For her commitment to advancing patient care in underserved communities, Nathalie Musey ’17DPT received the American Physical Therapy Association’s prestigious Minority Scholarship Award, presented annually by the Physical Therapy Fund. The scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate academic excellence, participation in minority activities and services, potential for superior achievements in physical therapy, and professionalism as future physical therapists.

Prior to graduating with the Department of Physical Therapy’s Class of 2017, Musey partnered with a local hospital system to develop the Health Career Summer Academy (HCSA) at Arcadia, a program that teaches minority middle school students about health care professions. Musey recruited and coordinated volunteers from various health care disciplines at Arcadia and Salus University, eventually incorporating HCSA into Arcadia’s DPT curriculum as a health promotion requirement.

As a student at Arcadia, Musey provided pro-bono care to patients without medical insurance at Mercy Hospital in West Philadelphia, organized exercise programs for patients with Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis through Arcadia’s Dan Aaron Stay Fit program, and volunteered at Friends of the Redeemer United Stroke Camp in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica.

Additionally, Musey served as a teacher’s assistant for first-year Physical Therapy students at Arcadia, completed clinical internships at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Advanced Manual Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation in Seattle, Wash., and co-researched “Feasibility and Benefits of a Brief, Intense Exercise Program Targeting Balance, Gait, Endurance and Upper Extremity Function in Persons with Parkinson Disease: A Case Series.”

In light of her service to Arcadia and contributions to the field, Musey also earned the Jill Sisenwine Berger Award at the 2017 DPT Commencement ceremony for exemplifying the core values of the physical therapy profession.

“I am completely humbled and forever grateful to have received the Minority Scholarship Award,” said Musey. “I do the things that I do because I am truly passionate about them. I feel like I was put on this earth to help and empower others, so that is what I do to the best of my ability.”

Musey serves as an independent contractor for Austill’s Rehabilitation Services. She plans to continue working with pediatric populations, treating neurologic disorders, bringing care to patients with limited access to therapy, and expanding the service projects she started as a student.

“My goal is to work in an environment that fosters continued growth,” said Musey. “I see myself starting new projects that promote diversity, particularly in health care professions.”

Musey will be formally recognized at APTA’s Honors and Awards Ceremony at NEXT Conference and Exposition in June.