Get to Know: Olivia Cooper

Q&A by Tori Serna

What made you want to pursue a career in physical therapy?

Out of everything that makes up physical therapy, I enjoy most how all-encompassing the profession is. Physical therapists can reach a variety of different patients. They can work in different settings, specialize, and have different focusses. Physical therapists can provide people with different ways to improve their lives, in whatever ways are most important to them. I first grew interested in the profession in high school and that interest was solidified in college. I enjoyed every component of the rehabilitation process. I also value how physical therapists have the capacity to form very meaningful relationships with their patients. It’s a unique profession that has a plethora of paths one can explore if they choose.

How has CU Anschutz Physical Therapy program allowed you to pursue your goals?

The CU Anschutz Physical Therapy program has opened many doors for me to find my way and figure out my skillset and the ways in which to use it to best serve the individuals I treat. Through community outreach, volunteer opportunities, and a variety of clinical experiences, our faculty has given us tools that have allowed me to grow in ways I never imagined. This program has been a strong support system in many ways and in doing so has given me the confidence and encouragement I needed to continue working towards my goals.

What is your “why”?

I have many “why’s” when it comes to physical therapy. Number one on that list would be the capacity physical therapists have to positively touch so many people in a variety of ways to help them live their life the way they want to live it. Giving someone the opportunity to feel their life getting easier or becoming less painful; less demanding on their caregivers because of services they receive during physical therapy is a large reason why I love this profession so much.

February is a month to honor and celebrate Black leaders. What does this mean for you? What leadership role(s) have you taken up and what impact have they had on you and your time in the program?

CU Anschutz has made an obvious effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout all interactions, experiences, and opportunities. I’ve been able to meet, learn alongside, and gain support from many other Black physical therapy students and students of other disciplines. To me, honoring and celebrating Black leaders means reflecting on how far we’ve come as a society and as a profession, while recognizing how far we still have to go. Representation in in this field is another one of my main drivers. When I was a child, I never met a Black healthcare provider. I hope to be that familiar face to future generations. To help them realize they too can become a physical therapist, a doctor, a dentist, or whatever other healthcare profession they are interested in.

During my time at CU Anschutz, I’ve had the chance to fill leadership roles at various volunteer opportunities. In doing so, I’ve felt more prepared to go forth in other leadership roles as I move towards graduation and post-graduation life.

What words of encouragement do you have to share with future students of color pursuing careers in healthcare?

As a student of color pursuing a career in healthcare, I have encountered many instances in which it was advantageous to have the perspective I do as a Black female. Keep an eye open for these opportunities and embrace them when they arise. Your empathy, compassion, patience, and the ability to connect with others will show through, even if the experience that taught you those characteristics were less than pleasant. Always remember how these difficulties help us grow as people and how the lessons they teach us make us better clinicians for our patients.

Get to Know: Dr. Adedayo Balogun

What made you want to pursue a career in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation? 
As a medical student, I had a wide and varied interest in all of my different clinical rotations. I had a strong interest in the musculoskeletal system, and the neurological and neuroanatomy courses. When I was exposed to a PM&R rotation, it was the first rotation that I felt completely in tune with the physicians that were present. It helped address all of the most important aspects of a person’s healthcare, and took into account all aspects of a person’s experience when taking part in their care.  

How has the CU PM&R residency program allowed you to pursue your goals? 
This residency program has so far allowed me to cultivate my experience and independence in different rehabilitation settings and learn how to navigate the different barriers and challenges that patients face routinely. I've been exposed to many different versions of being a PM&R physician, and I have had the ability to explore these different areas in a way that I can prepare myself for life after residency.

What is your “why”? 
My “why” is always to bring the best care to as many people that I can first and foremost. I want to be able to deliver that same care to people that have historically been overlooked, and taken advantage of as well. I aspire to provide patients that may not always feel seen or heard to understand that I’m taking their concerns to heart, and I understand the perspective that many of their other care providers may not. I also strive to be a positive example for others who may look like me or identify with me. I want to be more than an example, but a support system for those coming after me.  

February is a month to honor and celebrate Black leaders. What does this mean for you? 
Black History Month is an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on the ways that black people have contributed to the world. We have been leaders for change and equity, leaders in science, health care, ingenuity and all aspects of life. Being a leader, to me is about being accountable. I think that having priorities, morals, and standards, and holding strong to those values is all that it takes to be a leader.  

What leadership role(s) have you taken up and what impact have they had on you and your time in medical school or residency? As a medical student I took part in my school's Student National Medical Association (SNMA) chapter. As president of this chapter, we had a hand in reaching out to the community for other people to understand that becoming a physician was attainable, finishing school and going to the college opened plenty of doors, and providing support and guidance for undergraduate students that had an interest in going to medical school.  

Being a physician inherently occupies a leadership role. As a physiatrist, we regularly take part in team meetings, where we discuss patients with PT’s, OT’s, RN’s, social workers, case managers, and speech therapists. Sometimes, being a leader is understanding how the team functions most effectively, other times it’s trusting your teammates to their expertise and simply providing an overall team goal for everyone to strive towards.  

What words of encouragement do you have to share with future students of color pursuing careers in healthcare?
The words of encouragement that I have for those students would be to always show up and be yourself. You have a unique experience and perspective that matters, and never let fear of failure keep you from trying something that you are passionate about. Do your best to surround yourself with people that you admire and have similar goals as yourself. Not competitors, but people who will lift you up with them. These are the people that you’ll grow the closest to both professionally and personally.