Tag: Louisiana Tech

Kinesiology Paths: Physician’s Assistant

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Emmy Aaron Norris, P.A.

My name is Emmy Norris and I am a practicing physician assistant specializing in Family Medicine. I am originally from Ruston, Louisiana and I received my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana Tech University in March of 2020. Soon after graduating, I started the physician assistant program at LSU-Shreveport in May of 2020 and graduated from the program in August of 2022. Ever since, I have worked in family medicine, where I get to enjoy the many different and complex cases daily.

I first discovered the physician assistant profession as a freshman at Louisiana Tech. I was majoring in Kinesiology and originally thought I would like to be a physical therapist. Sophomore year, I was lucky enough to meet Chip Furr, a local physician assistant in Ruston. I found out that he worked at Dr. Grigsby’s Family Medicine clinic (Northwood Medical Center), where I had historically been a lifelong patient. Chip of course let me shadow him, and I soon fell in love with both the PA profession and family medicine.

I started PA school in May of 2020, which was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Didactic year was filled with many unknowns, challenges, and adjustments that had to be made due to COVID. Luckily, things had almost returned to normal by the time clinical rotations rolled around. Throughout didactic, I was unsure what area of medicine that I wanted to work in. Then, my very first clinical rotation ended up being in family medicine and reminded me of my love for primary care. From then on, I truly enjoyed each rotation, but I always knew primary care was where I wanted to end up.

After graduating, I was fortunate enough to land my dream job at Dr. Grigsby’s office (now Willis Knighton Family Medicine Ruston), the same place that I first shadowed Chip in college. Becoming co-workers / colleagues was a full circle moment for Chip and I. He always served as a wonderful mentor to me while shadowing, and he also helped me throughout PA school anytime that I asked. Now working together, I am lucky that I get to continue to learn from his many years of experience, as well as have him as a great friend. I feel the same way about Megan Walpole PA-C and Dr. Ben Grigsby. It is an immeasurable blessing and opportunity to be able to soak up as much of their knowledge as possible each day.

A huge reason why I fell in love with family medicine is because of the relationships that this specialty allows you to form with patients. Also, because there is never a boring day. The wide array of cases that we see in a day keeps you constantly learning and growing as a provider. We of course see our fair share of sick visits and annual wellness exams, but we also tackle many different procedures in our office such as joint injections, pelvic exams, suturing lacerations, skin biopsies, lesion removals, cryotherapy, and wound care. We really do it all, and constantly expanding on your skill set and knowledge base is so rewarding.

Family medicine is such an important field of medicine because it is often the patient’s first and sometimes only stop. It is vital to be fully on the patient’s team, and to be tenacious for your patients. Some days are challenging, and most days are long, but being able to take care of patients is a blessing. My advice to anyone who wishes to become a PA is to always remember to do whatever is best for the patient. I have discovered that medicine today often makes taking shortcuts the easier option, but it is usually never the best option for patients. Being a PA is a fulfilling and a wonderful career no matter what specialty, and I truly would not do anything differently if given the option.

If anyone has any questions about applying to school or the profession, I am happy to help! Mrs. Boyd has my number and email address if you would like to reach out.

Cast Work Shop in PA School

White Coat Ceremony before Graduation

Group Graduation Photo – August 2022

Kinesiology? What Is It and What Can I Do With It?

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A Health and Physical Education, Health and Human Performance, Health and Exercise Science – terms you are probably familiar with.  But Kinesiology? When giving an explanation of what it is, the usual response is, “Oh, PE?”  Yes, physical education is part of Kinesiology, but there are many more areas that are included in this academic discipline. Over the last 15 years many universities have changed their program name to Kinesiology, which is an all-encompassing umbrella term for the many disciplines within this field.

The American Kinesiology Association defines it as, “is an academic discipline which involves the study of physical activity and its impact on health, society, and quality of life. It includes, but is not limited to, such areas of study as exercise science, sports management, athletic training and sports medicine, socio-cultural analyses of sports, sport and exercise psychology, fitness leadership, physical education-teacher education, and pre-professional training for physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine and other health related fields.”

Still many people don’t understand the depth and breadth of the discipline and all the many career possibilities a Kinesiology graduate can pursue.  It’s true, the majority of majors in Kinesiology programs, or at least here at Louisiana Tech, are hoping to become physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants.  But not everyone who applies to these allied health field programs will be accepted for various reasons. Many students do not wish to pursue a career in allied health but are unaware of what other careers are available. Hopefully this blog will enlighten the reader as to the many careers and paths a Kinesiology graduate can take.

The following is a list of possible career avenues compiled from the American Kinesiology Association and the recent seminar (you can click on many of them to find out more information about each):

Adapted Physical Activity

Aquatics Director

Athletic Administration in School or College
National High School Coaches Association
NCAA

Athletic Trainer

Biomechanist
American Society of Biomechanics
International Society of Biomechanics

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Specialist

Chiropractic Physician

Coaching at School or College
National High School Coaches Association
NCAA

Corporate Wellness Programs

Director of Youth Camps/Sports Programs
Boys and Girls Club of America
YMCA
YWCA

Electrophysiology

Epidemiologist – Physical Activity
CDC
Physical Activity and Nutrition
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

Exercise Physiologist
American College of Sports Medicine
American Society of Exercise Physiologists

Continue reading “Kinesiology? What Is It and What Can I Do With It?” →

A Day in the Life of

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Annie Crain
Resident Prothetist/Orthotist


“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” -Confucius

It has always been a goal of mine to never work a day in my life, so it was crucial to choose a career I loved. The Louisiana Tech Kinesiology Department was the initial spark that fueled me to become the Resident Prosthetist/Orthotist I am today. 

After driving from my hometown of Houma, LA to tour every single university in the state, I arrived at LA Tech University. I chose LA Tech and its Kinesiology program to prepare me for my future career in prosthetics and orthotics. I carefully selected my curriculum so I would be qualified when applying for graduate school. The Kinesiology Department taught me to be diligent, resourceful, detail-oriented and empathetic towards others; qualities I attribute to my present day success.

I received my Master’s of Prosthetics and Orthotics from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in December of 2022. This 18-month program is centered on a specialized curriculum including hands-on experience with device fabrication, patient models, clinical rotations, and a clinical internship. After receiving my master’s degree, I was required to complete an additional 2-year prosthetic/orthotic residency to become board certified in order to see patients on my own.

Currently, I am a completing my first year of residency in orthotics followed by a year of prosthetics at Atlantic Prosthetics and Orthotics in Chapel Hill, NC. My residency at Atlantic P&O has provided me with the ability to become skilled in device selection, fabrication, and patient communication. I have the opportunity to learn from a multi-disciplinary team of experienced clinicians. I absolutely love my job, and couldn’t imagine another career path for myself.

My daily schedule is ever-changing, which makes work exciting. My first task of the day is to check the patient schedules.  Patient encounters are usually initial evaluations or device fittings.  In an initial evaluation, I will assess the patient’s range of motion, muscle strength, diagnosis and device prescription.  Often, I can fit the patient with an off-the-shelf device if the product meets all of their clinical needs. Otherwise, additional measurements will be taken for the fabrication of a custom device.

Approximately three days of fabrication are needed to make a custom orthosis or prosthesis, most of which is completed during breaks between patient appointments. The fabrication process from start to finish of most devices typically includes: a cast of the affected area which is used to create a positive plaster model, modifying the positive model by sanding or carving the plaster to acquire the desired shape, then draping hot plastic or pouring resin over the positive model.  The cooled plastic or resin lamination will then be cut and smoothed into a finished product. At a custom device fitting, alignment angles can be adjusted or plastic can be trimmed or heat molded to provide a more optimal fit.

A career in prosthetics and orthotics fulfills my innate need to create, but also my desire to enhance the lives of others.  I enjoy my time in the workshop, but seeing a patient stand up and walk for the first time after following them through their entire clinical journey is truly a heartfelt experience and the best part of my job – pure magic every time!

For more information on prosthetics and orthotics:

https://ncope.org/

Over 25 years of experience in the prosthetic and orthotic industry

Prosthetist: healthcare professional who makes and fits artificial limbs (prostheses) for people with disabilities. This includes artificial legs and arms for people who have had amputations due to conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or injury.

Orthotist: healthcare professional who makes and fits braces and splints (orthoses) for people who need added support for body parts that have been weakened by injury, disease, or disorders of the nerves, muscles, or bones.

(In medical practice, these specialties are often paired)
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/orthotist-and-prosthetist

This Old House

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Memorial Gym, with its terrazzo floors and tiled walls, built in 1952 in Art Deco style, is rich in history and tradition.  Beautiful concrete reliefs of magnolias and the bulldog are carved above the front doors of the gym.  A magnificent carved concrete relief mural of baseball players, basketball players, football players, and track athletes adorns the front top of the building facing the newly constructed Mayfield Avenue Parking Lot.  The gym was named in memory and honor of the Louisiana Tech students who paid the ultimate sacrifice during WW II.  A bronze plaque listing the 142 former student’s names that was given by the class of June 1944 is hanging in the gym.

Memorial Gym was built as the home of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs men’s basketball team.  Originally, the men’s team lived on the upper west side of the gym and the visiting opponents would bunk on the upper east side of the gym.  In 1974, the gym became home to newly formed Lady Techster’s basketball team.  They played here until the 1981-82 season.

The first game in Lady Techster program history was against Southeastern Louisiana on January 7, 1975.  Unfortunately, the Lady’s lost 55-59.  However, the second home game was played on January 24, 1975 and a different outcome occurred. The Lady Techsters defeated LSU 97-83.  That was the first victory in women’s basketball history for Louisiana Tech.

As the popularity of the women’s basketball team increased, so did the crowds.  During the 1979-80 season more than 5,000 fans packed Memorial Gym to see them play.  During that season attendances of 6,220 against UCLA and 6,314 against Stephen F. Austin were recorded.  After that season of record crowds, Louisiana Tech was ordered by the Louisiana Fire Marshal to not allow more than 5,200 fans into Memorial Gym ever again.  The fire marshal said that if compliance was not upheld, he would personally count the fans himself and not let more than 4,800 enter the gym.  President F. Jay Taylor took care of the seating limitation by having the Thomas Assembly Center, which seats 8,098, built the following year. 

The final game played in Memorial Gym was on March 20, 1982.  The Lady Techster’s defeated Kentucky 82-60.  The Lady Techster’s played only 8 seasons in this grand old building with a phenomenal record of 84 wins and only 6 losses at home.  This makes for a very special ranking for Memorial Gym.  The Lady Techster’s 93.3% winning percentage at Memorial Gym ranks third amongst best all-time winning facility percentages.  Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena is at 94.2% and Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion is at 93.7%.

Not only was Memorial Gym a basketball facility, but it hosted many of the concerts that were held at Louisiana Tech from Brenda Lee and the Lettermen in the 1960’s to Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee in the 1980’s.  It also served as the place where class registrations took place before it was moved to the Student Center or the Tonk as it is affectionately known.  Additionally, it served for many years as home to the international and national champion Louisiana Tech Powerlifting Team.

Renovations were done to Memorial Gym in the 1980’s, converting the facility into updated classrooms and faculty offices for the then Department of Health and Physical Education (now the Department of Kinesiology).  During the renovations, pallets of water and food rations were found underneath the building as it served as a designated bomb shelter in Ruston during the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962. 

In 2012, renovations were made once again to the gym, including a new floor, new backboards, basketball rims, wall padding, and repairs made to the old-school bleachers.  The renovations were completed by Sports Floor, Inc. of Memphis, Tennessee.  This renovation project was done to honor Coach Scotty Robertson and serves as an alternate practice facility for both men’s and women’s basketball as well as women’s volleyball.  The gym now serves primarily as instructional space for the Department of Kinesiology.

The newly renovated basketball court was officially dedicated and named the Robert “Scotty” Robertson Memorial Gym on October 20, 2012.  Coach Robertson led the Bulldogs from 1964-1974 with a record of 161-86.  It was during this time that Louisiana Tech went to its first ever NCAA Tournament.  He led the Bulldogs to 3 Gulf States Conference championships, achieved the #1 national ranking in the college division, and played in 2 college-division NCAA postseason tournaments.

Memorial Gym continues to evolve as the Department of Kinesiology continues to grow.  The student numbers for Fall quarter 2017 are quite impressive: 503 undergraduate students, 24 graduate students, and 254 Senior Adult Fitness students.  Memorial Gym has 4 Smart classrooms equipped with Promethean Boards, projectors, and screens.  Two of the classrooms have colorful student-friendly up-to-date table and chair configurations purchased from Hon Furniture Company.  It also has a student computer lab.

Memorial Gym has 3 Human Performance Laboratories – a Motor Learning Lab, an Applied Physiology Lab, and the Sport and Movement Science Lab.  The Labs will be featured in future blogs, but interested individuals should visit www.latechsportscience.org to learn more.

The bottom floor of Memorial Gym houses not only the Sport and Movement Science Lab, but also a Dance Studio and a Fitness Room for faculty workout classes and student activity classes complete with weight machines, state of the art treadmills, upright and recumbent bikes, and elliptical machines.

The Memorial Gym lobby has been converted into a student lounge.  New paint and bright and colorful murals of every type of activity you can think of adorn the walls.  The 12 tenets of Tech are also incorporated into the design: Confidence, Excellence, Commitment, Knowledge, Integrity, Respect, Leadership, Loyalty, Enthusiasm, Caring, Hope, and Pride.   Two large glass cases hold antique relics from past activity classes taught in this facility.  There is a 3 phase plan for this area that you will learn more about in Dr. David Szymanski’s weekly vlog.

Currently, Memorial Gym houses 10 faculty members and 7 graduate teaching assistants.  This old house, Scotty Robertson Memorial Gym, that we call home is rich in history and tradition, but continues to evolve into a facility of excellence for all who enter its doors. If you have not been back recently to tour Memorial Gym, we welcome visitors to see all that has been done.