“People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do it.”
-Rob Siltanen
Oncology physical therapy is a SIGNIFICANT departure from what most people know & expect from physical therapy. Think about it: cancer itself is a red flag condition you likely learned about & how you should refer the patient with cancer back to their referring provider.
And that is totally antithetical to how you as an OncoPT approach your patient with cancer.
Most PTs won’t even touch a person with cancer. They might even call you crazy.
But that’s what makes you the perfect OncoPT.
You probably already knew this, but you now need a path forward to that next, bigger, better version of OncoPT you can become.
That’s why we’re proud to announce our brand new private podcast, Confident & Competent: How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy!
Why We Created This Private Podcast
Many of you have reached out, asking for deeper insights and more focused content. With over 300 episodes, TheOncoPT Podcast covers a broad range of topics. But now, we’re diving deeper, offering a specialized series to help you master oncology PT.
Thus, the idea for our limited series, private podcast was born!
Subscribe to Confident & Competent: How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy here.
What to Expect from “Confident & Competent”
This new private podcast is a behind the scenes look at what it takes to become a sought-after specialist in oncology physical therapy. In this private podcast, we’re covering:
- Why you’re further along in oncology PT than you think
- How to find the help you need in oncology PT
- What it means to step into your “zone of genius”
- How to become the go-to oncology physical therapist in your area
Subscribe to Confident & Competent: How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy here.
Why Join the Private Podcast?
This exclusive podcast series is tailored for those who are serious about mastering oncology physical therapy. By joining, you’ll gain access to:
– Exclusive Content: Get insights and strategies that aren’t available on our public podcast.
– Professional Growth: Feel more empowered and equipped to handle the unique challenges of oncology PT.
– Community Support: Connect with like-minded professionals who are equally dedicated to excellence in oncology care.
How to Subscribe to “Confident & Competent: How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy”
Ready to elevate your practice? Here’s how you can subscribe to Confident & Competent: How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy:
1. Click this link
2. Enter your info to subscribe and gain instant access.
It’s that easy.
Join the Conversation
We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback about this new private podcast. Message TheOncoPT on Instagram to share what you need next from us!
At TheOncoPT Podcast, we’re committed to supporting your journey to becoming a confident and competent oncology physical therapist. Our new private podcast, **”Confident & Competent: How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy,”** is here to provide the focused, actionable content you need to succeed. Subscribe today and take the next step in your professional growth.
Want to watch the episode instead?
Watch this week’s episode of TheOncoPT Podcast on our YouTube channel!
Transcript
Elise – @TheOncoPT (00:19)
Hey Onco PT and welcome back to this episode of the Onco PT podcast. I am so thrilled that you’re here today and I’m really excited to be back. I took a little bit of a summer break last week to kind of rejuvenate. I’ve been dealing with some challenging patient cases lately and I just needed a little time off and I’m really glad that I took that time off. First of all, I hope that you’re taking the time off for yourself that you need this summer because when I tell you that I came back this week just feeling, ugh.
like refreshed. I felt relaxed. I didn’t feel this pressure that I was putting on myself. Let’s be clear. Like I was putting this pressure on myself, but one of the coolest things happened last week that I think I needed time to actually reflect on to show up for today’s episode. So in my hands right now, what you’re, if you’re watching this on YouTube, you know that I have a little piece of paper in my hand and the coolest thing happened to me last week. So long story short,
I’ve been working with this patient for several months now. This patient had a really interesting diagnosis, a very complex diagnosis that I’ve never actually seen clinically before. But the cool thing is, is that this patient, like so many of the other patients we’ve seen, cancer rehab, had a lot of the impairments we expect to see. Cancer -related fatigue, balance problems, decreased strength.
a lot of stuff that you and I tend to see in the clinic. So it was really cool to be challenged in the way of, I’ve never seen this diagnosis before, but I’m picking up on what you’re experiencing. And I know because of the treatments you’re on, because some of my other patients go through those treatments, I know kind of what to expect. And so it was a really wonderful experience getting to work with this patient. And what happened last week is that this patient came in for a follow -up visit and was officially cancer -free. And
Most of the patients that I see today, like lately, have been patients who are in the long -term survivorship phase. Like treatment is in the back window, it’s in the, you know, the rear view mirror, if you will. And I haven’t treated a lot of patients who are really going through it. And this patient was such a wonderful foray back into that because I forgot genuinely, because I got out of the habit of this.
I forgot how exciting it is to walk with a person as they’re going through that journey, as they are navigating the day in and day out. And it was really interesting to reflect on how quickly I kind of forgot, or I just didn’t think about what it looks like to walk with a person as they’re going through cancer treatment. And I was so privileged. This person actually came to me.
almost immediately after their diagnosis, wanted to start working together. And then we have, like I said, been working together for several months. And then this patient, like I said, just got the news that they are officially cancer -free. So what happened last week, this patient came in for their follow -up and they had a little gift baggie for me and it was the sweetest thing. And they wrote a card. When I opened up the card, the first thing that fell out, there were three pieces of paper inside that card in addition to the letter. And this is the first
piece of paper that fell out and it choked me up when I first read it and I’m trying not to get choked up now because I did not want to start this episode this way but let me read you this quote because it just it hit me like a ton of bricks and I hope it hits you like that too. People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do it and the quote was said by Rob Siltanen and when I tell you that this quote
It felt like, you know, it kind of felt like the bus in Mean Girls hitting Regina George, just out of nowhere, whapam, in the most beautiful way possible. And it was so cool to just sit in that moment because you and I do this every day, right? We’re working with patients all the time. It kind of gets sometimes to be maybe even a little mundane. You know, we’re going through the motions.
We’re just trying to stay on top of it all. And we forget the kind of impact that we can have, that you can have on your community and on the people in your community. And this note here, so I’ve got it in front of me. Again, if you’re watching this on YouTube, you can see it. And it’s just a simple little printout of that quote, but it was so profound in that moment. And there were other lovely quotes in there that maybe I’ll share later, but this was the one that just stopped me dead in my tracks. And it really got me thinking about
kind of lots of things, but specifically this idea of being a little crazy. And maybe if you will, being a little delusional. Right now in summer 2024, there’s this big, you know, like be delulu. And it’s just this concept, especially in like, you know, career world or whatever that you kind of have to think a little crazy, a little outside of the pot, outside of the box.
to be a little delusional to go after what you want to. And this I think applies particularly well in oncology physical therapy. Because when we go to PT school, when you went to PT school, when I went to PT school, we were in general probably told that if you suspect a person has cancer, refer them back and kind of wash your hands of them. And we learned many red flags as part of learning how to be safe.
practitioners eventually, that cancer is a red flag for certain modalities, for example. I’m not going to try to remember what those modalities are because I’m going to be honest with you all, I don’t actually use modalities in my practice. Ultrasound is not existent in my clinic. And so a lot of this stuff, it really doesn’t apply to what you are likely doing as an oncology physical therapist, as a physical therapist treating patients with cancer.
You and I know that while our patient may have, you know, like if they experienced first, you know, a musculoskeletal condition that was actually cancer masquerading as a musculoskeletal condition, we know, of course, get the patient sent back to the referring provider so we can get that medical diagnosis and start that path forward. But for many of our patients, there’s already cancer. We already got the cancer, right? The cancer is there.
The cancer is here to stay until treatment is able to address it appropriately. Meanwhile, your patient is still dealing with XYZ impairment that they’re dealing with that maybe brought them to you in the first place. For example, if your patient has rotator cuff issues, but also happens to have colorectal cancer, their shoulder issues don’t magically go away just because, now they have a diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
Now they’re going through cancer treatment. Everything is taken care of. I mean, come on, you can probably hear me rolling my eyes through your headphones right now. This just doesn’t happen. It doesn’t really encompass what it means to be an oncology physical therapist treating oncology patients. And the paradigm, the framework that we learn in school is set up to make a safe general practitioners. And I agree that there is a time and a place for
Absolutely. But it really doesn’t set up physical therapy as a profession, our field to treat people with cancer. And not just from a, well, I don’t know all the side effects of, know, chemotherapy, for example. I don’t know how radiation therapy affects my patient’s insert body part here. That’s not even what we’re talking about. We’re talking about the mindset.
Most physical therapists do not believe that patients with cancer would benefit from oncology physical therapy, from seeing a physical therapist, right? Because that is what we have ingrained into ourselves. And I use the big, capital we here, the royal we, we do not have a culture that really thinks about this. And so when you start leaning into oncology physical therapy, it kind of seems a little cuckoo. It kind of seems a little crazy.
you might seem a little delusional. I remember being looked at like I had four heads when I first started talking about what I wanted to do once I graduated from PT school, which was work with patients who have cancer. That’s pretty crazy. Even today in 2024, we know that oncology physical therapy is gaining more steam, know, we’re gaining ground, but it’s still not embraced widely.
because of the barriers that we’ve kind of set up for ourselves. Again, we being the royal we, the big picture, we as a field, as a historical profession, what we have set up for ourselves. And to treat patients with cancer well and in the way you know they should, it takes being a little crazy.
It takes being a little delusional.
Again, people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do it. It is only by being a little crazy and being a little delusional that you’re actually going to make that kind of a difference for that person in your community who is dealing with cancer, period. And this really ties in well with a secret project I’ve been working on behind the scenes.
Spoiler alert, I have a surprise for you in this episode and I know that you are really going to love it. I’ve been working on it behind the scenes for a few weeks. You may have had an inkling of what’s coming, but this new project ties in so well. to like I said, this, this patient interaction that I had last week and the quote that this patient handed me because it does take some craziness. it does take
quite frankly, a lot of delusional thinking to get to the point where you can step up and say, this is what I want to do. I know I can do it. I am going to make this happen.
It’s easy for me being on this side of things. I’m six years into my practice to say, I’m okay thinking a little crazy. I’m okay thinking outside the box. I’m okay looking and seeming a little delusional in the pursuit of elevating cancer care to what I know it can be. Because I’ve been working on this day in and day out. I’m still working on it. But I’ve been doing this for a long time. And when you first start an oncology physical therapy,
Or even if you’ve been in the game a few years, it can seem really challenging to get into this, this mindset of, know that I can do this. I know that I have what it takes. I have the crazy, I have the delulu, right? I have the delusional thinking, the big picture thinking to know that I can change the world through what I’m doing with my patients. So I said, why not
What’s required to get into this mindset and what you actually need to know as a physical therapist to treat these patients, why don’t I package it up real nicely?
and give it as a present. And so that’s what I’m doing here. So what I’ve been working on behind the scenes is a brand new private podcast that is designed specifically to help you become the most confident and competent oncology physical therapist that you can be. Drum roll please. The title of this new private podcast is called Confident and Competent, How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy.
Why I created this podcast, okay, there’s some parameters here. All right. This is not the Onco PT podcast version two. This is very different. Why I created this very limited series, new private podcast is that I don’t know if you’ve noticed, we have now released over 300 episodes here on the Onco PT podcast, which is so exciting. Don’t worry, friend. We have no intention of slowing down.
But what we have realized over here at the Onco PT is that after 300 episodes over the last six years, there’s a lot of information to sift through. There’s a lot of episodes to go back and listen to. And I don’t necessarily want that for you. If you want to go back and listen to all the episodes, cool, great. Love that for you, But I had a lot of people reaching out saying, I’m interested in treating this patient population.
I don’t really know where to start. don’t really know how to get to that next level. What would you recommend? And while I can pick out certain episodes of like, this one’s a great one. this one’s a great one.
Why not make it a little easier? Why not take some of the overarching themes across the years and hundreds of episodes that we’ve done and package them up nicely in a way that you can listen to with, again, a very finite timeframe because it’s very like there are very, I think there’s 10 episodes, only 10 episodes of this private podcast where you can dive deeper into what it takes to master oncology, physical therapy, how to develop your skills, build your confidence and truly
make a difference with this patient population. And so that’s why we’ve created this new private podcast. And that’s why we’ve branded it as confident and competent how to master oncology physical therapy. Because if you’re ready to take those next steps, you have to step in to who you need to be as an oncology physical therapist. And again, I’m going to bring out my little quote here. I need to like tattoo this on my forehead.
You have to be a little crazy to do this. You have to be crazy enough to think that you can change the world if you are ever going to do this. And I believe in oncology physical therapy. It starts with stepping in and claiming wholeheartedly this sense of confidence and competence in yourself and the quality of patient care that you are delivering for your patients.
to get them to wherever they’re going. This series, this 10 episode series is tailored for those who are ready to go all in on oncology physical therapy. If you’re here for like a taste, you’re like, you know, I have this one patient in my 99 .9 % orthopedic patient population. I don’t really care to see any more oncology patients except this one I just happen to have on my schedule. This is not for you, friend. But if you are ready to go all in and take
your patient care and your clinical practice to the next level, this is for you. We’re not only going to talk about what you need to get to that next level as far as a a knowledge perspective, but also what are the things you need to do to support your personal growth and wellbeing so you can grow in to that version of OncoPT that I know you can be. Now,
Now you may be wondering, Elise, what’s the catch here? Like this sounds exciting. I’m all for it, but what’s the catch? I actually don’t have a catch for you, friend. This new series is of no cost to you. So to join, to subscribe to this private podcast, all you have to do is go to theoncopt.com/confident and subscribe. That’s it. There’s no cost to you.
The only cost is are you willing to give up who you were yesterday to become the oncology physical therapist, the OncoPT that you are meant to be today.
So to recap, this brand new private podcast is composed of 10 episodes that are going to take you from where you are today and show you the steps and the path forward to becoming the best version of Onco PT that you know that you can become. If you are stuck feeling like you’re crazy, you’re a little delusional.
Like you know that there’s something better out there for your patients, but you just don’t know how to get to that point yet. If you know that you have what it takes to change the world that you live in by showing up more confident and competent for your oncology patients in your own community, you are going to love.
this brand new private podcast. Remember it’s called Confident and Competent, How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy and you can subscribe to this private podcast series at theoncopt.com/confident today. All the episodes are there waiting for you to start listening and I cannot wait to see you over in our new private
And not to worry, we will be back next week here on the Onco PT podcast with our regularly scheduled episodes. The Onco PT podcast is not going anywhere y ‘all, but until then, if you want a little extra oncology physical therapy goodness, I highly encourage you to subscribe to our brand new free private podcast series, Confident and Competent, How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy. To subscribe today and start binging all of the episodes,
head to theoncopt.com/confident and I will see you over
Thank you so much for your continued support and for being a part of this amazing OncoPT community. I’m so excited that you joined me today on this episode of the OncoPT podcast. And I also cannot wait for you to join us over on our brand new private podcast series, Confident and Competent, How to Master Oncology Physical Therapy. And I cannot wait to hear all about how you are implementing those lessons into your practice to show up better for your own patients in your own community.
Until next time, this is Elise with the Onco PT. And remember, you are exactly the physical therapist that your patients with cancer need. So let’s get to