I get asked all the time what the initials behind my name stand for. First is DPT, this is for Doctor of Physical Therapy. Yep, that’s right, I went to school THAT long, 8 yrs to be exact. The next and most recent addition is WCS. This stands for Board Certified Women’s Health/ Pelvic Floor Specialist. This is one I am particularly proud of.
I am 1 of 433 nationally, and 1 of 22 in the state of WA.
So now to the details of what I needed to do in order to add these 3 letters behind my name:
- 2,000 hrs of clinical experience IN SPECIALTY AREA
- This means I had to work 40 hrs/wk for a little over 1 year working only with pelvic floor dysfunction. I had 6,720 hrs when I applied.
- $$ lots of it. The application was $2,400. Add study materials and time off work to take the exam and the cost is even more.
- I wrote one case reflection demonstrating specialty practice in women’s health.
- Finally, I sat for and passed a written examination which tests the application of advanced knowledge and clinical skills
The topics covered were:
Bowel dysfunction (constipation, fecal incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome) (5%)
B. Lymphedema (5%)
C. Osteoporosis/Fibromyalgia/Pelvic Girdle/Postsurgical dysfunction (26%)
D. Pelvic floor dysfunction/pain (pelvic organ prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, cystitis) (26%)
E. Pregnancy/postpartum (Musculoskeletal dysfunction with pregnancy/postpartum, High-Risk Pregnancy) (12%)
F. Sexual dysfunction (dyspareunia, vaginismus) (5%)
G. Urinary dysfunction (urinary incontinence, urinary retention, urinary urgency) (15%)
H. Other (cardiovascular/pulmonary/hormone/oncology/autoimmune/neurologic/multiple sclerosis/Parkinson) (6%)
So next time you see initials behind someone’s name be sure to ask about them, you never know what you will learn!