• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • MyUSA
  • Library
  • USAHS Shop
  • Continuing Education
  • Request Information
  • Apply Now

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Clinical Excellence Through Graduate Education

Menu
  • Academics
    • DEGREE PROGRAMS ― Click here to browse all of our degree programs
    • College of Rehabilitative Sciences
      • Occupational Therapy Programs
        • Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
        • Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
        • Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD)
      • Physical Therapy Graduate Programs
        • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
        • Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (tDPT)
      • Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP)
    • College of Health Sciences
      • Master of Health Administration (MHA)
      • Master of Health Science (MHS)
      • Doctor of Education (EdD)
      • Graduate Certificates
      • School of Nursing
        • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
        • Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates
      • Continuing Education
        • Clinical Orthopedic Residency
        • Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship
        • Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
        • Physical Therapy Online Courses for International Students
      Close
    • Admissions & Aid
      • Admissions & Aid

        USAHS focuses on providing the best and more appropriate academic and financial aid counseling throughout the admissions process. Whether applying to a first-professional, campus based program or a post-professional distance program, an assigned Enrollment Advisor is available to assist you from application to acceptance.

        Admissions & Aid Home
      • Application Deadlines
      • Catalog/Handbook
      • Financial Aid
      • Academic Calendar
      • COVID-19 Information
      Close
    • About
      • General
        • History
        • Accreditation
        • B Corp Certified
        • Student Achievement Data
        • Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
        • News
        • Diversity and Inclusion
        • Partnerships
      • People
        • Alumni
        • Leadership
        • Board of Directors
        • Careers
        • Student Ambassador Program
        • Our Faculty
        • Contact Us
      • Campuses
        • San Marcos, CA
        • St. Augustine, Florida
        • Miami, FL
        • Austin, Texas
        • Dallas, Texas
      • Campuses and Locations
      • Admission Questions? Get In Touch
      Close
    • Events
    • MyUSA
    • USAHS Shop
    • Continuing Education
    • Blog

    July 2022 Leave a Comment

    MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

    MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      Briona Daugherty’s (MS-SLP ’22) speech-language pathology (SLP) path began on board a cruise ship. Daugherty graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in theatrical performance. She studied opera and musical theater, originally wanting to be a touring singer for Broadway-style shows. After spending time as a professional singer in Las Vegas and New York City, she began a career performing on cruise ships, including five years in China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. The longer she worked on cruise ships, the more she aided other vocalists in adjusting to life onboard. This included helping entertainment employees maintain their voices for more than two hours a night in a 2,000-seat theater. After witnessing Read more

    Recent University News

    USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

    USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

    OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

    OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

    Student Associations COTAD and SPEAK Promote Diversity

    Student Associations COTAD and SPEAK Promote Diversity

    USAHS Reentry Plan

    USAHS Reentry Plan

    More Like This

    • USAHS
    • All stories
    • Videos
    Home of USA.edu - Health Sciences
    Menu
    • Academics
      • DEGREE PROGRAMS ― Click here to browse all of our degree programs
      • College of Rehabilitative Sciences
        • Occupational Therapy Programs
          • Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
          • Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
          • Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD)
        • Physical Therapy Graduate Programs
          • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
          • Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (tDPT)
        • Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP)
      • College of Health Sciences
        • Master of Health Administration (MHA)
        • Master of Health Science (MHS)
        • Doctor of Education (EdD)
        • Graduate Certificates
        • School of Nursing
          • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
          • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
          • Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates
        • Continuing Education
          • Clinical Orthopedic Residency
          • Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship
          • Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
          • Physical Therapy Online Courses for International Students
        Close
      • Admissions & Aid
        • Admissions & Aid

          USAHS focuses on providing the best and more appropriate academic and financial aid counseling throughout the admissions process. Whether applying to a first-professional, campus based program or a post-professional distance program, an assigned Enrollment Advisor is available to assist you from application to acceptance.

          Admissions & Aid Home
        • Application Deadlines
        • Catalog/Handbook
        • Financial Aid
        • Academic Calendar
        • COVID-19 Information
        Close
      • About
        • General
          • History
          • Accreditation
          • B Corp Certified
          • Student Achievement Data
          • Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
          • News
          • Diversity and Inclusion
          • Partnerships
        • People
          • Alumni
          • Leadership
          • Board of Directors
          • Careers
          • Student Ambassador Program
          • Our Faculty
          • Contact Us
        • Campuses
          • San Marcos, CA
          • St. Augustine, Florida
          • Miami, FL
          • Austin, Texas
          • Dallas, Texas
        • Campuses and Locations
        • Admission Questions? Get In Touch
        Close
      • Events
      • MyUSA
      • USAHS Shop
      • Continuing Education
      • Blog
      • Request Information
      • Apply Now
      Categories
      Close
      • Physical Therapy PT
      • Occupational Therapy OT
      • Speech-Language Pathology SLP
      • Nursing MSN & DNP
      • Health Administration MHA
      • Editorial
      • News
      COVID-19 Updates
      Blog home  >  Physical Therapy PT  >  Student’s Rehab Jo…

      March 2022 Leave a Comment

      Student’s Rehab Journey Inspires His PT Studies

      usahs-terris-george-With-cohort
      Terris with some cohort classmates on the first day of Term 2

      “Experiences drive us,” says George Terris, ’23, a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student on the San Marcos campus. “At the time, an illness can seem like the worst thing—but in retrospect, you see that it’s driven you to where you are today.”

      Terris’ experience surviving cancer as a young teen inspired him to enroll in PT school at USAHS. And his story is inspiring the USAHS community across all campuses including our physical therapy school in Dallas.

      In the fall of 2011, 13-year-old Terris, who played soccer and baseball in middle school, thought he had a sports injury. X-rays showed a hairline fracture in the head of his left fibula. But his leg pain increased over the following two months until he couldn’t perform dorsiflexion with his left ankle. This was a red flag.

      At Rady Children’s Hospital in his native San Diego, bloodwork and other tests led to a diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma—a type of bone cancer. A tumor inside the fibula had created the hairline fracture and had wrapped around the common peroneal nerve. The cancer had also metastasized into both lungs. “At 13 years old, you don’t know how to truly think about having cancer,” Terris says. “This is where a positive support system comes in. I did not fight this illness on my own—it took a village to get me where I am currently.”

      usahs-george-terry-surgery-pt
      Left: Terris, a nurse, and neurosurgeon Dr. Jonathan Jones meet after George’s 13-hour surgery. Right: Post-surgery x-ray showing removal of tumor and proximal third of left fibula.

      Undergoing Treatment—and Recovery

      Terris went through eight rounds of chemo in total. After the third round, the tumor had shrunk enough for surgeons to remove it, along with the proximal portion of the fibula and the common peroneal nerve. During this grueling 13-hour procedure, attempts to perform a sural nerve transplant failed. But thankfully, the chemo had eliminated the nodules in his lungs.

      The surgery caused permanent foot drop, so Terris began wearing an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), which offers needed dorsiflexion while allowing for optimal function and as much mobility as possible.

      After the surgery, Terris had to complete the remainder of his chemo rounds, followed by a stem cell transplant. But once his immune system was strong enough, in the fall of 2012, he began outpatient PT. With a lot of hard work, he was able to get back into playing soccer and baseball. “PT gets you back to doing what you love again,” Terris says. “It also taught me to adapt in my daily life after cancer.”

      Pushing the Limits

      george-terris-usahs
      George Terris, DPT ‘23

      “I didn’t want to let anything limit me,” Terris says. Today, he wears his AFO for everyday use, as it allows him to continue participating in sports, running, and walking around campus. For surfing, he has learned how to position and swing his leg differently to get on the board during the pop-up phase.

      Along with several other USAHS students, he volunteered with the U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships in September 2021. Faculty member Dr. Maureen Johnson, Head of Classification for the International Surfing Association, sets standards for how adaptive surfers can compete on a level playing field and organizes groups of student volunteers each year. “I connected with a huge community of adaptive surfers,” Terris says.

      Terris is a brand ambassador for Elevate Dynamics, a San Diego company that makes AFOs. He gives them feedback on prototypes, helping the next generation of AFO users.

      With-orthotist-george-terry-pt-usahs
      Greg Steward, CPO, orthotist with Elevate Dynamics, fits Terris with an AFO model

      His rehab experience spurred Terris to new career aspirations. “PT kind of fell into my life,” he says. “I love the process. You take someone from ground zero to where they want to be—reaching their goals. You see their abilities grow over months and years. It’s special to be a contributing factor in that process. I wanted to help people like my team helped me.”

      Finding His Calling

      Terris earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at California State University San Marcos, just a mile from USAHS’ campus. After graduation, he worked as a physical therapy aide at G3 Physical Therapy & Wellness Center in San Diego County. He heard “great things” about USAHS from his cousin Viki Hitchcock, who is currently in the DPT program. Terris enrolled in the DPT program with three of his colleagues at G3.

      “PT school is a lot of work, but it’s the most fun in education that I’ve had so far. Everything I learn applies to my career. I don’t feel like I’m in school—it’s your job. Your classmates have your back. We’re learning amazing information—and it’s all experience-driven.”

      Terris is currently in his third trimester and is on track to graduate in December 2023.

      “I already understood PT from the patient’s point of view,” Terris says. “Now, I’m learning the practitioner’s point of view. In class, I sometimes have flashbacks of my experiences, and I understand why my PTs did what they did. It helps me put the pieces together.”

      When asked if he wants to specialize in a certain area of PT, he says, “I’m open-minded. I want to let school expose me to new things and drive that choice.”

      “In the moment, we question why things happen to us the way that they do—but then we realize that these experiences introduce us to different aspects of our lives. Without those experiences, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

      The largest PT school in the United States,* the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers a hands-on Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. Join a collaborative cohort of peers who learn under the mentorship of expert faculty-practitioners. Practice with mock and real patients in our state-of-the-art simulation centers and learn anatomy with our high-tech tools. Prepare for clinical practice with a wide range of patients, as well as for advanced roles in research, practice leadership, and policymaking. Residential (blended didactic courses + in-person labs on weekdays) and Flex (online courses + in-person labs on weekends) formats are available.

      *Based on total DPT degrees conferred, as reported by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data is captured by IPEDS through interrelated surveys conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/

      Blog Single Post: Sidebar

      Want to learn more?
      Contact an enrollment advisor.
      Request Information

      Latest Stories

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      Speech-Language Pathology SLP, Alumni Stories

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

      Occupational Therapy OT, Alumni Stories

      USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

      Occupational Therapy OT, Alumni Stories

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

      More Physical Therapy PT

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession usahs

      Speech-Language Pathology SLP

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      sva-flsa-usahs

      Occupational Therapy OT

      USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant-01-usahs

      Occupational Therapy OT

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

      Footer

      • Schedule a Tour
      • Apply for Admission
      • Upcoming Events
      • News
      • Financial Aid
      • Faculty Directory
      • Social Media Guidelines
      • Library
      • Continuing Education
      • Careers @ USA
      • MyUSA
      • Webmail
      • Catalog/Handbook
      • Media Resources
      • Legal and Consumer Disclosures
      • State Licensure

      University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
      • Linkedin

      San Marcos, CA Campus
      700 Windy Point Drive
      San Marcos, CA 92069

      St. Augustine, FL Campus
      1 University Boulevard
      St. Augustine, FL 32086

      Miami, FL Campus
      Douglas Entrance North Tower
      800 S. Douglas Road, Suite 149
      Coral Gables, FL 33134

      Austin, TX Campus
      5401 La Crosse Ave
      Austin, TX 78739

      Dallas, TX Campus
      5010 Riverside Drive, Suite 120
      Irving, TX 75039

      General Inquiries: (904) 826-0084
      Media Inquiries: (760) 407-2301
      Fax: (904) 826-0085
      Registrations: (800) 241-1027

       

       

      Copyright © 2022 Legal & Consumer Disclosure  •  Title IX / Safety & Security  •  Privacy Policy  •  Program Data  •  Accreditation  •  Contact