Just four years after completing his degree at SUNY Potsdam in exercise science, Luke Vitale ’20 has already received his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from Duke University, completed three clinical rotations around the country, and has now been hired as a travel physical therapist for a sports / orthopedic clinic on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
“What I love about physical therapy is that my day-to-day is essentially just problem-solving, but with movement, exercise, and occasionally some manual therapy. It’s really fun and also very challenging at times, which keeps things exciting,” he said.
The full-time position was a smooth transition for Vitale, who completed nine months of clinical rotations at three locations around the country during his final year at Duke University. Starting within the Cardiothoracic unit at Duke University Hospital, he provided physical therapy to patients recovering from major surgery ranging from coronary bypass and heart valve replacement to complete heart and lung transplants. Working with one patient, he spent five days a week for more than two months helping her regain her strength and mobility while recovering from heart transplant surgery.
“She is one of the toughest, most resilient individuals I’ve met,” Vitale said. “Some patients recovered quickly and without complication, while others were much more tenuous, and required intensive therapy prior to discharge. Naturally, some of these patients unfortunately do not make it. That was probably the most difficult aspect of that rotation to grapple with as a young, naïve PT student. Some cases were incredibly draining, emotionally. However, I also had some extremely rewarding experiences with other patients, including with this young woman who had received her second heart transplant in the course of two to three years.”
For his second and third rotations, Vitale was placed in outpatient orthopedic / sports medicine clinics in Bozeman, Montana, and Phoenix, Arizona, that were attached to sports performance gyms. Every day presented new challenges while working with clients dealing with everything from musculoskeletal injuries to rehabilitation from surgery. He also had the chance to help professional and semi-professional athletes recover from injury before returning to action.
Now he has parlayed those experiences into a full-time job as a travel physical therapist at Advanced Kinetics in McLean, Virginia. Later this year he will transition to another clinic in Boston, Mass., or another part of New England, before moving out west for his third placement. “I typically see anywhere from eight to 14 patients a day, which includes initial evaluations and follow-up appointments. I’m working with a similar patient population to what I was seeing in Montana and Arizona, which has made for a relatively seamless transition from student to professional,” he said.
The foundation for his success can be traced back to SUNY Potsdam. One of America’s first 50 colleges, SUNY Potsdam appeared on his radar while looking for schools where he could play competitive lacrosse after he finished high school in Fairfield, Conn. He visited campus, met the head coach, and spoke with faculty about the academic offerings.
“I learned that Potsdam had an exercise science program that could set me up to pursue physical therapy. Potsdam also had a wilderness education minor, which presented a unique opportunity that wasn’t offered at any other schools I was considering. Additionally, being right outside the Adirondack blue line was the cherry on top. There’s something about the Adirondack region that’s just hard to beat. It was all these things that drew me to Potsdam my freshman year.”
During that initial college tour, he also met Tanya Hewitt, chair of the Department of Public Health & Human Performance, who discussed the benefits of the exercise science program and how it opens the door to a variety of fields, including physical therapy.
“From that point forward, she was one of the best resources I had at the school. Although she wasn’t my academic advisor on paper, she essentially adopted that role during my four years. I knew that with Tanya I always had someone in my corner to help navigate academic, career, and life decisions. She is truly the best of the best, and that can’t be overstated,” he said.
Vitale enrolled in one class after another, from Foundations in Strength and Conditioning, and Kinesiology, to Advanced Exercise Physiology—the latter of which, taught by Biology Professor Dr. Jason Schreer, proved to be the most impactful class he took at SUNY Potsdam.
“That was far and away my favorite course. Dr. Schreer was so passionate about the material, and his role an educator. His class was a ton of fun, especially the lab portion, but it was also one of the most challenging courses I took, matching and exceeding the difficulty of some of the courses in my DPT curriculum [at Duke University],” he said. “No doubt, the experiences I gained from my coursework at Potsdam have shaped who I am as a clinician today, and has opened doors allowing me to work all along the rehab-performance continuum.”
Interweaving his degree in exercise science with his commitment to the lacrosse team, Vitale completed an independent study overseeing the off-season strength and conditioning for his team. “I learned a ton from Coach Rick Berkman, not only about the sport, but about life itself, adversity, and leadership. I’m grateful for my time on the team, and for him allowing me to fill leadership positions,” he said.
Vitale was also heavily involved with the wilderness education program at Potsdam, which allowed him to travel throughout the Adirondacks with his classmates and develop a range of skills from communication and problem-solving to leadership and backcountry navigation. “Adam Wheeler [the wilderness education coordinator] had such an approachable demeanor, but was not hesitant to hold your feet to the fire. I think I grew a lot specifically through the wilderness leadership course and spending time in the wilderness with other students. Easily, some of my best memories from Potsdam came out of the wilderness education program,” Vitale recalled.
As he was wrapped up his outstanding four years at SUNY Potsdam, and graduated summa cum laude, he set his sights on a future where he could help improve the lives of people around him. At the encouragement of his mother, he sent an application to Duke University to attend their Doctor of Physical Therapy program. “Honestly, Duke wasn’t even on my radar at first because I just didn’t think I had a shot. To my surprise, I got an interview, was waitlisted, and then was ultimately accepted. My experience in grad school was outstanding. The program itself was unique, but I was also surrounded by so many great people who are now some of my closest friends,” he said.
Now with his DPT in hand, and his first full-time job as a physical therapist in motion, Vitale is looking ahead to an inspiring career where he can positively impact patients recovering from injury. As he starts his next chapter, he looks back to SUNY Potsdam as an instrumental time in his life.
“I met some of my best friends both within and outside of athletic programs. The faculty and support staff were truly outstanding,” he said. “There was such a good community there; small enough school that everyone felt familiar, but big enough that it didn’t feel like I was back in high school. I was afforded so many unique opportunities through athletics, degree programs, and other student groups that just bolstered my experience. I loved my time at Potsdam.”
Article by Jason Hunter