal cord injury who have neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson disease, or even I think they mentioned maybe like multiple sclerosis at some point. There were a few others they talked about, but the way that they have adapted this particular setting into

organizing these group exercise opportunities for older adults and adults who have mobility impairments to still get the level of exercise intensity that we are looking for. It was out of this world. And I felt like I sat in the back and was just mouth open, excited, jaw on the floor, dropped from how much cool stuff they went into. And again, I felt like as I was watching them present,

I was getting these like downloads into my brain on, my God, here’s how I could do this with my patient population. Here’s how I could do this in oncology in the future. Here’s the type of impairments I think I could, you know, adjust this to, to then use when working with people who have been diagnosed with cancer. The possibilities were endless. And that I am, so fingers crossed y’all. I’ve already reached out to these session authors and I’m trying to get them on the podcast because it was,

out of this world good. And if you have the ability to go back and watch that recording, you need to because it was so, so good. And like I said, even though it wasn’t in the oncology section, I feel like it was so well laid on on, my God, this makes perfect sense to adapt into the oncology section. So I cannot speak highly enough of the session. was groundbreaking how good that information was. Now.

Next session that I went to that I really enjoyed, these are in no particular order. These are just as they’re coming to my brain. Second session that I wanted to really talk about today was the one. So we had a preview episode with Mary Hunter and Stephanie McGee on the utilization of VR in pediatric oncology. And at first, when I saw this topic, because again, I have some team members here at the Onco PT, one of them, Kelly.

Not Kelly Sturm, this is Dr. Kelly Martin, who you may or may not remember from previous work here at the Onco BT. She went through and identified, are some sessions that I think you need to look into to then get them on the podcast leading up to CSM. This was one of them. And so at first, when Kelly sent me this, I was like, I don’t know, like pediatric oncology, not really my thing. Also VR, like I just don’t know how much…

buy-in I’m going to have and then how applicable I think it is to this patient population, like my adult patient population. And I think this really stems from, to be completely transparent, my previous experience with the WeFit and the WeFit board, if you remember that, back in, I don’t know, the mid-2000s. We had one of those. We played it all the time at our house growing up. It was super fun. And I remember seeing

When I first got into the physical therapy profession of like I saw we fit boards in clinics and they were never being used I felt like it was one of these tools that people got super hyped up about and then it kind of fell off the radar and so I was kind of like I think VR is probably gonna be the same thing friend when I tell you that I have been changed I Have been converted to the VR camp. I mean that

The interview that I did with Mary Hunter and Stephanie McGee leading up to CSM absolutely like solidified this. But then getting to see some of the, and hear about some of the clinical cases that they highlighted in their session to talk about the use of VR and how they’re using it and what they’re using to target. Again, as they were presenting, I got these ideas of, my God, I can use that in my own patient population. And I have to give a tremendous shout out.

both of course to these amazing physical therapists who presented, but the organization that Mary works with and mentioned on our previous podcast episode, which I will link to in the show notes is called the Chariot Program. It’s the Stanford Chariot Program. And their whole goal is to increase access to high standard oncology care through VR. And like I said, I am a convert now when it comes to seeing this in practice with oncology.

They actually, Mary brought a MetaQuest 2 headset all the way from California to Houston so that I could practice using it and try it out in my own clinical practice. So first and foremost, this was so unexpected. Mary, Stephanie, thank you so much. Stanford, chariot program, thank you so much for this tremendous opportunity. Thank you for this.

The VR headset that I can now use, I’ve actually used it in a couple of my patient sessions. Literally the day before I was recording, before I’m recording this podcast episode, I saw a patient who, this patient is dealing with some very, very significant upper extremity lymphedema. And this patient tends to hold their arm in a very guarded position and frankly tends to not use that arm because of how chronic this issue has been and how significant this person’s lymphedema is. When I tell you yesterday,

I had this person try out Beat Saber, which if you’re not familiar is like you have basically two lightsabers in your hand in the VR headset game where you’re trying to hit blocks to like music. again, think like, I think Stephanie used the analogy of dance dance revolution, but for your, for your arms. And then we also played this game. I say we like I’m watching the patient guarding the patient is this patient is doing this. We also started with a game called job simulator.

Long story short, my patient was working, quote, working as an auto mechanic. And when I tell you the amount of movement that this person was doing using their affected upper extremity, overhead motions that I have never seen this person do up to this point of working with them.

And then squatting down and picking stuff off of the ground was incredible to watch. And it was so cool because not only was this person actually reaching up to, you know, like pull the chain in this particular activity, but the speed at which they were doing it, the range at which they were doing it, and then the frequency by which they were using that arm that they normally don’t use at all to move around, it was incredible.

Is this going to replace every single thing we do in PT? Absolutely not. We’re still working on manual lymphatic drainage, compression, all the things for this person’s lymphedema. But what an amazing tool to promote some use of that arm with some distraction and frankly gamifying the experience. Like I said, I am sold. I look forward to practicing more with this, using it with more patients, and then doing kind of a debrief episode in the future. So stay tuned on that.

But again, I was so blown away by this experience and frankly, the amazing opportunity Stanford Chariot gave to me. This is not sponsored in any way, but I so appreciate the loaner headset that you gave to me and I cannot wait to see what else I’m gonna be able to do with my patients with it. So, my gosh, you guys, incredible. Thank you so, so much. Now, as you heard me mention previously in this episode and earlier, in earlier episodes of the Onco PT podcast,

You may have heard that we got to present at CSM again this year. So in 2024, I was so privileged to be able to present on pediatric lymphedema with Andrea and Amber. And this year, I again got to present with an absolutely powerhouse team, that of Dr. Alexandra Hill from Oncopelvic PT and Dr. Kelly Sturm of Cancer Rehab PT.

We presented on our session called, Isn’t Hashtag Cancer Rehab Trending? Cancer Rehab in the Age of Social Media. And this session was really focused on the rise of social media as a go-to source where consumers are looking for healthcare information, including oncology, and then how we as physical therapists can effectively engage them and educate.

online audiences in order to reduce barriers and improve access to cancer rehab resources. And it was really exciting. This is obviously a topic that Kelly, Alex, and I are extremely passionate about. We’ve been on social media for quite a few years between us now and using our own experience and our own perspective and what we’ve seen work, what we’ve seen not work, the mistakes that we’ve made, and ultimately the things that we have found that ultimately resonate with our audience.

It was really, really cool to bring that very different perspective to, we have seen social media work so powerfully in other areas of physical therapy. Take pelvic health, for example. Pelvic health has undergone such a shift in kind of our cultural awareness, our collective awareness of what it is and what it can ultimately do for a person.

over the past, would say, 10 to 15 years, and a large part of that has been through the presence on social media. So why the heck isn’t cancer rehab seeing that same kind of progress, right? Like, why are we stuck? And we go into that in our presentation as well. And ultimately also not just like what it is, why this is a problem, but what can we do about it? And that last part, the why and getting the engagement with the…

audience, we had some really great breakout time at the end where people actually worked together to come up with, okay, how am I going to implement this into my practice? And then actually get started on the messaging, right? It’s one thing to say, okay, social media. Yes, I believe in it. I think it’s going to be good. It is totally different to then say, I am now going to go online and post whole different ball game. And so we actually use some practice time in our session to do that. And the attendees who

put in the work to do this, it was so cool. Number one, to hear about all the different work that the different clinicians are doing around the country and their respective practices with oncology patients, but then also how are they going to leverage social media in their practice? So one of my biggest takeaways from our own session is that people are ready to take action. It wasn’t just about going to a session and listening to the research and…

You know, okay, here’s what literature is telling us is best practice, but how do I then take that back and use it with my own patients in my own community, in my own institution? And that I think is something that we have maybe had a disconnect on for a while, maybe has been missing from a lot of like PT or healthcare conferences. You know, we do a great job of like, here’s the research, here’s what we have found through rigorous high quality.

you know, research that we’re doing. But that connection from here’s what the research says to actually putting it into practice, which you may have heard us talk about this on the podcast previously. Jimmy McKay, Dr. Jimmy McKay of PT Podcast is one of the biggest proponents of all of this. And that really brought this to my attention. It takes an average of 17 years for something to be published before it’s actually put into like widespread practice. You know, thinking healthcare like, okay, we know this intervention works.

Here’s when it becomes commonplace using this with patients. And I think this is part of the fix is that people, physical therapists are recognizing this and are now saying, okay, it is time to step up. How can I make this work in my practice with my own patients? So that was so thrilling to see. And presenting at this year’s CSM also reinforced for me how important it is to get involved and share.

your expertise, no matter where you’re at in your career. It’s really easy to assume that, you know, the big names like the quote celebrities of physical therapy or, whatever your profession is in the field are going to get these speaking opportunities. And to an extent, like, yes, but it’s not always for the exact reason that you might be thinking. Okay. So what I mean by this is that a lot of conferences require previous speaking

experience because they want to see that you know what you’re doing. You have experience. You can get up there and you’re not going to freeze on mic at the very beginning of your session. So that is part of it. However, it was such a wonderful experience to go and see all of the new voices that are being elevated into these presentation opportunities in our profession. And the truth is our profession

constantly needs fresh voices and perspectives. And so I would really encourage you, and this is why I’m really passionate about taking, about you, the listener taking this next step, is that we need your voice and your perspective in all of this if we are going to advance our profession forward in the best interests of our patients, our clients, and our own communities. And we’ll talk more about that here in just a little bit in this episode.

So switching gears just a little bit, this CSM, I went in with the strict purpose of number one, I was gonna present my session, check, did that. But I also wanted to use this as more of an opportunity for networking and connections. I feel like I’m finally comfortable in my own shoes to now say, okay, now it’s time for me to start making these very important connections. I wanna go out and I wanna meet people.

This is also frankly very challenging for me because I’m so introverted. but as you may have seen me at the conference, I can put on a hat and I can really come to life. And so I told myself and I told my husband this before I left for the conference. said, this is what I want to get out of this year’s CSM and achieved, achieved my friend. And it was so cool because I really got to see firsthand the most impactful networking and connections.

happening not during those sessions, right? Not during the educational sessions because you’re expected generally to like go and sit and be quiet and learn.

but where the real connections were happening were in the hallways and the areas outside of those conference rooms, outside of those educational sessions. And yes, there are definitely formal networking events that happen, but the real connections were more happened by chance. And I think that’s what makes them more powerful. And I think we’re going to see that have more of an impact.

over time. So for example, I got to watch as some of the speakers from the, so again, like Mary and Stephanie of the pediatric VR presentation, they got to connect with Nicole Stout and seeing the brainstorming going back and forth on how we can use this to increase access, which is a total building off of Nicole’s presentation at the Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2024. It was, my God, it was outstanding.

So, so cool to see all of those connections happen. And what was really, really cool about some of it too, is that some of that, like I mentioned with our pediatric VR team and then Nicole Stout’s presentation from TCRC 2024, is that some of what we have been working on at the Cancer Rehab Community Conference, both at 2023 and then at 2024, carried through actually into CSM.

It was wild to see how this conference that we have put together is now still influencing discussions at CSM, even though our conference technically ended months ago. So that was really, really exciting and it was a great way to really bring home this concept of big picture collaboration, right? So when we’re debriefing on sessions with our…

with your roommate or your friends or your colleagues in Encore PT, for example, after the sessions, right? Sharing what stands out, what challenged you, what resonated most, but then taking it that next step further of discussing how does this apply in my practice, in my community with my patients. And that’s what I really loved about, after the conference is done,

people go their separate ways, right? You know, usually go to dinner, maybe some people are straight to bed because they’re exhausted, which I totally respect and definitely should have done probably once or twice, but it’s just so exciting. I couldn’t possibly bear to tear myself away from it. So I felt like when we then like went to dinner afterwards or maybe grabbed a drink after a session, that’s where some of these like very organic conversations happened and where some of these like…

next phase of ideas really came to fruition. So I really encourage you, whatever the next conferences that you go to, make a conscious effort to take the time after the sessions are done to make those connections because you will literally never know what could come out of those. And again, that was really where the information truly turns into a transformation of onco PT and cancer rehab, which is so exciting.

Now, quick PS here. are actively, because of all of this, know, CSM is this amazing in-person conference where there’s a lot of opportunity for these like very organic connections. At the Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025, it’s still virtual. And so we are brainstorming ideas on how can we make more networking and connection opportunities for the Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025. So if you would message me,

on Instagram at the Onco PT and let me know what do like, what do you think would be beneficial if, know, if you’re going to the conference, if you want to be going to the conference and you want some more of these networking connection opportunities, what would make sense for you in the context of a virtual experience? Cause we’re still like, we’re early in the planning phases and it’s a great time to kind of get that decided now. So I’d love to hear what you think on that. Now,

One thing, no conference is perfect. I have to say this conference was amazing. Quick note, I definitely did not expect Houston to deliver as well as what Houston delivered for this conference. The weather was outstanding. It was gloomy and overcast and cool, which meant that it wasn’t as humid as what Houston normally is, which was my concern. Now, day three of the conference, it was definitely humid. You could see everybody’s hair just like frizzing upward towards the heavens.

That’s how my hair usually is in Houston. So the fact that we got two good days, frankly, like two good hair and makeup days out of Houston, I’m just floored that we had that opportunity. The conference center, the convention center and the two hotels were set up so brilliantly. I was so impressed with how easy it was to navigate the walkways getting from one part of the conference to the other.

Now I know the convention center like that top floor was a little bit of a black hole. I didn’t go up there because I knew I would get lost. But I do feel like this, the layout was really, really easy to understand. And I loved, my God, if someone’s listening and you’re in charge of the CSM app, my friend, the fact that I could go to a session and click on the location and then it would also tell me what floor of the particular building I was supposed to be in was so helpful. So major, major prompts.

With that, there’s still some room to grow. And there’s two big areas that we have a really big opportunity to fix this in the future. Number one is not enough patient voices at PT conferences. And we, like here at the Cancer Rehab Community Conference, we definitely need to be doing better too, okay? We had one patient perspective in the first conference, we had another one in the second. We need more.

And at these big PT conferences, big or small, whichever, we spend a lot of time talking about patients, but not really listening and hearing from them in conference programming. And these patient perspectives and experiences provide critical insights into what’s working in cancer rehab, what’s missing, and ultimately how can we improve care for the next patient who comes through our door.

Some CSM sessions absolutely included patient perspectives in some capacity, and that’s awesome. We can do more though. We must be doing more if, again, we are really going to elevate and advance this profession of oncology rehab. And again, simply put, if we truly want to advance cancer rehab, we need to include the voices of those that we serve in this capacity. Now, second area that I wanted to highlight here.

This has not been an issue for the past couple years that I’ve been to CSM. And so I was surprised to see that it kind of reverted back to this. So in previous CSMs that I’ve attended in recent years, they have done, CSM programming has done a really good job of not double booking educational sessions with networking and SIG meetings. And for the most part, this year at CSM, it was very, very good, but I was really, really disappointed.

that the student and new professional subcommittee meeting was scheduled during one of the educational sessions. And from my perspective, I did ultimately leave my educational session early to get to the student and new professionals subcommittee. I believe that this double booking significantly reduced the attendance.

of this especially critical opportunity in networking, mentorship and leadership development for students and early career PTs. There were still some who made it. Don’t get me wrong. But I think that there have been a lot more in the past. And especially since this is like a really pivotal time for the subcommittee, they’ve talked about they are relaunching the mentorship program, which I think is fantastic. I think this was a really big error.

that needs to be fixed moving forward. I know CSM has got to be an absolute scheduling nightmare. Like I recognize that, but this was probably one of the most important meetings for the longevity and the future of our profession to not have double booked during an educational session. And so I’m really hoping in the future that whoever is in charge of scheduling those really make sure that the student and new professional subcommittee is not.

overlapping with an educational session. And again, if you’re listening to this and you’re like, at least it’s really easy for you to say that because you’re not involved in it, let me know. This is like, I believe so fervently in the power of students and new professionals and early career clinicians for our entire profession, the field of oncology rehab. Like I will help, okay? And you know, I’m more than happy to do what I can to help with that.

So please let me know. But this was, I think, a major boo-boo that we can do better on in the future. Now, all this to say to wrap up this episode, if you have a little FOMO, okay, that would be fear of missing out. If you have a little FOMO about CSM, either you were there and you did not make it to these sessions I’ve been talking about, or if you were not able to make it, here’s the amazing news. This year, there are more recorded sessions than ever at CSM. Per the website that I was referencing,

I think about two thirds of the conference content, including our session, are available on the recordings, will be available to view on CSM, what is it, with CSM On Demand, starting on March 14th, 2025. You can find more information about the On Demand programming of CSM at the link that I’ve included in the show notes associated with this episode.

but you should note that registration is only available until March 31st. And I don’t know how long the sessions are going to be around for. In the past, they’ve only been around for about a month, which is not a lot of time to go through a lot of content. That may have changed, okay? I’m not involved in that, you know, the logistics behind that, but please be aware of that. If you want to watch any of the replays, you have to do that like super soon because they might be gone before you know it.

Now I have included some of the five must-see replays from APTACSM 2025. Number one is Dr. Katie Schmitt’s workshop, CIPN Balance and Breathing and Interactive Workshop on Manual Therapy, Diaphragmatic Breathing and Improving Balance. That’s within the oncology section. It’s ON20406. Next up is our session. I would be remiss if we did not include our session here. So oncology 20871.

Why isn’t hashtag cancer rehab trending cancer rehab in the age of social media? Next up, another oncology one. This one was gold. Y’all gold. 21115. I think that’s enough ones. This is Hemonk 101. What every clinician needs to know about hematological malignancies. Y’all, I’ve treated some patients with hematological malignancies in the past. I wish I had taken this seven years ago when I first started. Better late than never.

But this one was so good. And I have repeatedly asked the speakers when Hemonc 201 is going to come out. And so I am putting that out into the universe again. Shai, Scott, Adam, Amy, I’m requesting formally now on the podcast for Hemonc 201 for next year’s CSM. please, please hop on that. Next up is in the acute care section.

AC20426, watch your mouth, improving therapeutic alliance through effective communication. Another outstanding one. Yes, I know it’s in the acute care section, extremely applicable in oncology, especially since beloved frequent guest on the Onco PT podcast, Dr. Adam Matichak co-led that session. A must watch. And then as I mentioned at the top of this episode,

Geriatric 21049 fit and sit, ramping up seated exercise intensity, variety, and inclusivity for older adults.

probably one of the most impactful sessions I attended at CSM. It was mind blowing and I would really encourage you to check it out as well. Now, as we wrap up today’s episode, we need your voice at future CSMs, at future conferences. Our profession only grows stronger when more voices are heard. But as I mentioned previously,

There’s a challenge associated with this because many large conferences like CSM require previous speaking experience. And there’s reasons for that, right? Again, make sure you have the experience, you know what you’re doing and you’re not gonna get up there and freeze or talk about, you know, a European mud bath that you, you know, that will cure whatever, okay? Like there’s reasons.

Understandably so for considering if a speaker or potential speaker has prior speaking experience. But it’s also kind of like the chicken or egg situation. I need speaking experience, but I can’t get speaking experience until I’m accepted to speak somewhere. This is exactly why I think you need to apply for the Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025. This is our virtual conference.

where clinicians, researchers, and passionate professionals, and some patient perspectives like we talked about previously, no matter your experience level, can share your insights, your work, and your ideas with our community. If you have ever wanted to present, but didn’t know how to get started, didn’t know how to break through, this is your chance, my friend. And I really love, this is some insight that former…

TCRCC speaker, Dr. Adam Matichak, yes, the same one I was talking about earlier, says about presenting at the Cancer Rehab Community Conference. This is such a great opportunity. I have been lucky to have been featured on the Onco PT podcast a couple of times, thanks Adam, but have struggled to break through to bigger speaking platforms and this conference was a great gateway to get some experience and to get a message to a captive audience.

If you have a particular area you are passionate about an Onco PT, please submit a speaker application. We, all Onco PT’s, need to hear your voice. And if that wasn’t enough of a testimonial about how impactful the cancer rehab community conference is, Adam presented at two CSM sessions this year. And this is also, he has, like many other speakers,

attempted to submit and was rejected from CSM in the past. I was too, okay? So like, let me be the first to say, we have definitely had this happen. This can be a great way to get your foot in the door and to get some speaking experiences so that you can launch yourself into some of these bigger speaking opportunities. This CSM was so wonderful and so impactful and we need to keep the momentum going.

We need your voice and we need your perspective because this is how we are going to advance cancer rehab for all of our patients and in all of our communities. So I encourage you the link to apply to speak at the Cancer Rehab Community Conference 2025 is located in your podcast player here, as well as in the show notes associated with this podcast episode. So definitely go and check that out.

The onko PT.com slash three three three So three number threes is going to take you to the show notes where you can then find that application link and I highly highly encourage you to do this my friends if you have even just an inkling of an idea that you ever want to present at a conference this is the best way to get started and I cannot wait to see your application until next time this is Elise with the onko PT and remember you

are exactly the physical therapists that your patients with cancer need. So let’s get to work.