What if you could transform your oncology specialty exam prep from overwhelmingly stressful to confidently strategic? Well, that’s exactly what we’re diving into today!
I’m thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Candace Alexander, PT, who just passed her Oncology Specialty Certification Exam earlier this year. In today’s episode, we’re going behind the scenes on her specialty certification journey, how she had to REWRITE her case report just days before the deadline, & how she prioritized the resources to best support her studying.
Candace has you covered with her specialty study secrets, strategies to sift through the endless articles & textbooks, & real-world advice to prepare without losing your mind in the process.
Plus, you’ll get an inside look at how the Oncology Specialist Bootcamp can be your ultimate wingman in mastering the content and building unshakeable confidence. As an OSB student, Candace shares how this transformative program turns complex topics into crystal-clear concepts so that you’re prepared for any question that comes your way.
From learning the ins and outs of the certification exam to celebrating your hard-earned wins, this episode is all about making your journey to certification smooth, successful, and even a little bit fun. So grab your notebooks, hit play, and get ready to become the Oncology PT superstar you were always meant to be!
Trust me – with the right prep and mindset, this certification is within your reach, and we’re here to make sure you cross that finish line with flying colors. Let’s do this!
Today you’ll hear about:
- 05:51 The common ground Lymphedema & Oncology share in specialty prep
- 09:40 The Importance of Community in Preparing for Your Specialty Certification
- 11:54 Navigating the Studying Process (AKA how toOncology Specialty Certification Exam
- 17:44 Study Strategies and Resources for Success
- 23:31 Candace’s Textbook Recommendations for Specialty Prep
- 29:40 The Role of Oncology Specialist Bootcamp in Exam Preparation
- 35:36 Building Confidence Through Knowledge
- 41:38 Reflections on the Certification Journey
- 47:33 Celebrating Success and Future Goals
Want results like Candace?
Candace is just one of many now-specialists who started their journey with Oncology Specialist Bootcamp!
To get an inside look at Oncology Specialist Bootcamp & learn how to streamline your study process, check our our free masterclass:
How to Specialize in Oncology (Without the Stress & Overwhelm!)
Links mentioned in the episode
Please note: We are proud affiliates for some of these resources & products, meaning that we may earn a commission if you click the link & subsequently make a purchase. All of these recommendations are based on our clinical experience & what we use in our practice – because we believe that they are the best out there. We recommend these resources because they are helpful & useful for OncoPTs & patients.
- Oncology Specialist Bootcamp
- Stubblefield’s Cancer Rehabilitation: Principles and Practice 2nd Edition
- Oncology Rehabilitation: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Clinicians
- Adjunctive Rehabilitation Approaches to Oncology, An Issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America by Cheville
- Oncology chapter of Goodman & Fuller’s Pathology: Implications for Physical Therapists
- Zuther & Norton’s Lymphedema Management: The Comprehensive Guide for Practitioners
- APTA Oncology Lymphatic Diseases Special Interest Group (SIG)
Want to watch the episode instead?
Watch this week’s episode of TheOncoPT Podcast on our YouTube channel!
Transcript
Elise – @TheOncoPT (00:00)
Hey Onco PT and welcome back to this episode of the Onco PT podcast. We have another amazing physical therapist.
and oncology specialist bootcamp success story joining us today on the podcast, Dr. Candace Alexander. Now I had the super privilege of meeting Candace actually right before you took your exam, is that correct?
Candace Alexander, PT (00:23)
Yes, terrifyingly close.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (00:26)
And spoiler alert, it all worked out in the end. So Candace, would you mind introducing yourself to the listeners today?
Candace Alexander, PT (00:33)
Yes, yes, thank you. So I’m Candace Alexander. I’m a physical therapist based out of central Kentucky. And I kind of do a little bit of outpatient, I’m mostly lymphedema, but oncology has kind of been my newer background essentially. So yeah, we met at CSM and yeah, I remember, because I had listened to your voice throughout all these bootcamp classes and I was sitting there and I could hear your voice behind me. I’m like, wait a second.
It was a little surreal because it’s kind of like, you you get to meet all these people who write all of this research and present all of this information. And it’s just it’s a little when you yourself don’t do that. So it was very cool.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (01:08)
Mm
That is so wild. It still kind of bewilders me that people are like, you’re Elise. I’m like, yes, I’m Elise as a person, but it’s always fun to be like, the Onco PT. my God. So anyways, it was so, so fun because Scott and I were sitting together at the business meeting, which is probably one of the coolest things to be on the ground floor to really kind of influence the future direction of the section. Anyways, we can talk about that later.
There’s so many ways that we could go about this and I have to rein myself in because Candace, we’ve got a lot to talk about. I’m actually, I’m going to ask you a question I didn’t prep you for. So let me first lead with what you talked about, outpatient oncology, mainly lymphedema. What are some of the more common diagnoses and impairments that you see in your practice lately?
Candace Alexander, PT (01:49)
There’s a lot,
I mean, I’m at a lymphedema clinic. if it’s not lymphedema wholeheartedly, it’s usually oncology -related, one or the other. Right now, it’s more of a 60 -40 split, lymphedema 60 and oncology 40. There’s a good, in that Venn diagram, there’s a good mix of the two of them together. But I don’t really see much other than those two diagnoses. And right now, given where I work, breast cancer is a huge percentage of the population.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (02:13)
wow, okay!
Okay, cool.
Okay.
time.
Candace Alexander, PT (02:40)
with some other Gynoc, Colon, things like that, but those are a small percentage of that.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (02:48)
Definitely. So let me ask you this question. So this is the one that I was setting us up for. I’m getting listeners writing in with this question, which is, I want to sit for the oncology specialty certification exam. Or for example, I want to write my case report in oncology for the exam as part of the application, but I’m concerned that my lymphedema, like my predominantly lymphedema experience is going to hinder me.
Would you mind sharing, because it seems like your patient load is a lot of lymphedema, what would you kind of say to that person who’s asking themselves or asking us that question on, is this a good idea for them?
Candace Alexander, PT (03:32)
So lymphedema is actually a decent part of the oncology exam. I was very glad going into the exam that I had a CLT training and I had the Lana experience and things, because I was honestly surprised at the volume of questions that even if they weren’t directly lymphedema related, they were invoking some part of lymphedema. So I’m sure if you can tether your patient’s case, even if it’s predominant lymphedema, to cancer care.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (03:52)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (04:00)
maybe it’s just the head nodes removed at a certain component or cancer care has complicated their lymphedema issue, then I mean, that’s what gave me your case report. My whole case report was a breast cancer lymphedema related patient who I used her case to apply. And basically I just really went into what is the evaluation process? What should that be? What is the current standards for evaluation and where are the standards lacking? And in her case, what could I have done as a clinician?
Elise – @TheOncoPT (04:13)
Thanks for
Candace Alexander, PT (04:29)
because where I was at, I was one clinician in numerous orthopedic therapist worlds, so I didn’t have the same tools that I had with the lymphedema clinic I’m at now, where I would see things going. So unfortunately, the case that I had, she did a great job as far as like returning her emotion, returning her strength, but her lymphedema was not, we got it controlled, we got it maintained, but I wish it had been a success story of, it was reversible.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (04:53)
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (04:56)
We caught it early and we got rid of it. You know, that’s awesome. It didn’t work for her. And so even if that was the case though, clearly they still accepted the application. And as long as you can kind of illustrate what you would have done differently if it didn’t go the way best research really says, it seems that that’s, you know, they’re planning receptive to that. sometimes research that tells us what didn’t work is as valuable as what does.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (05:14)
Right. And I’m glad you… Right.
right? You know, the human element behind all of that definitely kind of complicates things. And Candace, I’m really glad that you brought that up too, because that’s another kind of follow -up question I get about case reports is like, well, my person didn’t, you know, it wasn’t a like, bow on top, know, rainbows and sunshine, everything worked out in the end kind of deal. Like, is my case report still going to be accepted? If it’s a good case report, it’s written well. And you showed that you are an emerging expert in oncology.
That’s what the case report is all about. It doesn’t have to be a, and everybody lives happily ever after. That’s just not how life works. That’s especially not how oncology works. And so again, I really appreciate you sharing that, especially with your very extensive lymphedema experience, because I know we’ve got listeners out there who are wondering that exact same thing. So why did you decide to specialize in oncology physical therapy?
Candace Alexander, PT (06:20)
for Dima.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (06:22)
really? Okay!
Candace Alexander, PT (06:23)
I was a student who went into PT with like, I’m gonna do sports medicine, you know? And I mean, I played sports as a kid. I was very much attracted to that level of physical therapy. I had people work on me when I was a kid, my family members, and so I was all about it. And then I got in and saw my first like Joe Theismann type football injury, and I was like, Paris, talk to me. So I’m in PT school, like, what am I gonna do? And I sat in there and…
Elise – @TheOncoPT (06:39)
Mm
Ha ha!
Candace Alexander, PT (06:50)
the coursework that we had had a lymphedema course on it and it was only like three total hours but it was like recognizing and then getting your patients where they need to go because if they do have lymphedema they shouldn’t be like an orthopedic therapist essentially and the instructor was wonderful about really emphasizing that you know and I in hindsight now that I am certified I greatly appreciate her efforts there but the lymphedema
Elise – @TheOncoPT (07:16)
amazing.
Candace Alexander, PT (07:18)
I went into my job interview with where I ended up working for like 12 years and they were like, so what do you have an interest in? like, is lymphedema an option? Can we do this? And she’s, that would be amazing. The person I have doing it doesn’t really want to do it for much longer. I’m like, that’s fantastic. So within two years I was certified in that. But then again, in the region I’m in, a lot of lymphedema is breast cancer related. And so I got involved and then I learned very quickly that a lot of therapists are.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (07:39)
Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (07:44)
comfortable treating cancer rehab. I mean, I just had this today. I have a patient who needs to go closer to home. So I’m calling clinics and I’m saying, hey, this person’s actively going through chemo. I am more than glad to walk your therapist through the process, but she needs somewhere closer home. She’s not getting enough care just coming to me like two hours away once every other week. And it’s surprising the number of people who are like, we’re not, we don’t do that. We don’t treat that here. So when I started kind of getting that, that that
Elise – @TheOncoPT (08:03)
right. Yep.
Yeah. Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (08:14)
you know, I’m treating breast cancer, lymphedema. And then of course, I’m also having to treat the motion issues, the strength issues, the neurological component that comes along with it. It became like, well, if I can do this for breast cancer, then maybe I can do that for all of them and not be so isolated in just one area. I, yeah, over time, the lymphedema turned into heavy breast cancer. And then, well, now we have this person with prostate cancer who needs some information and some guidance and
Elise – @TheOncoPT (08:31)
Yeah.
Okay.
Candace Alexander, PT (08:41)
some connections and resources. And then that turned into, okay, we’re gonna do some colon cancer now. And so it just kind of grew after that, but that’s essentially what started it is once I got started, you just kind of fall in love with the environment that oncology really provides. I’m very fortunate, even like the job that I had then and the job that I have now, all of them are very supportive, very, the physician teams, the multidisciplinary teams are very, very holistic. And you still have to fight for a seat at the table when it comes to like,
Elise – @TheOncoPT (08:43)
Okay.
Very cool.
Candace Alexander, PT (09:10)
getting involved in conferences and things. But as far as, you know, someone saying, need help on this, there’s, I’ve never had an issue with a physician being like, hey, go call the physical therapist, have them come into the room and we’re gonna talk and we’re gonna figure it out. So it just kind of, once my name was affiliated with breast cancer lymphedema, it just kind of snowballed, well she treats cancer. And then now I have all of these other ones. And that community is so supportive that when I told them I was gonna, you know, try for the specialization, all of them were just thrilled to have that.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (09:23)
Very cool.
Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (09:40)
because yeah, I had a lot of support. had a lot of people really in my corner and it was wonderful.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (09:46)
my god, that is so amazing.
Candace Alexander, PT (09:50)
Yeah, I’m very fortunate. And the patients, I mean, I tell my, because again, I work primarily with breast cancer patients. There is a unique sisterhood that is around breast cancer patients. I mean, you can have two women sitting in a waiting room and one of them is clearly going through breast cancer care. And one of them is maybe a little nervous or upset or frustrated or they’re just gonna strike up a conversation and then they’ll find the shared connection of breast cancer.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (09:59)
Mm -hmm.
Okay.
Candace Alexander, PT (10:19)
And then they’re leaving with each other cell phone’s numbers. They’re like planning a dinner date together. They’re coming back in therapy together. She’s like, you know, she, was with her out in the waiting room. Can I come join her session and just kind of sit and support her? And it’s that connection. And that’s very common with a lot of them, but because breast cancer, breast cancer is so large as far as a population of people, I see it mostly with the breast cancer, but I just, couldn’t get away from that. It’s, you have such wonderful people who are going through horrific things that still come into your clinic and smile.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (10:22)
Yeah
Right.
Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (10:49)
and tell you about how excited they are for the next thing that’s coming and are really facing some horrific things, but they’re facing a lot of courage.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (10:57)
And with that support system to really back up like that, think that’s really cool. That I think is, I have got a couple of patients right now who I didn’t know knew each other, but now because they will each reference each other in our sessions, I’m like, wait a minute. And they’re like, yeah, you’re seen blah blah. why didn’t you tell me? Of course, patient privacy, we obviously respect that, but.
Candace Alexander, PT (11:13)
Thank
Elise – @TheOncoPT (11:23)
I do think I heard recently, so at the Stupid Cancer Conference that I went to in August, one of the comments made was, this is the best club that you never wanted to be a part of, but now that you’re here, you can’t imagine life without it. And I do think that’s something that’s really unique to oncology. I mean, y ‘all know that I love oncology, but I really love that about oncology of like, it sucks that we’re here.
but if we have to be here, let’s do what we can to make the most of it kind of situation. And it sounds like you’ve got such an amazing, not only like community of patients that you’re working with, but to have the support of such a multidisciplinary cohesive team, not just for the process of treating patients day in and day out, but also as you’re preparing for this exam.
Candace, how familiar are or were your colleagues and these multidisciplinary members about the PT, oncology specialty certification?
Candace Alexander, PT (12:36)
almost to zero. So one of my colleagues where I used to be at and I mean she’s been an amazing mentor she’s absolutely fabulous but she had done her neurologic specialization. But besides that I don’t want to speak I’m gonna say
Elise – @TheOncoPT (12:38)
That’s what I would expect too, yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (12:55)
the majority of the staff, just in case I’m missing someone, because I don’t want to be rude to anyone who worked really hard to get theirs. But she was pretty much the only one I had any exposure with before I even started down the journey of the oncology component. And she was wonderful to kind of help guide me on using the website and giving me recommendations and telling me to breathe. She’s like, you haven’t seen the results yet, just breathe, it’ll be okay. But as far as the oncology specialization,
Elise – @TheOncoPT (13:08)
Yeah.
Very cool.
Candace Alexander, PT (13:25)
I don’t know if there’s anyone in my region who has it. I know there’s a couple of people in Kentucky, but I don’t know if there’s anyone in my region. So I had to rely heavily on meeting people at CSM and talking with colleagues that I had made friends with years ago and things like that to really kind of guide what I was doing and know if I was headed in the right direction.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (13:31)
Mm -hmm. Right.
Mm -hmm. So with your, you know, your neuro specialist colleague, it sounds like they were really able to help you kind of the website, I think can be a real behemoth. Like there’s a lot of really helpful information, but it also, unless you know exactly what you’re looking for and where to find it, it can be a little hard to navigate and find that information. What were some of the other, you know, areas of maybe confusion or uncertainty as you were starting the okay.
I am going to sit for this exam. I’m going to apply to sit for this exam. know, talk to me about that application process for you.
Candace Alexander, PT (14:25)
wow, that was a beast. I think the number one thing that I don’t think I was prepared for…
because I had, you know, know, you get the outline and it tells you you have to write a case study and even gives you a really good example of the case study. And so I knew going into it that I would need to write this thing as well as get all the hours and make sure that I have all of that documented. I think the one thing that I wasn’t clear on that really frustrated me more than anything, and it wasn’t a breaking point, but it was a moment where I’m like, I’m very glad I did this early.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (14:41)
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (14:59)
That way I had time because I actually submitted two weeks later than I thought I was going to because I had to rework everything. I had written this case report and I had written it in a way that I was very proud. I had it PDFed and I was good to go. And then I log into the website and you submit individual sections. And I had followed the case report guideline, which in some cases is a little spliced together. And so I had to go back through and pull everything out.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (15:06)
wow.
Candace Alexander, PT (15:28)
rework something so it flows in the hopes that whoever’s reading this is going to read this section, then it’s going to move into this section. Whereas if it had all been on one piece of paper, I was so proud of that piece of paper. It looked nice, everything moved well, and it was just great. And so that was probably the biggest thing was, is I had done all this prep work. Because as you can imagine, just listening to me talk, I’m a little bit of a type A personality and a little overly organized.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (15:39)
Yeah? Yeah?
Candace Alexander, PT (15:54)
So I had done all the prep work and I knew like I had done the case study like months before I was ready to go. And then I logged in, I was like, no, this is a problem. So that was probably the big one. I had not written a case study before. I had read plenty. It was interesting to put, not pen to paper, but I guess fingers to keyboard, essentially to make that happen. It was an experience that I really enjoyed.
But I think the other thing that I read into was the research because again, I chose a lymphedema based diagnosis, even though was breast cancer free lymphedema. A lot of my research was lymphedema in nature and I kept running into the same research articles over and over and over again. And it really highlighted to me how so much of our lymphedema research is pulling from the 1980s, the 1990s, the early 2000s. And they have time limits on those things. Like on that case study.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (16:35)
really?
Candace Alexander, PT (16:47)
you cannot submit research before a certain date and I think after a certain date at some point. So you have to be really careful. So I was like trying to find articles that stuff that I knew in my heart of hearts. I’m like, this is true. I’ve been a therapist for 13 years. I know this. And then I was like, I don’t know, but where do I prove this? And please tell me it’s on the 1980s article. So I think those were the two big things that really kind of got me with the application process. I think the outline they provide you is very clear, even though it’s vague.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (17:01)
All right, this works.
Candace Alexander, PT (17:16)
But then once the website goes live and you can actually go on and start logging on and start filling out things. I will sing in defense of the website. Everyone was very supportive. So anytime I had an ant question, I would just shoot it off through that little contact us thing and I would get answers back and they would be very thorough answers. Go onto this, type this, this, this. And at one point, like I think my payment hadn’t been processed and I had received confirmation.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (17:17)
Mm
died.
Good.
Candace Alexander, PT (17:44)
And then I got a confirmation from them that it hadn’t gone through on their end. And my credit card had never been debited for that payment. So I’m like, my gosh, I’ve missed the window. I’m never gonna be able to do this until next year. And they were fantastic. So it’s one of those things that there’s places to reach out for that information. There’s groups that provide education sessions on how to write the case study to get it started. I mean, that’s the kind of thing to have because going into it blind, I had to backtrack quite a bit and try to figure.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (17:59)
Good.
Candace Alexander, PT (18:13)
need to problem solve this now and I if I had just known going in it probably would have been a little easier so
Elise – @TheOncoPT (18:18)
Yeah. So you eventually had to redo your case report. You submitted it. It was accepted. So now it’s time to actually prepare for the exam. Now going into the now preparation process, how did you feel about the specialty certification exam before you started studying?
Candace Alexander, PT (18:23)
Thank you.
Completely overwhelmed. think would the way to phrase that. I mean, to be honest, again, I knew I wanted to do it. So before I even sat down to apply, I had already been looking at resources online on is there an education session or is there something that can help guide me? Had there been any successful individuals who, of course, we can’t talk about test questions, but can they give me an idea? And so that’s really
Elise – @TheOncoPT (18:45)
Yeah? Yeah?
Candace Alexander, PT (19:09)
had done a lot of prepper before I even went through the application process. But then they give you this nice little packet that feels like it’s a thousand pages long. And they’re like, study this. And I’m not trying to be rude because I know they can’t give us what to study, but it was like study breast cancer. And I’m like, okay. So study everything in breast cancer. Yeah. That’s kind of how I thought process. was like looking at it. was like, lymphoma, leukemia, you know, all these conditions. And I specialize heavily in breast cancer.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (19:12)
See you.
Candace Alexander, PT (19:37)
So like, I’ve got that down. And then I looked at the other ones, I’m like, I’d never see this. I don’t work with children, you I love children, but they don’t like me. So that’s not a great situation to be in. So I was just looking at it I just kept getting more more of where I’m like, how am I gonna get all this studied? And again, I didn’t even started the study process before I even applied. So it was very overwhelming to say the least. So.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (19:57)
Mm -hmm.
Right. And I do want to encourage the listener, if you’re listening to Candace and you are thinking, I also haven’t started studying before I applied, that’s okay. You don’t have to. Like the first hurdle is absolutely getting your application in. So focus on that first. And then you can work on the studying. Now, when would you say you started studying for the exam, Candace?
Candace Alexander, PT (20:07)
Mm
So I had gathered my resources and when I applied, I then started studying is what I did. Because knowing me and I will also say I am more than 10 years out from PT school. If you had asked me after PT school, know, hey, we’ve got a million dollars. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in school? I would have been like, yes, let’s do this. I love it. I’m out for more than 10 years now. A weekend course is exhausting to my brain.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (20:33)
Okay, there you go.
Candace Alexander, PT (20:54)
because I’m used to being on my feet and moving around and I no longer learn the way I used to learn. And I knew going in, I would have to relearn that process. I just didn’t realize how hard this brain after all that time would have to adapt to it. I had, like I said, I’d already gathered my resources, but even not knowing if I was gonna be able to take the test, I thought it was very valuable information for me to have anyway, because the test was more.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (21:09)
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (21:21)
For some people, there’s a lot of incentives for them to take the test. For me, it was more a challenge. I knew breast cancer, but I wanted to know what else I did not know. And I’m a very goal -oriented person. So if I just sit down and just read a book, like if I pull stubble -filled off the shelf, I’m like, I’m just gonna read this just to learn. That is not gonna fly with me. I’m gonna be 20 different directions. But if I’m like, I have an exam, I have a deadline, I have to do this, I will dedicate those resources and those time, and I’ll be very motivated.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (21:25)
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (21:51)
to get that done. So having the deadline helped me get started. And so even if I didn’t get accepted, I was like, well, I’ll be ahead in case I get to apply next time. So I went ahead while I was in the interim period and started light studying, very light study. It turns out I needed to put a lot more time in that time period. But long ago, I started studying after that and I pulled the preparing packet that they gave you through the APTA.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (22:04)
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (22:16)
and I was like looking at the resources. I was already researching all the articles and pulling the articles off and at least going through the abstracts as much as possible. And I got some of the textbooks, but my gosh, those are some chalky textbooks. the textbooks were very overwhelming going into it. So yeah, but that was kind of my preparation process. Then as time got closer, I would dedicate more and more time into studying.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (22:44)
Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (22:44)
And I had like milestones for myself, you know at this point I should be doing this this and this at this point I should be looking at taking practice tests What’s available out there for knowledge and I should be brushing up I should no longer be learning new content and things and so that was kind of how I tried to
Elise – @TheOncoPT (22:48)
Thanks.
Mm
Mm -hmm.
Ooh. That’s really powerful though, knowing when to kind of cut yourself off from learning new information and actually really focusing on what do I really need to solidify in order to move forward with this exam. I want to backtrack a little bit, Candace. So think you’re the first person that I’ve talked to who has purchased or acquired multiple of the textbooks that are required. I’m going to be completely transparent.
Candace Alexander, PT (23:19)
Yeah.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (23:31)
I already had the lymphedema management textbook from when I did my CLT training several years ago. I bought Stubblefield’s Cancer Rehab because I wanted it and I knew I had been told that it was a good reference to use for studying. Those were actually the only textbooks I had. I want to put an asterisk on this because I think, and I’m looking at the textbook on my floor right now, I think it recommended the chapter in
Goodman’s Pathology, which I had that textbook from PT school. believe Lisa Van Hoos wrote the chapter on cancer. like, obviously it’s a great resource, but that was like one chapter in a thousand page textbook. And so I really didn’t do a whole lot of true textbook learning. Can you talk a little bit about your textbook experience, what you used, what you didn’t use, and maybe like a recommendation you have for others considering these?
Candace Alexander, PT (24:11)
Awesome.
Yeah.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (24:30)
this list of textbooks to acquire somehow.
Candace Alexander, PT (24:34)
Yes, so I’ll be upfront. I purchased some textbooks and then I took a completely different trajectory. I purchased Double Field and I was able to find an older version of the, I had to pull my paper up because I couldn’t remember the name up ahead and it’s not in this room. The Adjunctive Rehabilitation Approaches to Oncology was like the number two list underneath Double Field on there.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (24:43)
I love that, yeah.
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (25:01)
And I got a hold of an older version of one of those. And I was reading Stubblefields and about 300 pages into Stubblefield, I just hit a wall. I was literally taking notes off of it because that’s one of my learning processes is I take notes off of things. So I would hand write my notes, kind of jot down notes. And then when I had downtime, like.
waiting for my car to get worked on at the dealership or waiting for someone while it just 20 minutes of time, I would then transcribe those notes because again, I learned by writing frequently. And about 300 pages, like I said, two to 300 pages into a stubble field, I was like, I’m not retaining this, this is not working for me. And I pulled the other textbook out and I was looking through it, great resources, like they are sitting on my desk at work. I love to pull them out and kind of research,
Elise – @TheOncoPT (25:36)
Mm
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (25:53)
Like we’re talking about positivities with this kind of genetic test, like what are we doing here, here, here? But as far as like the therapy component, I was really struggling because I was getting a very strong medical component and I already knew some of the medical and then I was reading some of it and I was kind of thinking this might probably is not gonna be on the test. I can’t believe, can’t think they’re gonna ask me to diagnose a patient with cancer.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (26:04)
Yes.
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (26:17)
So that’s, I’ve already been dumb with the time we come, like maybe recognize the symptoms of early care and then refer out. But definitely I shouldn’t be the one deciding, you know, T1, NB, you know, all of those things. And so I backed off of that because it didn’t feel like a waste of time, but it felt like I was spending way too much time on things that, yeah, there may be questions, but they weren’t so therapy organized. So weirdly enough.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (26:17)
Absolutely.
Yes.
Candace Alexander, PT (26:47)
I listen to your podcast. You had an interview with some ladies the year before and they were talking about oncology rehabilitation, which currently Chris Wilson, the president of the ABTA, he wrote a couple other people and I mean they’re all wonderful people and I apologize to them. I remember Chris’s name off my head. Yes, I got to see their CSM presentation and it was absolutely fantastic.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (27:03)
Right, it’s Lori, Lori Bo Wright and then Deb Doherty who are the other authors. Yep. Yep.
Candace Alexander, PT (27:13)
And so I had listened to that podcast and they had made reference to it. And I got to thinking, I’m like, so an oncology textbook that’s geared towards the actual rehabilitation component, this might be where I should spend a little bit more of my time. So then I shifted gears off of all of that and went to that textbook in addition to the bootcamp coursework and things like that. But I found that textbook to be very invaluable to me because I’m reading it.
And even though it’s talking about the diagnosis process, the testing process, the imaging and things like that, which is good for us to know as therapists, there’s always that section on now what do we do as therapists? Like how do we apply? What are we looking for? What’s our contraindications? And even if I went into the test, I told my husband this, I if I go into this test and I fail it because I didn’t read Stumblefield through and through, I said, I think I’m okay with that because I’m walking out knowing a lot more than I did going in.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (27:47)
Mm
Exactly. Exactly.
Candace Alexander, PT (28:08)
and part of it was just because of that literature. And again, it’s great to have those textbooks. It’s just the test, the way I studied for the test didn’t include those textbooks as much as I thought the recommendations would have, essentially.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (28:22)
Yeah, yeah, and that’s a great point. And again, that resource list, it’s like 35 plus pages last time I looked at it. So, I mean, it’s a doozy and they have so many references on there, which is amazing. And I think if we go in, because this was my mistake and I’m curious how you feel about this, Candace, I went through that list because this was before the oncology rehab textbook that we were just referencing.
Candace Alexander, PT (28:31)
Yeah.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (28:51)
That was my reading list. And I was like, I’m going to read every single article on this list. This was not a good decision, dear listener. Would not recommend that strategy. It was not a good use of my time. But I think how we should look at it and how I encourage people to look at that list is don’t, it’s not a reading list. Like read every article and you’ll be good to go. I think it offers options.
Candace Alexander, PT (28:57)
my gosh!
Elise – @TheOncoPT (29:18)
for areas you feel less comfortable to get a very selected.
type an amount of information on that topic so then you can work on learning about it and then learn to apply it with patience. So yeah, please, if you take nothing else from this interview, do not read Stubblefield cover to cover. You will not be okay after that experience. And number two, I would say don’t try to read that resource list provided by APTI Oncology from front to back.
Candace Alexander, PT (29:40)
Yes.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (29:54)
use them as tools and use selected components or parts of those resources as tools. But yeah, my gosh, I can’t believe you made it through 300 pages of Stubblefield like that. That is mind boggling to me, Candace.
Candace Alexander, PT (30:12)
But I look at it like not wasted time because again, it’s a great resource to have but I look back I’m like I spent weeks reading those pages and I did not retain like I look at the notes now because I’m I’m making myself a binder at work I really want to start taking students, but I know oncology can be very scary So I’m making a binder of just kind of the key points and stuff will fill a lot of that contents going in that binder which is absolutely but
Elise – @TheOncoPT (30:17)
Yeah, right.
Definitely.
Candace Alexander, PT (30:41)
I’m making that body drum go back, I’m like, I remember none of this. Like I studied this for weeks and I have zero of it. So yeah, I agree with you. I did go through and I got the majority of the abstracts at least for the article list. And I just kind of look through and like where are my weak areas? know, like I don’t spend a lot of time with neuro -related cancers. So I’m gonna go through and I’m actually gonna read these abstracts. I spent a lot of time with academia.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (30:47)
Yeah.
EAT A HOLE!
Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (31:08)
I’m gonna read these abstracts and if anything sticks out as like, I need to update myself on this, that’s what I’ll do. But that’s excellent advice and very helpful because it’s a very overwhelming list of content to get. And I can’t remember how many articles it was, but I think it’s in the 300s and something. 368, I had written it down at the time that I took the test. Yeah, it’s a lot. I it’s great that we have all of these resources available to us, but.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (31:13)
All right. That’s smart.
is
I’m zero percent surprised. I’m zero percent surprised.
Yes.
Candace Alexander, PT (31:38)
When you’re trying to think of test questions, it’s hard to look at that resource list and then think of test questions because at least for myself, I was getting bogged down in the minutia of it. I was getting, know, would they ask a question about, you know, the Gleason score and would I have to be able to know it shifts to this at this point and these like lab values and these anti -androgen kind. It’s like I started looking for questions and I had to step back and give myself a reality check, which is not my strong suit, but I had to sit back and be like, okay, you are.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (32:05)
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (32:08)
overthinking this because of the content, let’s go through and just choose your weak points and build from there. And that did help,
Elise – @TheOncoPT (32:14)
Mm -hmm. Good. And it’s great that you have that perspective and that insight into your own studying to say, okay, this is working, this is not working. Zoom out, how can we better apply this for what the exam is likely to be? So as you’re preparing for the exam, some strategies are working, some are maybe not as effective and you’re making adjustments. At what point did you decide
Candace Alexander, PT (32:26)
Yeah.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (32:43)
I need to sign up and go through oncology specialist bootcamp, my signature course.
Candace Alexander, PT (32:50)
before I apply to the test.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (32:52)
my gosh, so smart. Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (32:55)
That kept hitting my resource list. So yes, so I started going through Stubblefield and then I recognized Stubblefield was not working for what I needed it to be. I learned very quickly, even though I’m still a note taker, I am no longer a highlight it in the book and then it’s up here person. So I had to really start finding ways to.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (33:04)
Mm
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (33:15)
it to myself because now that’s how I learn as a therapist after so many years in the clinic I’m more used to taking information and really quickly and then if I can apply it quickly it’s gonna be up there better if I can tactily, auditorially, or verbally say it back I’m a little bit better so I had already told myself again because I was listening to the podcast and I had started because it was such a great way to help me organize the material because I’m looking at this list
Elise – @TheOncoPT (33:27)
Yeah.
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (33:42)
and I would pull the abstracts off for the session that was going to be talked about that time, breast cancer, immunotherapy, whatever. I would pull the abstracts, read through the abstracts, watch the specialization segment that you had on that, and then I would go back into it and try to figure out what I was weak in. Like, am I listening to this? And I’m like, I’ve got that, I’ve got that. Or I’m listening to it like, okay, I’m taking notes like crazy. And then I would build up from there. And then about…
Four -ish months into doing that, I discovered the oncology rehab textbook. So I kind of put pause on the bootcamp and really worked with the textbook because that was the thing is like the bootcamp was giving me a great way to organize the material and the content and it was giving me a good way to learn it because post -COVID era, we now a lot of us are really comfortable doing these online learning sessions. So that was really helping me kind of.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (34:18)
Mm -hmm. Nice.
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (34:38)
create the framework and then I just went through that textbook from start to finish. Literally I was trying to do a chapter at least every week if not more than one chapter but not only get through the chapter but have the notes I need from it and then I started paralleling the boot camp with what was being talked about in the chapters and so that’s kind of in a nutshell but yeah it was the point where I had already known I was probably gonna do the boot camp.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (34:42)
Nice.
Mm -hmm.
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (35:04)
But then I got started and then I realized mentally the organization process is not happening up here. I’m too overwhelmed by all of the content. And it was great because with what you had provided, it gave kind of a running example on what it’d be dealing with. I’m like, I just need that organization. It’s fantastic content anyway, but it’s fantastic content that someone has already put in pieces so that I can then build up and learn the way I need to learn. So yeah, that’s kind of a process.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (35:09)
Yeah.
Right. Nice. And again, I really want to pull out what you’ve been talking about, Candace, for the listener is this layering of information. So, you know, Candace already talked about how she would go through, you know, and initially again, whether this is double field or some other resource, whatever that is, you know, going over and expecting to, you know, read something once and totally have it like, I know exactly how I need to apply this with a, you know, my patients and my eventual.
Candace Alexander, PT (35:37)
Okay.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (35:58)
example patients for these test questions. Like that’s not realistic, especially, know, this exam is looking at, you a specialist, an emerging expert in oncology and expecting to just, you know, see something once, read something once, hear something once and be like, I’m the expert. That’s just not reasonable. And so Candace is talking about how she’s using these multiple resources and these kinds of multiple methods
by which you’re getting this information and then reviewing it to then really get it to solidify in your brain. And it seems like that it ultimately, I do know the end of the story, but that probably sets you up for a lot of success later on down the road because you’re reviewing these things and getting to basically input them into your brain the way that works best for you so that then you can recall that and use that information later.
Not just of course with your real patients, which is the most important part of why we do this, but also eventually that pesky little thing called the exam happening, know, February or March or whenever it happens these days. What did you find most helpful about oncology specialist bootcamp as part of your preparation process?
Candace Alexander, PT (37:05)
Yes.
The organization, 100%. Again, giving my percent, and I know me, and I’m completely okay saying this, but I am an aggressive type A. I even had a manager one time say, she’s like, you’re so far A, you’re E, you’re exceptional type A. I am all about the binders and the organization and the color coding and things. And I’m okay with that as a person. But I was looking at this list and I was trying to formulate.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (37:35)
What?
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (37:47)
how am I going to organize this not only in a way that doesn’t clearly say this is what you’re doing for therapy, but in a way that’s also conducive to me learning, not just know the material, but then have the material after, because the specialization only says that I have the skills or the knowledge. I have to be able to apply the skills. And so that was my biggest thing, because again, this was for me a big challenge for myself. It was…
I want to make sure that if I’m going to say I am treating breast cancer, not necessarily an authority, but I am definitely experienced in breast cancer. So physicians, send your patients to me. Patients, trust me with what I’m telling you. And so I just, there’s no breast cancer specific examination as far as I’m aware. So I was like, well, this is a great time for me to learn all of it if I’m going to continue to get snippets here and there. So like moving into that and getting that organizational scheme down.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (38:23)
Definitely.
Candace Alexander, PT (38:43)
not only the content, but just being able to breathe and be like, okay, today it’s a focus on prostate cancer. And then that’s what I’m gonna focus on. And all of these basic lessons on immunotherapies and chemotherapies and radiations and things, all of that is applying in here. So again, like you said, the layering process is there because now you’ve gotten in the early part, the basics and you’re building on.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (39:07)
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (39:08)
And even though I treat breast cancer, not many people in breast cancer do brachytherapy, for instance. And so it’s one of those things. It’s like, I’m learning things that I’m familiar with, but I’m not strong yet. And then I can add onto those in each individual diagnosis. And then I can look at those as a functional perspective. Like, now we’re talking about all cancers, but we’re talking about them in the gate of mobility and balance and falls. And so the organization was really nice.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (39:23)
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (39:35)
In PT school, I remember one of our instructors was big on saying that we build a spiral of education. She’s like, year one, you’re really getting a foundation. She’s like, and you’re going to be so lost. She’s like, you’re going to come out of year one feeling that imposter syndrome that we deal with as professionals anyway. She’s like, but year two, we’re going to widen that circle. So she’s like, you’re going to be frustrated because in some ways you’re still learning the same things you were learning in year one. But she’s like, we’re going to expand on that and build on that. But
As I was going through this, felt looking at all that preparedness stuff, I was getting like a very 2D version of that learning circle or spiral that I really needed. And so the bootcamp really helped me kind of make that, build that spiral. Like give me a place to then, okay, one over here, I need a little bit more. So I’m gonna take a few moments over here and then over here, I need a little bit more. So I’m gonna take a few moments over there. But it gave me a structure to build off of. And because it’s in those individual chunks where it’s the section.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (40:17)
Mm -hmm.
Thank
Candace Alexander, PT (40:30)
I guess it’s like 50 something odd lectures. can’t remember the exact number, but it’s quite a few lectures. But then I can also schedule that because I’m sure as all of your listeners experience, like we’re no longer college students and even college students have busy lives. But now most of us have a nine to five. Most of us have family. Most of us have obligations outside of that. So it wasn’t going to be like, I have four hours a night to study and I’ll just stay up and pull an overnighter once in a while because I can’t physically do that anymore.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (40:35)
I mean, it’s a lot. It’s a lot.
Right.
my God. I cannot.
Candace Alexander, PT (40:59)
gone. I’m like in the book by 10. So as far as it goes that organizational scheme also let me plan which was really nice and if my plan got mixed up I knew where I could push like you know well if I can’t breathe if I can’t get through this this week then I’m pretty strong in breast cancer or lymphedema so I can kind of like add that in and get to that section first and kind of skip ahead.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (41:08)
Mm -hmm.
90s.
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (41:25)
do that section quickly and then catch up on what I was struggling on. So my timeline, I was very flexible with my timeline because you had already done all the organization for us, which was very nice.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (41:34)
Nice!
I love that you talked about PT school, that spiral, ours, and maybe it’s because we’re in Texas and I’m not sure if Kentucky’s in tornado alley, but Texas is for sure in tornado alley. So we talked about the tornado and same thing. It was like, you get introduced a little bit and then it gets a little wider and then year three, you know, you’re a, you’re a big tornado or whatever. So that’s so funny. I wonder if that’s like a PT school metaphor that they just learn to use and apply it because I think it’s genius.
Candace Alexander, PT (41:51)
you are.
Maybe, I mean maybe. I mean I remember like day like the first couple of weeks like her having that conversation and you know in PT school there’s I’m not gonna say weed out classes because they definitely want you to succeed but there are those classes that you have to do and you’re gonna have to just memorize and learn and that was always their big encouragement to us was if you can get through this you have built your basic your base of your spiral and everything else comes much easier and it was
Elise – @TheOncoPT (42:21)
Definitely.
Candace Alexander, PT (42:37)
going through it I’m like I’m paying you people to torture me like this but on the back end of it I do feel like I’ve been able to now apply that in my future like such as the learning for this oncology specialty so it really did I think that’s probably like a learning theory that the educators are getting on their form of continuing education and they’re applying it to us but I’m grateful for it because it really did help so
Elise – @TheOncoPT (42:49)
Mm -hmm.
That is true. That is true.
No. And that’s one thing I think some people listening are hesitant about pursuing their specialty certification exam because the thought is I don’t know all that stuff I need to know yet. That’s not actually the point of like you don’t have to wait to be the specialist to take this exam. I think the journey, the process by which you prepare for this exam
is how you really become that specialist. Like, yes, you need some kind of baseline understanding of oncology, but the amount of things that I thought I was, you know, I was good on and then having to really sit with that material as I was preparing for my own specialty certification exam, and I hear this from my students too of, I didn’t realize how we know what gaps there were in my knowledge. And again, I think it’s only by that spiral or that tornado method of just
Candace Alexander, PT (43:41)
Yeah.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (43:57)
going deeper and deeper into that material, expanding kind of that circle of appreciation and of understanding that we really start to really know what we know, but also what we don’t know, and then where we need to go with our studying efforts to really be solid for the oncology specialty certification exam, for example. Now, what would you tell some
buddy, like a listener who is hearing this right now and saying, while this oncology specialist bootcamp sounds like it works, I’m not sure if it’s right for me though. What would you tell them, Candace?
Candace Alexander, PT (44:39)
your website that you have really put confidence in me on it because you give so much information in your podcast like I would be listening to your podcast even like before I was studying because it’s like I’m I’m in the car 45 minutes twice a day if not more traffic is a problem and so I like to listen to audiobooks and things already I was like I already have podcasts let me just add this to the list and start kind of getting a little bit of a framework and kind of getting
like listening to therapists talk about oncology as opposed to the medical team talk about oncology. So I kind of stood there and then I started doing the investigation on, okay, what is actually the content in here? think, I don’t know if you remember, but I actually emailed you quite a few things and was like, hey, and you answered every one of those. But it was really just kind of, it was a resource that appealed to me because of how I learned and how I functioned and provided that organization. And so, like I said, it’s just,
Elise – @TheOncoPT (45:14)
yeah.
Yeah!
Candace Alexander, PT (45:39)
there’s enough out there to kind of give them a taste on what they’re actually purchasing when they go to purchase it. So if you’re seeing that and you’re responding to that, you know, free content well, then you’re going to respond to the bootcamp well, because it doesn’t really change. You’re the same person providing that information just now, you’re providing that larger broad base of content. And so that that’s probably what I would say is like, if someone’s getting a taste of it they’re like, I don’t know.
If you’re already getting that taste and you’re already having a positive experience learning with that piece, then do the bootcamp. If you need something to help you organize, guide your studying, kind of really highlight your weak points because at no point in time are you going through this and being like, this is a problem. This is a question you will get asked. But throughout it, you’re going through the content and there’s constant references to that earlier content. And so you can kind of get what’s very important to together because the frequent school just coming up.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (46:35)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (46:37)
And so if I’m hearing it and I’m like, okay, I don’t really remember what that is, that then tells me, yeah, I probably needed to brush up on that because that wasn’t there. if you’re looking, even if you don’t have, because again, going into this, I had almost complete breast cancer lymphedema related experiences, very little outside the box of that. It was a great tool to give me the foundation to build up. And so if you’re needing something like that, this was where I found that. That’s how I got that support to kind of declutter my brain.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (46:44)
Definitely.
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (47:07)
and get the one foot forward. And weirdly enough, again, because I’m goal oriented, it was so nice finishing a section and then a little check mark comes up like, I’ve done that. I have this many more sections to go. And you get to a halfway point and you’re like, my gosh, I’ve actually gained a lot of information in this. So you kind of dampen the imposter syndrome concerns that like, like I’m just learning this, it’s not actually going to apply.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (47:30)
you.
Candace Alexander, PT (47:33)
as you’re going through and you’re kind of getting that, you know, change to the percentage of, I’m almost through this. I actually got to the end of it I’m like, so this is what the bootcamp is preparing me for. Like this is what it is. I can manage this. I can handle this. It’s not that, you know, I don’t know how thick it is. think it’s like 12 ,000 pages, this double field book, but it’s not that. This content, which was like I said, if someone needs that level of support and organization.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (47:54)
It feels like it.
Candace Alexander, PT (48:02)
I think that’s the place to be right now.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (48:06)
Okay, so we haven’t actually talked about this yet, Candace, but you took the exam earlier this year and got your results back. Would you mind sharing the results of your oncology specialty certification exam?
Candace Alexander, PT (48:20)
It’s a blessing I did pass. I said surprise. was a unique experience because again, as you can probably tell from listening, when I was in school, I was a studier. Like everyone was always so sweet in PTA school. They’re like ask Candace, Candace knows. Candace did not know. Candace wasn’t studying for three weeks before the exam because I have to plan that. I have to prepare that. I have to give my brain time to
Elise – @TheOncoPT (48:24)
What?
Candace Alexander, PT (48:50)
Synthesize that information and then fully look at it. We got a guy in class I mean he was naturally gifted and I was so envious of him because like the dog or the professor would be teaching about something and he’d raise his hand Dr So and so I have a question about that and I’m like looking like that’s five slides in the future buddy. Can we focus on? Everyone has someone like that in their class and if you don’t know that person you are that person so But yeah, but so that was like
Elise – @TheOncoPT (48:57)
Amazing.
No!
Yup.
Candace Alexander, PT (49:17)
my structure and my level of where I was. So going into the exam, I really, because I never had to grade myself on this level, like PT school, I took the the PT doctoral exam that I had to take for the university and I passed it. Like I walked out there like I passed that. I’m good. I’m set. But again, those kind of questions are usually like A and B might be pretty close together and then one is clearly not at all applicable.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (49:35)
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (49:47)
And then the other one, if you misread the question, it may be a little deceiving, but it’s pretty easy to eliminate. So then you’re only going between two. This kind of exam, I walked out of thinking I could have passed, I could have failed, I have no clue. And I also have no way of knowing because at no point are they gonna come to me and give me these results and say, hey, Candace, you missed this question because you answered this and it was actually this. So I think that was the exam experience essentially.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (49:47)
Right.
Right.
Candace Alexander, PT (50:15)
I was very pleased that I passed and I was I was giddy for weeks. And again, I have a very supportive team. So when they found out there were parties and cake and there was all sorts of people like praising me for it. And I’m like, well, you guys put up with me when I was a beast during this entire process. So I appreciate your patience. But yeah, that was the thing is just like the exam itself, my licensure exam, I walked out being like, I got that. I know that.
This exam I walked out because all of the questions are so close. There’s sometimes a throwaway answer that you can put down or you can neglect, but I literally had questions where like it gave you a list and then just a few numbers were different and I’m like, okay, I hope I studied enough to get this one right. So that was the unique experience. I was so excited when I passed because I really did not know like walking out of it. I knew what I knew and what I gained in the process so I didn’t think it was a waste.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (51:08)
Mm
Candace Alexander, PT (51:10)
But I honestly didn’t know with that piece of paper, when they sent me that email, it would say pass on it. And I was so excited. And I passed at more than the average. So was very excited about that. So yeah.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (51:11)
Right.
Very cool. Very cool. So this is a great place to wrap up with Candace. Now, looking back, you went through this year plus process of, you know, learning about the application, applying, writing a case report, redoing some of your case report, eventually getting that accepted on your application. It’s time to start studying. Studied for long time, took the exam, eventually passed. Looking back at that.
Candace Alexander, PT (51:30)
Thank
Elise – @TheOncoPT (51:47)
How do you feel that your practice, your patient care has transformed as a result of that journey that you took?
Candace Alexander, PT (51:57)
is a good question. I’m probably much more analytical now about what I’m doing. And because of the certification exam, not everything is like a gold standard. One of the, I think the challenging things about this exam is that we are in a world where information is like developing very quickly, but we also don’t have six random control trials of thousands of patients proving these aspects of them.
So I really feel like the exam gave me an ability to say, this is the information as we know it right now. This is what we’re currently looking into and where treatment is headed, but we’re not quite, we don’t have that solid baseline structure. And I think that’s what’s really been applied more than anything. Now when I’m working with a patient, I’m taking into consideration all of that information that I’ve been synthesizing the entire time while studying.
And then I’m applying that kind of that best practice to it, which as a therapist, we’ve been out for a while. We can get a little, I don’t mean to be very lazy, essentially. Like I did my lymphedema training, I think 11, 12 years ago. I don’t even remember at this point. And I know what I know in lymphedema, but I have a coworker who is wonderful about like, did you see this, you know, this interview or this question and answer, or did you see this new education thing come out? And I’ll be like,
that completely bypassed and sometimes it completely changes how we’re treating. This kind of that confidence on currently I am where best practice is here and I can improve my practice here and here and here. exercise therapy I think is probably one of the ones that’s probably for a lot of people myself included a weak point because we’re supposed to know all of this.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (53:27)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Candace Alexander, PT (53:47)
But as far as it goes, I never had someone sit down and tell me like, these exercises are safe for a prostate cancer patient. These exercises are safe for someone with bone mets and things. And that was really, it gave me my lines to build from so that I can apply that to each patient and feel confident about it and not have to constantly go back to a textbook and be like, okay, I need to look this up real quick. need to, before I see this person, I gotta check this out real quick. So I think that probably for me is where I really see it applying to patients in clinic.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (54:01)
Nice.
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (54:17)
And I just, don’t know, it makes me feel more confident. So I feel like I show that to the patient. I am confident going into the room with, you I might not know everything because I don’t think anyone does, but I know enough to be considered certified, which gives me the confidence to project, okay, here’s what we need to do to help you out right now from what we know in the research. And I feel like patients really respond to that. think they, sometimes they want a friend, but they also want someone who has authority in something. And even if you don’t have the certification behind your name.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (54:21)
Good.
Right.
Candace Alexander, PT (54:47)
being able to be confident in that learning that you’ve spent all that effort doing is gonna project that authority.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (54:54)
100 % agree, absolutely. And again, what an amazing option patients have in your community to be able to go to Dr. Candace Alexander and say, she knows what she’s doing. I feel confident that my needs are going to be addressed.
Candace Alexander, PT (55:09)
I’m going to have to go to
Elise – @TheOncoPT (55:19)
when I go in. And also not just to know that, but to also know that you are confident that you can do that too. Like that’s half the problem I feel like is if you don’t feel good about like, I know that what we’re doing is appropriate and safe for this patient, man, that like, that’s half the battle sometimes. So a hundred percent agree. That’s so, so important. And I’m so glad that you feel that way, Candace. Thank you so much for coming on the Onco PT podcast today and sharing your experience.
Candace Alexander, PT (55:19)
Okay.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (55:47)
sharing what you’ve learned during this application and then the preparation process. I made this comment a couple of weeks ago in an interview, but it kind of feels like this specialization process is a little bit like a mystery. Unless you are around people who are talking about it, who have been through this process, a lot of it feels very unknown and very, very scary at times. And so that’s part of why we’re doing this conversation series on…
Here’s what to know as you go into it on your own, dear listener, and where you can ultimately come back to to find more resources and help along the way. So Candace, again, thank you so much. Is there anything else that you would like to leave our listeners with today?
Candace Alexander, PT (56:28)
Well, I first, thank you, because I mean, I don’t know if I would have passed without the organizational structure, to be 100 % honest. I’m capable of learning. I’m an intelligent person, but the overwhelmed component of that. So like I said, if that’s what a person needs to help them get moving forward, this is a great resource for that. But also just the community, because it’s hard to have.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (56:36)
Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (56:54)
Like I know the APTA has like these groups that they put together when you go for your certification and things, but you can get that, but you have to get that from different places. It can’t be the same four people, the same five people. So this was another place to have that conversation, that information. As far as myself, I’m going to deviate a little bit. I think we talked about that. I think that’s okay. I actually am part of the lymphatic diseases SIG at the APTA.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (57:06)
Mm
Mm
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (57:21)
And for anyone listening to this who is a lymphedema therapist, you probably have been surrounded by the LTA all year long. It’s been both a blessing and a learning experience. We always encourage, even if you’re not part of the APTA, you can access and you can see people who are on the board and things. Reach out if there is something we can help with, if you have an interest, if you need knowledge, or maybe you want to teach something. Like maybe you have figured out something.
And it might even be something as simple as a small key series. But if there’s something you can provide, we want to provide you a platform to disseminate that information from. And the fact that you are able to have a website and a podcast, excellent resources, but for someone who doesn’t have that volume of content, being able to access something like that for the, and also make it clear. We have people who are going to be trying to represent us when we kind of approach CMS.
and have discussions on what needs to change, but they don’t know what needs to change besides their personal experiences if they don’t hear from people. So like I said, even if you don’t feel comfortable paying the money to join the APTA and then join the oncology division, you can reach people there without having to be a member and at least let us know like, hey, this is a problem in our area. We’re finding this issue. How can we address that? But we always just love to have you too. So also make that community.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (58:18)
Very cool.
Great,
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Candace Alexander, PT (58:46)
build those connections and get involved with some people who can actually help you move forward too in different ways. Because I don’t think I ever would have done a podcast if we hadn’t met at CSEL. So this is a brand new experience for me. It’s going to be really weird for me to hear it when I come off. But again, those connections are so helpful because it gives you places to go to for additional information. It gives you places to provide additional information. I’m far enough in my career where I should be helping give back.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (58:52)
That’s very exciting.
Yeah!
Yes.
Candace Alexander, PT (59:15)
and not just take, take, take all the time. So that’s one of those things. It’s a wonderful community and we just need to keep building it up in all different directions. Does it matter if it’s the APTA? Does it matter if it’s a community like this? We just need to find ways to come together as a community of therapists and provide support to each other.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (59:25)
Mm
I will definitely be linking to the APTA oncology lymphatic diseases disorders or diseases I can’t remember
Candace Alexander, PT (59:42)
It depends on where you look at it. I think the title right now is lymphatic diseases at this point. But it depends on where you read it.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (59:44)
That’s okay.
I will link to that SIG for certain in the show notes. We’ll find out which name I find on the website. But again, that’s a really great way to get to meet different people within APTA, especially APTA Oncology on kind of a smaller scale because the SIGs, know, like everybody’s welcome to join those SIGs, you know, and so everybody, you know, like if you join APTA Oncology, that’s like our bigger section.
But these SIGs are kind of areas where you can dive in maybe to some, you know, again, special interest areas. And so this is a great way to get started with that. Again, Candace has plugged the lymphatic one, which I would definitely encourage you to get involved with. And I will be linking to all of that in the show notes, of course. So Candace, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today. I so appreciate your time and you sharing your experience and your perspective on what worked for you, what didn’t work.
what you would recommend others to do. And I know that there’s listeners out there who are really going to get a lot out of this conversation today. So thank you so, so much for your time and experience today.
Candace Alexander, PT (1:01:01)
Thank you. This has been a blast. I have loved doing this. So it’s nice to know that my experience can possibly help someone else like the young ladies that you had had on before and your personal experience helped me. So it’s absolutely wonderful.
Elise – @TheOncoPT (1:01:14)
I love that so much. Well, until next time, this is Elise with Onco PT. And remember, you are exactly the physical therapist that your patients with cancer need. So let’s get to work.