Kyle and Krupa Alford – Honorable Mention – “Force for Good” Alumni Video Contest
Meet Kyle and Krupa Alford, graduates of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) and members of the first graduating class of the transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in 2001. In this Force for Good Alumni Video Contest honorable mention, the couple reflects on how their physical therapy education helped develop their clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and patient assessment skills. They discuss how these abilities shaped their early careers in outpatient physical therapy and prepared them for a different path in healthcare.
The video follows their journey from practicing physical therapists in the United States to providing medical care in underserved communities throughout India. After witnessing limited access to healthcare and medical services, Kyle and Krupa relocated with their family to organize medical camps in communities with significant healthcare needs. They share how they use their backgrounds in physical therapy, orthopedics, and wound care to support patients through treatment, education, and outreach, and reflect on how their education at USAHS prepared them to make a difference through service.
Transcript
Kyle and Krupa Alford – Honorable Mention – _Force for Good_ Alumni Video Contest
[00:00:00] Kyle Alford (USAHS Alumni): I am Kyle and this is Krupa. [00:00:02] Krupa Alford (USAHS Alumni): We graduated from the University of St. Augustine in 2001 as the first graduates of the transitional DPT program. [00:00:08] Kyle Alford (USAHS Alumni): Immediately after graduation, it was obvious in the workplace that there was a difference between those who graduated from St. Augustine and those who graduated from other programs. [00:00:15] Krupa Alford (USAHS Alumni): The difference was not primarily one of technical ability or knowledge, but one of critical thinking. [00:00:20] Kyle Alford (USAHS Alumni): We believe this to be one of the great benefits of a degree from USA. We not only learned how to observe and test a patient, but we learned how to take this information, form rational hypotheses, triage, and differentially diagnose. [00:00:31] Krupa Alford (USAHS Alumni): It is this critical thinking and processing that allowed us to thrive in the outpatient world for a decade before making a huge life transition. [00:00:39] Kyle Alford (USAHS Alumni): Over 15 years ago, we took our first trip to India. Seeing the poverty and lack of access to medicine and medical treatments broke our hearts. We prayed at that time for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those people who are most needy. [00:00:52] Krupa Alford (USAHS Alumni): 10 years ago, our family moved to India and began organizing medical camps in some of the most desperate and poor communities in the world. [00:00:59] Kyle Alford (USAHS Alumni): We took the responsibility for orthopedics, wound care, and occasionally other areas where we were the most qualified people in the room. [00:01:06] Krupa Alford (USAHS Alumni): Most of the people we treat were born in their village and have never seen an MD, a nurse, or even heard of a physiotherapist. [00:01:12] Kyle Alford (USAHS Alumni): Though we screen for major problems that might require further medical intervention, many of those we see can be helped with dietary advice, supplements, and education. [00:01:20] Krupa Alford (USAHS Alumni): It is our pleasure to use our skills and knowledge to help the very least of these suffering far from the purview of the Western world. [00:01:27] Kyle Alford (USAHS Alumni): We are so thankful for St. Augustine, who prepared us for the greatest of all adventures.
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