The Consortium for Humanities, Ethics and Professionalism (CHEP) of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) advocates for the importance of the humanities, ethics, and professionalism in physical therapy education practice because excellent clinical practice requires the ability to make meaningful connections with patients and to make decisions in unclear or vulnerable circumstances. To that aim, the consortium provides a forum for discussion of the art of physical therapy and the lived experience of patients, thereby creating a platform for sharing resources that focus on how to teach humanities, ethics, and professionalism in physical therapy education.
CHEP joins the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation (JHR) to sponsor a judged writing competition designed to encourage deep thinking by students about the role and value of humanities, ethics and professionalism in academic training and professional life. The third annual CHEP/JHR Physical Therapy Student Essay Contest offers a creative opportunity to ignite critical reflection in PT students across the nation about ways in which approaching patient care in a holistic manner improves patient outcomes.
2020 is defined by crises and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and racial tensions. These impact the moral, social, political and economic foundations of our world, nation, and the profession of physical therapy. Navigating one’s professional identity and formation during this time is undoubtedly challenging; you may have had unexpected, yet impactful interactions as a result.
Describe an experience that significantly impacted your professional growth and identity as a future physical therapist, with respect to the public health crises of racism and/or COVID-19. What about this encounter was instructive? In what ways did this experience enlighten your perspective on one or more of the core values of our profession?
The winner of the Physical Therapy Student Essay Contest will receive $250 award from the ACAPT CHEP. Additionally, the contest winner and two finalists will have their personal narratives published in a future issue of JHR.
All students currently enrolled in a Doctor of Physical Therapy program are eligible to apply. Submissions must include an original, unpublished personal narrative as well as a short (3-4 sentence) personal bio that includes the student’s current academic institution.
Submissions will be accepted from Monday, October 5th, 2020 – January 8th, 2021. Any submissions sent in after 11:59 PM (EST) on January 8th, 2021 will be considered late. Late submissions will not be reviewed. The winner and two finalists will be announced by Monday, February 8th, 2021.
Submissions are reviewed by a selection panel comprised of our guest judge(s), JHR Editorial Board and CHEP steering committee. Submissions are judged upon their engagement with the prompt, narrative structure, and attention to language.
Only electronic submissions will be accepted.
All submissions should be sent as a single email attachment to CHEP [dot] JHR [dot] essay [at] gmail [dot] com by 11:59 PM (EST) on January 5th, 2018.
Submissions should follow these formatting guidelines: twelve-point font, double-spaced text. Narratives in both PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx) will be accepted.
800 word limit
As the winning personal narrative, as well as two finalists, will be published in a future issue of JHR, we ask that all personal information such as individuals’ names other than the author’s and specific locations be de-identified.
For more information about CHEP: https://www.acapt.org/about/consortium/consortium-for-the-humanities-ethics-and-professionalism-(chep)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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