Winter 2015 Faculty Profile
Dr. Gail Dechman, Assistant Professor, joined the School of Physiotherapy at Dalhousie University in September 2006.
By: Jocelyn Adams, Communications and Special Projects Assistant
Each edition of Physiotherapy Matters eNews features the experiences of the School of Physiotherapy’s faculty. This season, we’re proud to share the physiotherapy experiences of Dr. Gail Dechman, who joined the Dalhousie School of Physiotherapy in 2006. As an Assistant Professor, she teaches courses in exercise physiology, cardiorespiratory care and research methods. Gail’s clinical and teaching experiences are best described as unique, working across Canada and beyond in a variety of physiotherapy settings and locations.
Gail’s physiotherapy career has taken her around the world. She obtained a BSc in Physiotherapy at Queen’s University and began working as therapist in Saskatoon. Then she continued west to Vancouver, where she worked for a year and a half in neuro-rehabilitation at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, British Columbia’s largest rehabilitation centre.
“GF Strong was an amazing place. They normally didn’t take new grads. That year, they accepted me and other new grads,” said Gail.
After spending a year and a half in Greece, Gail returned to GF Strong for a year buther maritime roots brought her back to Nova Scotia where she worked in surgical ICU, as a Clinical Supervisor and Senior Therapist at the Victoria General in Halifax.
“While working in the ICU, I knew I needed answers to many clinical questions. I decided to go to graduate school to learn about the research process,” said Gail.
Gail completed her graduate studies from McGill University, in respiratory physiology. During this time she worked in the Meakins-Christie Laboratory, a world renown hub for respiratory physiology and respiratory mechanics.
“It was an enriching environment. It was inspiring - I was exposed world famous researchers from around the world who participated in research projects and gave guest lectures,” said Gail.
Gail completed post-doctoral fellowships in Australia and Vancouver before returning to McGill University and an academic careerat the School of Physical and Occupational Thearpy .
Following the Quebec referendum, Gail was ready for an adventured. She traveled to the Middle East with the Kuwait Dalhousie Project. As the Centre Director she worked with the rest of the team to achieve the goal of establishing a western standard of rehabilitation care for the country. In addition to the administrative team, the project included physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, a psychologist, a nurse, an exercise physiologist, and a research mentor.
The entire Dalhousie group included 43 team members and their families. The project provided patient care at the Project’s rehabilitation centre and had Kuwaiti therapists work as counterparts with the Dalhousie team at the center. In addition, the Kuwaiti therapists and Dalhousie team members worked together in local hospitals. This cooperation occurred at both at the clinical and organization level. The Project also brought Canadian experts to Kuwait for two-week periods, offering intensive workshops in various clinical areas. Selected Kuwaiti therapists came to Canada on 6 month internships to be immersed in Canadian rehabilitation practices. Behind the scenes, the Dalhousie group worked with department heads and the Kuwaiti Ministery of Health to establish polices to support a western standard of care.
The Kuwait Dalhousie Project ended in 2000. For Gail, “It was a fascinating project. It was such an eye-opener. It taught me a lot about myself and gave me a stronger appreciation of how cultural differences affect healthcare at so many different levels.”
At the end of the project Gail wanted to return to North America. A physiotherapy colleague, Sandra Curwin recruited Gail to join the faculty at a not-for-profit, private college in Bangor, Maine. The program’s class sizes were small, presenting faculty with the opportunity to work closely with the students. “We got to know the students very well and watch their progress. It was very interesting when everyone was focused on one thing – the student’s success,” said Gail.
Gail’s global physiotherapy experiences gave her the opportunity to be an advisor for international physical therapy students at the college. She helped the students overcome many academic and cultural barriers. “Working as their advisor was a real treat. It was so inspiring to see their hard work and determination. They added so much to the classroom experience and to the lives of their classmates. I’m still in touch with these students today.”
Gail returned to Canada to pursue her research and a faculty position at the Dalhousie School of Physiotherapy in 2006. The university’s support for faculty research and institutional collaboration were essential to building her research. “Not only is research a requirement but we are in an environment where research is valued. Still there are significant challenges to conducting research in Nova Scotia. The province is a small place so recruiting research participants is a significant challenge. The university allows us to build networks to facilitate recruitment and enhance our research,” said Gail.
Dalhousie provides enormous opportunities for collaboration within its research community. “Today, I’m involved in researchers at Laval, U of T and UBC – if it wasn’t for Dalhousie those opportunities wouldn’t be there,” said Gail.
Beyond research, she finds fulfillment through teaching. “I love working with students. We are lucky to have students who are interested and who bring different experiences to their physiotherapy education. Students challenge your ideas and that is fantastic because otherwise we would become far too complaisant. You learn so much from your students, including how they manage their intense workload and still have time for other things!” said Gail.
At the School of Physiotherapy, her passion for the profession is evident. “Gail is a great professor - she’s knowledgeable and her lectures are interesting. Through recent collaboration, I’ve realized she is always willing to help others outside of the School, especially for anything involving promoting the physiotherapy profession in healthcare and the community. She puts her heart and soul into using her knowledge to help others,” said second year physiotherapy student, Stephen Keefe.
“Gail shows enthusiasm and compassion for the education of our physiotherapy students and physiotherapists in areas of Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy and Exercise Science. She works closely with colleagues in School of Biomedical Engineering, which fosters diversity in her teaching pedagogy. Gail’s unique portfolio and support her role in the school,” said Assistant Professor, Dr. Derek Rutherford.
Gail provides advice to new physiotherapy graduates, “Stay curious there are so many opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills you learn in physiotherapy. It’s those diverse opportunities that allow you to put yourself in a position where you get to do exactly what you want. Be open, be entrepreneurial in the largest sense of the word.”