Students Gain ‘Renewed Sense of Service’ at Pro-Bono Clinic at Respite Center

“It’s the kind of clinical site that you can’t fully prepare for,” said Durry Naqvi, DPT ’27. “Many of the participants are medically complex, so you have to be flexible and ready to change plans. Sometimes that even means talking and listening instead of focusing on physical treatment.”

Naqvi and Patterson volunteered—along with several other classmates—to lead and launch the pro bono clinic. They toured the facility, chose equipment, created schedules, and played key roles in decision-making for the clinic with support from faculty advisors.

“The students took ownership of this new initiative,” said Dr. Janna Kucharski-Howard, Director of Clinical Education at MCPHS. “We have seen many benefits for the community and the students. The participants receive extra support and individualized care. The students are leaving with a renewed sense of service and an appreciation for their ability to help.”

The respite center is one of several clinical sites where second-year physical therapy students gain hands-on experience in preparation for their third-year rotations. Faculty say the respite center is unlike any other site.

“They’re working with people with complex medical issues, orthopedic issues, and the patient population is a bit younger,” Dr. Janna Kucharski-Howard said. “They’re also taking vitals to ensure it’s safe to conduct treatment on a given day. Physical therapists are hands-on learners, so it makes sense to give our students as many opportunities as possible to work with real patients.”

One of Patterson’s patients is recovering from an amputation. Together, they built on her rehab and inpatient therapy to prepare her to receive a prosthesis.

“She’s so motivated to build strength and move well with the prosthesis,” Patterson said. “We all have rallied behind her, and I tell people going to the center to look out for her and take good care of her. We’ve also helped connect her with other support services because she’s getting her prosthesis very soon.”

But most of the residents have chronic concerns.

“We’ve seen many people in pain from injuries or conditions sustained years ago that they never received treatment for,” Naqvi said. “We’ve also done a lot of work correcting poor posture to relieve back pain, which involves manual therapy, massaging, and loosening those muscles. They’re always appreciative for that treatment.”

The center has added beds to create more living space. MCPHS hopes to continue the clinic and be part of the center as it grows.

“We would like to see this expand to include other disciplines, including pharmacy and occupational therapy,” Patterson said. “Even one visit from the other programs would help the people at the center immensely.”

One year since the clinic began, the students compiled their work, conducted surveys and interviews with participants, and presented the program at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting in California, the largest physical therapy conference in the country. They received the Social Responsibility Award.

“It was important to showcase a student-led project on a national level, especially one working with this population,” said Dr. Kucharski-Howard. “The students have been committed from the very beginning, and they should be very proud.”