June | 2025 | Acute Conversations

Show Notes 2025

What do you really learn in acute care—and what does it feel like to use what you’ve learned in the classroom?

In this episode, we speak with Mika Mendoza, a recent UIC DPT graduate, who reflects on the clinical rotation that changed her perspective on physical therapy. From managing a complex discharge for a newly blind patient to navigating transplant floors and collaborating with interprofessional teams, Mika shares powerful insights on growth, uncertainty, and finding purpose in acute care.

This episode also marks the debut of our new co-host, Dr. Nicole Neveau, PT, DPT, who brings her experience as a CI and clinical leader into the conversation. Together, she and Leo explore mentorship, first-hand learning, and why exposure to acute care should be standard in DPT education.

Whether you’re a student, educator, or practicing clinician—this conversation will resonate.

Today’s Guests:

Mika Mendoza, SPT

mmendo47@uic.edu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mika-mendoza-dpt2025/

Guest Quotes:
8:21 “ Interdisciplinary collaboration is, is key to acute care. It’s not just walking and it’s not just standing.”
19:33 “ …not all things were as straightforward as we had learned it in didactic.”
28:45 “ I feel like having students go into an acute care clinical rotation I think it’s just so important because you will never know. If you don’t try it, right? …Uou miss a hundred percent of the shots that you don’t take.
And I think it’s the same with acute care, especially because there are so many things that get debunked when you’re in an acute care clinical rotation.”

Rapid Responses:
What kind of shoes do you wear in acute care?
“Not White Ones”
You know you work in acute care when…
“ When you try to swipe your badge to get into your house”
Links:
https://www.aptaacutecare.org/page/2026Elections

Connect with our host and the podcast!
Leo Arguelles (LEE-O R-GWELL-IS)
largue2@uic.edu
Twitter @LeoArguellesPT
Nicole Neveau
ngunder1@gmail.com
LinkedIn
Danny Young
daniel.young@unlv.edu
X – @DLYoungDPTPhD
Bluesky – @dlyoungdptphd.bsky.social
Interested in being a future guest?

APTA Acute Care:
Website
Awards
Journal Access
https://www.aptaacutecare.org/page/AspireandAchieveMentorshipProgram
Twitter @AcuteCareAPTA
Facebook APTA Acute Care
Instagram @AcademyAcutePT
YouTube APTA Acute Care Podcast

APTA Acute Care Resources
APTA Adult Vital Signs
APTA Lab Values Document
Webinar Recordings

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Show Notes:

🎙 Episode Description:

What’s it really like stepping into acute care as a DPT student? In this episode, we hear honest, eye-opening reflections from Fiona Kearns and Hannah Brandt, two near-graduates from UIC who just wrapped up a transformational clinical rotation. They share what surprised them, challenged them, and ultimately shaped their career paths.

PLUS—meet our new co-host, Dr. Danny Young! He brings his academic and clinical lens to the conversation, unpacking burnout, mentorship, and the deeper meaning behind acute care practice.

👂 Listen in for:
• First impressions from a high-acuity hospital rotation
• Navigating burnout (as students and clinicians)
• Why acute care needs more visibility—and more students
• Danny’s debut on the mic 🎤

Today’s Guests:

Hannah Brandt, SPT

hannah24brandt@gmail.com

Fiona Kerns, SPT

fkkearns2000@gmail.com

Guest Quotes:

On early exposure to Acute Care through Integrated Clinical Experiences (ICE):

Hannah 9:44 “ So definitely I think it’s very good we get early exposure to it. Especially ’cause I, for me, at least when I was applying to PT schools, was during covid. So a lot of shadowing hours in hospitals was not available just because of Covid experiences. So like while I would’ve liked to have experience before coming into PT school in that setting, I didn’t get any. So while I was like eager and excited to see it, it does come with a lot of nerves.”

Fiona 11:46 “ …And then my second ice visit experience. My patient had three seizures while we were in the room with him, and obviously like that can happen in the acute care setting. It’s not out of the question, but that was just kind of like a big like welcome to acute care for sure. Like this is, this is what it’s like to be here. So definitely like high paced, A lot of like adrenaline from those experiences, but definitely learned a lot and I really enjoyed them so.”

Danny 28:42 “ One of my favorite quotes comes from Viktor Frankl’s book man’s Search for Meaning. And he says he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how. And I think one of the problems that we have is. That we aren’t finding enough meaning in what we’re doing. We think what we need is ease and happiness in our jobs. And instead I think what we need is to recognize how meaningful what we’re doing is. And if we focus on the meaning in what’s happening, I think it will combat a lot of the burnout that we see.”

Rapid Responses:

Name a PT that’s been influential in your PT career so far.

Fiona: “Sarah and Julia are cis from this past clinical, for sure.”

Hannah: “ Dr. Jones, our neuro professor in our program.”

You know you work in acute care when…

Hannah: “ I would say when you’re reorienting your patient, but you don’t even know what day it is.”

Fiona: “ I say your friends stop letting you talk about your day during dinner, right?

Links:

https://www.aptaacutecare.org/page/2026Elections

Connect with our host and the podcast!

Leo Arguelles (LEE-O R-GWELL-IS)

largue2@uic.edu