Get to Know: Adriana Maldonado

Q&A by Tori Serna

What made you want to pursue a career in Physical Therapy?

Unlike most, an injury wasn’t what made me want to pursue a career in physical therapy. When I was in college, I minored in dance. There was a physical therapist in the dance building that would do preventative care with us, and she would take students for shadow hours if they wanted to learn more. The lectures were so interesting. I loved the concept of preventative care and the philosophy of helping people in a noninvasive way. After doing some shadow hours with her, I was hooked. I couldn’t imagine pursuing a different career path.

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

One of my goals was to practice Physical Therapy in the way that the physical therapist did at CU Boulder’s dance program. She preached self-sufficiency and independence. CU Anschutz teaches us to center the patient and, for me, that’s what sets ours apart from other programs. The professors here emphasize patient centered care, which aligns with the future clinician I aspire to be.

What is your “why”?

My why is to help and educate people on the things that they didn’t know that they could do. This is my favorite part of physical therapy. I enjoy giving patients exercises they feel they don’t know how to do and watching them see in real time that they can not only do those very exercises, but also the extent in which the exercises work.

June is a month to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ protestors in the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. What does this mean for you? How have you shown pride in the program?

Pride is wonderful. After many years of being ashamed and afraid of my identity, I’m grateful to have the ability to publicly celebrate. And it’s wonderful to be able to share in the different aspects of LGBTQ+ culture. My relationship with Stonewall is more complicated. I feel like people try to make Stonewall the end-all-be-all for queer activism. It was important, but it’s not the only riot or protest that happened. New Yorkers just happened to be really good at publicizing and organizing, which is why Stonewall created as much hype as it did. And I’m glad it did because it resulted in a lot of progress for our community. But queer people have always been here, it’s just that a lot of our history has either been erased or isn’t commonly known.

In the program we’ve had some conversations surrounding gender and pronouns and things of that nature. As a gender non-conforming person in the class, I’ve spearheaded some of those conversations. I’m both consciously and unconsciously looked at to lead those conversations. Not all conversations have been easy; I’ve had clinic in rural areas, where patients didn’t want gender non-conforming physical therapy students to work with them. However, continuing to advocate for patients is and always has been the light at the end of the tunnel.

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

The most important thing for LGBTQ+ students to remember is that you are valid, no matter how you identify. You are important. Diversity is what makes us, both the profession and CU Anschutz, stronger. Everybody has a place in healthcare. The moment that you treat a patient who can see their self in you, and feels safe and comfortable with you because of that, is one you will never forget. It makes everything worth it.

Check out PrideFest activities happening in Denver June 25-26, 2022!

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.