Mel Hamilt

Evaluate and treat patients with acute illnesses to prescribe treatment plans of various therapeutic activities to increase their capacity for safe and independent functional mobility tasks. 

Education
Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
Bachelor of Science: Exercise Science
Magna Cum Laude
University of Iowa Iowa city, IA Doctorate of Physical Therapy
Clinical Experience
Mercy Hospital Cedar Rapids, IA
Acute care
Emory Sports Medicine Atlanta, GA
Sports Medicine, Outpatient Physical Therapy
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Peoria, IL Inpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
Select Physical Therapy Greenwood Village, CO Outpatient Physical Therapy
Integrated Clinical Education Experiences
Half day to two-week clinical internships surrounding Iowa City Area Outpatient physical therapy, acute care, sports medicine
Job and Volunteer Experience
Big Peach Running Company Atlanta, GA
September 2014 – May 2018
July 2018 – December 2020
July 2019-August 2019 June 2020-August 2020 August 2020-October 2020 October 2020-December 2020 August 2018-January 2020
January 2018- June 2018
    Assess walking and running gait to fit customers with the ideal shoe to maximize running
Emory Sports Medicine Internship Atlanta, GA January 2018 – June 2018 Attend employee meetings, coordinate patient schedules, collaborate with rehabilitation team
Mercy Hospital Iowa City, IA July 2021- Current Inpatient Acute Physical Therapist
Community Member and Volunteer Aide Iowa City, IA January 2019-May 2020 Assist and rehabilitate patient who sustained a spinal cord injury 4 years ago
Collaborate with classmates to prescribe exercises and stretches for optimal function
Community Engagement Iowa City, IA July 2018-December 2020
Running Symposium – coordinate educational event pertaining to running & athletics Wheelchair Challenge – coordinate basketball game for children who use wheelchairs Mobile Clinic – screen patients for MSK injuries and prescribe home exercise program
 

I am a 2020 graduate from The University of Iowa’s physical therapy program. With a strong interest and passion in communicating and in teaching functional movement patterns to better a patient’s quality of life, I will be a great fit for this team.
During my clinical experiences, I was able to reflect and to adapt my skills to the demands of patients in various clinical settings. These experiences allowed me to be involved in every stage of care and to customize rehabilitation that is specific to the patient. It is rewarding to be part of this process and to facilitate a patient’s overall growth. Learning to approach rehabilitation beyond treating the physical body has helped me become a more effective clinician. My approach to care is multidimensional and includes tailoring rehab to consider the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors. With this approach, the patient is able to establish a connection between the mind and the body that will promote efficient movement, leading to greater function and a higher quality of life.
In addition to my passion of contributing to quality patient care, I enjoy the teaching aspect of being a physical therapist. Educating a patient to understand the body and the specific pathology will help create realistic goals and expectations to accurately define the path of recovery. During my 9-week clinical education experience within an acute neurological setting at The OSF St. Francis Medical center, I learned to adapt my teaching style to meet the physical and cognitive demands of individual patients. I worked with patients with various neurological pathologies. Working with these individuals challenged me to become a more effective communicator and educator. As a physical therapist, it is imperative that I can communicate and teach one idea in multiple ways to ensure that I am effectively teaching the patient safe movement patterns. My clinical experiences and professional experiences have taught me to become an empathetic and caring clinician who is able to adapt easily to my surroundings. I have been an acute care physical therapist at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City for two years and have grown as a physical therapist.