ATSU-ASHS DPT student earns prestigious women’s health residency position
Posted: April 5, 2023
A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS) Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program student Kayla Koren, DPT, ’23, has been accepted into a prestigious women’s health physical therapy residency at Saint Louis University (SLU) in partnership with SSM Health Physical Therapy.
Koren, who will graduate from the DPT program this upcoming June, will begin the 16-month residency in July. Throughout her time as a resident, Koren will receive advanced clinical training and will gain the knowledge to become a highly skilled clinician, provider, and educator in women’s health, with a focus on pelvic physical therapy (PT).
“The PT program here at ATSU has prepared me well for residency in many ways. Tammy Roehling, PT, DPT, PhD, program director, and Pamela Kays, PT, DPT, EdD, assistant professor and director of curriculum, have been instrumental in encouraging my passion for pelvic PT,” Koren said.
“From the beginning of my first year in the program, I was consistently asking them more questions about this specialty, which then progressed to helping to treat pelvic health patients in the pro bono clinic, and to completing over 100 hours of continuing education during my second year as well as taking on roles within the APTA at the national level.”
Koren’s residency will allow her to practice as a full time women’s health PT while also providing her an opportunity to be an educator as a lab instructor and guest lecturer. Koren will also have the ability to work alongside PT students to serve the underserved in SLU’s pro bono clinic during her residency.
“Our faculty as a whole has always been incredibly helpful, as is evident in their drive to serve their patients as well as provide the best learning experience for their students. As I step into an educator role in my residency, I will be taking these characteristics with me as I begin working with students myself. I feel especially lucky that I have pursued my PT education with ATSU,” she added.
Currently, Koren also serves as the director of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Student Interest Group, and has previously been on the board of the ATSU Center for Occupational and Physical Therapy.
“I am so excited for Kayla to have this opportunity to pursue her career goal and grow into an amazing clinician. On a personal and selfish level, I was hoping Kayla would stay local after graduation so the patients in Arizona could continue to benefit from her passion and leadership in pelvic health. Now the patients in St. Louis will greatly benefit from her constant desire to improve the lives and health of those suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction,” said Dr. Roehling.