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From the Editors

2025 ACAPT-JHR Student Essay Contest Winner

Congratulations to Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Katie Spencer, SPT (Marist University) winner of the annual Student Essay Contest, co-sponsored by the American Counsel of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) and the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation (JHR).  The eighth in an annual series, this national contest offers a creative opportunity to ignite critical reflection in Physical Therapy students across the nation to support holistic approaches to patient care. This year’s essay prompt was: “In clinical practice, physical therapists frequently encounter moments of uncertainty—cases where clear answers or established protocols may not exist for a given problem. Navigating this ambiguity requires not only clinical expertise but also the capacity to adapt, reflect, and respond to new and complex situations. The Master Adaptive Learner (MAL) model emphasizes lifelong learning and adaptability in these uncertain moments, encouraging clinicians to continuously reflect, learn, and innovate in their approach to patient care.  In this essay prompt, we invite students to describe their experiences of navigating ambiguity and uncertainty in clinical practice or education and offer examples of how their encounters with the health humanities—i.e., engagement with literature, ethics, storytelling, or the arts—have influenced their approaches to healthcare. How have they helped you cultivate the skills to become a Master Adaptive Learner (one who is more reflective, adaptive, and innovative)? How have the humanities enhanced your ability to manage uncertainty with empathy, curiosity, and creativity? In what ways have these disciplines guided your growth as a resilient and adaptable clinician in training?

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“We are rarely more human than we are when we see the suffering in one another.”

— Omid Safi