Question & Answers

Q&A With Dr. Roeger

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Q&A With Dr. Roeger

Hey all! My name is Maggie Roeger, and I am a new physical therapist at Compleo Physical Therapy & Wellness. To help you all get to know me, and a little more about PT’s, I put together a few Q&As. If you have any further questions please feel free to comment or reach out!

How did you get into Physical Therapy?

After graduating from Texas A&M, I knew I wanted to be involved in medicine in some way. I worked in veterinary clinics for some time, and realized I didn’t feel the connection I wanted with people. My mom is a Physical Therapist, and she encouraged me to observe at a local PT clinic. Within a few days of observing I knew this was the career path for me!

What is your background prior to becoming a Physical Therapist?

Prior to becoming a PT I was an athlete and physical therapy patient! Throughout high school and college I swam and played volleyball where I sustained several injuries requiring surgery and/or PT.

What is a Doctor of Physical Therapy?

A Doctor of Physical Therapy is a physical therapist who has obtained an entry-level degree that prepares them to enter clinical practice and become eligible for licensure. It is a graduate level program that takes approximately 3 years to complete after obtaining a Bachelor’s degree. It differs from a PhD where focus is on research or scholarly work.

What is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist?

Much like medical doctors go through fellowship programs to specialize in a certain area of medicine, physical therapists can choose to specialize in a certain area of PT after they have completed their DPT. PT’s achieve this by completing a residency program or participating in clinical practice for a defined number of  years, and then passing a national board exam in their specialization area. (In the PT world there are also fellowship programs, this is for specializing in a teeny tiny portion within a specialization).

I chose to specialize in orthopedics, which includes conditions like back pain, neck pain, post-operative conditions (and many more). To do this I was accepted into UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Orthopedic Residency Program. This included completing patient treatment in both orthopedic and chronic pain settings with structured mentorship, participating in medical research, teaching physical therapy students in the UTSW DPT program, educating other PT professionals at state conferences, and completing advanced coursework in orthopedics.

Besides orthopedics, do you treat any other type of conditions?

During my residency I was introduced to treating patients with chronic pain. I have since participated in continuing education courses focused on Pain Neuroscience Education and continued treating chronic pain throughout my career.

What is your treatment philosophy?

My goal is always to treat the whole person. Yes, typically people come to physical therapy with 1-2 primary problems, but these can affect your WHOLE life. I want all of my patients to feel heard, feel respected, and feel like they have someone to guide them through tough times. If I don’t have the answer, I will find it or help my patients find someone who does.

If you have any questions you can reach me at the clinic at 254-892-4857 or via email at mroeger@comepleowaco.com.

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