Mentorship Testimonials

The mentorship program that the physical therapy department offers helped me to feel comfortable and prepared as I approached graduation. The speed mentorship event was a great opportunity to interact with clinicians and have my questions about post grad answered. It was helpful to be in a small group with classmates who asked valuable questions that I wouldn’t have thought to ask on my own. At the event, there was a range of clinicians who practiced in different settings and who had varying specialties and years of experience. This was beneficial for being paired with a mentor as I was able to select a top 3 who best resembled the type of therapist that I wanted to become. The mentorship program is well set up to ensure that once you are matched, you can easily connect with your mentor and set up a time to chat. My mentor made it clear that I could reach out anytime with questions and concerns and that she would be happy to help. My mentor assisted me throughout the final months of the program and while searching for employment. The mentorship program is a highly valuable program for all students in the PT faculty as you prepare to transition from student to professional.

Lauren Rimmer
PT Class of 2021

The Physical Therapy mentorship program has been so helpful throughout my transition from school to work. During the speed mentorship event I was able to network and connect with physical therapists in many different areas of practice which helped me to learn about the various options after graduation. The mentor-mentee match program provided me with 2 incredible mentors who provided me with valuable advice during the transition into practice. I was able to reach out for help when searching for and applying to jobs, and when preparing for interviews. With the help of one of my mentors I was able to make valuable connections in the physiotherapy community which eventually helped me to land my dream job in paediatrics as a physiotherapy resident! I am so grateful for the mentorship program and the opportunities that it has provided me with. I would highly recommend it to all graduates of the physical therapy program. 

Samantha Martin 
PT Class of 2020

As a soon-to-be graduate, the Speed Mentorship event sponsored by University of Toronto Affinity Partner Manulife and facilitated by the Community Engagement Committee in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto was a very valuable experience. As our class prepares to apply for jobs and enter the world of physiotherapy as clinicians, we all have a lot of questions, and this event was a great way to not only have some of those questions answered, but to introduce us to new topics and situations as we approach graduation.

The group of clinicians included individuals with a wide-range of work experience including those who worked in hospital, outpatient MSK, rehab, research, and home-care settings, all of which had very unique backgrounds and years of experience. The fact that a brief bio was provided beforehand made it very easy to recognize the individuals who shared my interests and who I would consider approaching with my questions. Additionally, with the food provided and organized schedule, I was able to meet/speak with a number of clinicians in an efficient circuit in both intimate group settings as well as informally at the mixer afterwards.

Also, it is great that the event is coupled with a mentor-matching opportunity based on my initial career goals and interests. As the event is only one night, the opportunity to remain connected to at least one of the mentors is great. To be able to continually reach out with questions formally during my initial 6 months post-graduation is invaluable, and I could imagine it will help to ease my transition into the workforce.

Overall, the event was organized and executed very well, and I am grateful for the way that it impacted, and will continue to impact, my thoughts about the profession and ease into practice.

Daniel Sedran
PT Class of 2019