Danielle Barnes
Howard University
Why did you run for your position?
Before February of this year I had no idea at all what the student assembly was. Meeting Lisa McLaughlin at APTA headquarters during a class field trip is where I was introduced to the Student Assembly and the SABoD. She told our class that no one from Howard has ever been slated for a position and said that it would be great to get some representation from my school. So I took it upon myself to contact her and get more information and then decided to run, never in a million years guessing that I would be slated or elected.
How did you initially get involved in APTA?
I became involved once I talked to Lisa, and then became my program's representative.
What are your physical therapy interests?
I like acute care and wound care.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of physical therapy?
I love to sleep! But other than that, hanging out with my friends and having a good time.
What sports team(s) do you follow?
I'm not a sports girl at all.
What is your dream job?
My dream job would be working as a physical therapist for a wound care or trauma unit at a hospital.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a teacher and a doctor. I think I wanted to be a veterinarian, too.
Who is your role model?
I don't have one.
If you could meet any PT who would it be?
I really don't know just yet.
What characteristics do you admire in a Clinical Instructor?
Have good teaching and personal skills. A CI that takes the time to teach me how the clinic runs and ensures that I have a good grasp on all information.
What was your safety blanket when you were little?
I didn't have one. My older sister took anything from me that I found interest in. (Yea she was a bully.)
What is your most commonly used phrase?
"Don't judge me!" "What the …" "He/she's a clown!" "You rigghhht!"
Why are you becoming a PT?
When I was in high school my grandfather suffered a stroke, and afterward he had home physical therapy. Each time the therapist would come to the house I would sit in and watch what she did, and after she left I would take her spot and make my grandfather do all the exercises so that he could have a full recovery. With my help (I like to think) he did, and since then I just knew in my heart and mind that I wanted to be a physical therapist. My grandfather passed away my first semester of undergrad but I know he would be so proud of me now.
Where are you going/where have you been on clinical?
I don't have a favorite article, but one I just had to do a paper on that was pretty interesting was The effect of early implementation of electrical muscle stimulation to prevent muscle atrophy and weakness in patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, by Hasegawa S, Kobayashi M, Arai R, Tamaki A, Nakamura T, Moritani T,
What is your favorite research article?(or is there an article recently that has sparked your interest?)
I cannot claim an article as my favorite, but I have recently enjoyed: "Translational Studies in Neurorehabilitation: From Bench to Bedside" by Agnes Floel and Leonardo Cohen. This article demonstrates the profound possibilities of neurological rehab, even in the hardest scenarios.
If you had a super power what would it be?
OR If you could be any cartoon character who would it be?
I would like to be Phineas from the Disney show Phineas and Ferb. I think it would be so cool to build all these crazy contraptions, having fun while doing it, and then have them disappear into thin air when I'm done with them.