Spring 2016 Faculty Profile

By: Jocelyn Adams, Special Projects Assistant, School of Physiotherapy

The students, faculty and staff are excited to welcome instructor, Laura McCrossin as our newest faculty member at the Dalhousie School of Physiotherapy. Laura is an alumna of the Dalhousie physiotherapy program, in addition she has completed her Master of Clinical Science from the University of Western Ontario and brings a wealth of experience to the School.

Laura’s physiotherapy journey began while studying marine biology.  During her biology and marine biology studies she found herself enjoying human physiology and anatomy classes. “I was sure I was going to have a career adventuring around the world studying marine life and making an impact with regards to environmental issues,” said Laura.

“I enjoyed helping others reach their goals, combined with my love for active lifestyles, physiotherapy seemed like a career path I wanted to explore.  I volunteered in a few different physiotherapy settings, and the rest is history.”

Laura graduated with the BScPT Class of  2004.  Upon completing her physiotherapy degree from Dal, she worked in Alberta for six years and was a member of the burns/wound care team at the Foothills Medical Centre.

In 2013, Laura’s experience with the burns/wound care team led her to complete her Master’s degree in Wound Healing from Western University.  During her studies at Western, she was involved in research pertaining to the role of exercise in chronic lower leg ulcers.

Laura’s physiotherapy experience sparked an interest to return to Dalhousie in a teaching capacity. “As a student I found the Dalhousie School of Physiotherapy to be a positive influence. Upon returning to Nova Scotia in 2014, those friendly encouraging personas still resonated in those I had previously known and those new to me.  For me, it is all about the people,” said Laura.

The following year, she became a lab instructor, which transitioned into an Instructor appointment in 2016. Currently, she is instructing in the first year Cardiorespiratory/Health Promotion and second year Integrated Practice course modules, with a focus on wound/burn care content.

Laura explains her teaching style is to challenge students to figure out the ‘why’ for treating patients.  “Why might a particular system have an impact on the clinical signs and symptoms we are seeing? When students can answer the ‘why’ they can make connections between ideas, and learn a lot more than just memorizing” said Laura.

Besides teaching, Laura’s next short-term goal is to get back into the clinical aspect of wound healing and burn care.  She explains, “Wound care and burns have become my clinical passion, and in Nova Scotia wound care is not practiced in our profession to the same extent as other provinces.”

Laura’s dream for the future of the profession is to see physiotherapists as regular members on wound care teams across Canada.  “It is amazing what our unique skill set and training can bring to the table to make these teams truly multidisciplinary, and also make an immense impact on the lives of those living with wounds,” said Laura.

Laura provides advice to new physiotherapy grads, “Be open to others. There is always something to learn from everyone you meet if you give yourself a chance to truly listen.”