Congratulations, MScPT Class of 2024!

The Department of Physical Therapy proudly celebrates the newest graduates of the Master of Science in Physical Therapy program and all they have accomplished.

As they prepare to bring their physical therapy knowledge and skills into the world of health care, four graduating students reflect on the past two years and share what they have planned for the future.

Alyssa Benitez

I pursued physical therapy because I was inspired by the life-changing work of the physical therapists I’ve met throughout my life. I admire how they were able to help my loved ones reach their goals after injury. My curiosity about the profession led me to volunteer in clinical settings where I saw physical therapists in action, offering compassion and care to help individuals find hope and strength along their recovery. The hope and resilience I witnessed inspired me to dedicate my life to supporting people in achieving their goals and uplifting my community.

As I reflect on the past two years, many moments bring a smile to my face, but one that stands out occurred during Unit 10 when Professor Euson Yeung started dancing during a clinical skills lab! It was a particularly challenging time in the program and his spontaneous dance made the whole class burst into laughter. It served as a great reminder that learning can be fun and that my professors are truly awesome people.

If I could go back to the start of the program, I would tell my first-year self to not be so hard on myself. It took a lot of hard work to get to where I am now, but before you know it, the experience will be over, so enjoy every moment!

I am so excited to be starting my career at The Physio Spot in Markham to serve the community where I grew up. I hope to continue improving my clinical reasoning and hands-on skills through professional development courses. I also hope to pursue research in health systems innovation to find ways to enhance accessibility of community-based rehabilitation services for under-served populations. In general, I want to be a life-long learner.

Jacqueline Bond

I was inspired to pursue physical therapy because I grew up dancing, which made me curious about how our bodies move and what they are capable of. I am also passionate about helping people improve their quality of life and wanted a career in health care, so physical therapy just made sense for me.

One of my most memorable moments from the program was having the opportunity to do a clinical internship at SickKids in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. It was an amazing experience that taught me a lot and I am very grateful for my time there.

If I could go back to when I was starting the program, the advice I would give to my first-year self would be to soak everything in and try to enjoy every moment of my time in the program because the time flies by. It is also important to have a good work-life balance, so make time to go do fun things with friends and classmates while we are all in the same city.   

I am excited to share that I have started working as a physical therapist at Belleville General Hospital in their internal medicine unit. Throughout my career, I hope to continue to have opportunities to work with cardiorespiratory, neurological, and paediatric populations. 

Shaheer Khawar

I was inspired to pursue physical therapy to help people get back to the things that matter most to them, whether that be sports or their day-to-day activities. I was fortunate to have first-hand experience with physical therapy as a former athlete and I was able to witness the profound impact that physical therapy has on others. This helped me realize that this was a career that I was passionate about.  

My most memorable moments from the program are all of the opportunities to meet so many other passionate and great people in my class. I have made lifelong friendships throughout the MScPT program.

If I could give advice to my first-year self, I would tell him that the MScPT program is a place where you can challenge yourself to be the best physical therapist and person you can be. The faculty members are incredibly supportive, and I would tell my first-year self to be more open to approaching them – they want to see you grow and succeed!

I am looking forward to clinical orthopaedic practice at Kings Cross Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Practice in Brampton. In this next phase, I am looking forward to continuing to develop my orthopaedic skills and providing high quality, personalized care to each patient that I see. In the future, I want to make physical therapy more accessible and affordable to the public. 

Madi Mayhew

My desire to pursue physical therapy stems from my background as an athlete. I spent much of my life on the soccer field and figure skating rink, but two ACL tears shifted my perspective on recovery. The care and encouragement I received from my rehabilitation team had a lasting impact and inspired me to explore physical therapy. After completing my undergraduate degree, I pursued training as an Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant, which deepened my understanding of how rewarding it is to help others regain their health and independence. That experience solidified my passion for this career and my commitment to making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, which led me to the MScPT program. 

Reflecting on my time in the program, the past two years have been some of the best of my life. One of my favourite moments happened before classes even started, when our class gathered at Queen's Park to introduce ourselves and meet the people we’d be spending the next two years with. From the very first moment, I felt welcomed into the physical therapy community with open arms and knew I had found my people. We all share the same commitment to helping others, and that sense of connection has stayed with me throughout the program. 

If I could offer advice to my first-year self, it would be to trust in your knowledge and abilities. Confidence goes a long way – believe in yourself and everything will fall into place. While the first few placements may feel daunting, remember that with each experience, you are shaping into the health care professional you’re destined to become. 

Looking ahead, I am grateful to be working at Michael Garron Hospital, where I previously completed a clinical internship. This position has deepened my passion for acute care, especially in the areas of acute stroke rehabilitation, geriatrics and general medicine. I am eager to advance my research in neurological rehabilitation, as I believe it is vital for enhancing treatment options for stroke patients. By balancing my clinical work with research, I hope to make meaningful contributions to the field. Additionally, I plan to complete my Neuro-Developmental Treatment training, which will allow me to provide even more effective care during the critical early days following a stroke.