Our new student placements have just begun! Learn more about our student physiotherapists below:
Rachel McGregor
Student Physiotherapist
Rachel is in her first year of the Physical Therapy program at the University of British Columbia. Previously, she completed her Bachelor’s in Kinesiology at UBC. During her undergraduate degree, Rachel worked with individuals of varying ages and abilities as a coach, support worker, and volunteer. She gained research experience at the Sensorimotor Systems Lab at UBC and the Kramer Lab at ICORD.
Rachel volunteered at the Physical Activity Research Centre at ICORD, where she engaged with individuals with spinal cord injuries. She helped lead the yoga and mindfulness class, as she is passionate about using meditative strategies to improve well-being.
Rachel’s excitement for movement, sunsets and music is contagious. She is an advocate for lifelong physical activity. She loves to explore new activities and ways of moving. A few of her interests include basketball, hiking, skiing, and spike ball. Recently, Rachel has been enjoying taking recreational classes such as boxing and Zumba.
Rachel strives to address her patient’s needs using a client-centred and evidence-informed approach. She looks forward to collaborating with her patients to help them achieve their physical endeavours.
Josh Chao
Student Physiotherapist
Josh is a first-year physical therapy student at UBC. Before entering the MPT program, Josh studied Kinesiology, also at UBC. His interest in exercise and the human body stems from an active childhood; growing up, he played a wide variety of sports before settling on hockey as his main interest. He kept his skates sharp for 10 years before hanging them up just prior to the beginning of his post-secondary education. His active lifestyle, and the many injuries associated with it, provided him with his first exposure to physical therapy and were instrumental in guiding him toward a career in rehabilitation.
In the years between the completion of his BKin and the beginning of his MPT degree, Josh worked as a Kinesiologist, spending most of his time working in a long-term care facility. His three years there gave him experience working with patients living with a large variety of physical, cognitive, and behavioural disabilities. From his work in long-term care, Josh has developed a gentle approach to his care. He believes that compassion is critical for establishing strong patient-therapist relationships.
Josh’s interests include weightlifting, anime, chess, basketball, and classical music. He encourages everyone to ask him about any of them.
Sarah Sullivan
Student Physiotherapist
Sarah is in her first year of the UBC physiotherapy program. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at McGill University and has over a year of experience working as a kinesiologist specializing in clients with chronic health conditions.
During her undergraduate degree, Sarah was heavily involved in the McGill community through volunteering and athletics. As a volunteer, she was involved in the Human Brain Control of Locomotion lab where she learned about the neural control of gait, and worked with Parkinson’s patients during clinical trials. Additionally, she volunteered with Drive Safe, an organization which provides free late-night rides to McGill students, as she believes that drunk driving should be eradicated. In terms of her athletics, Sarah was a member of the McGill Cheerleading team throughout her degree and competed at the national level.
Sarah’s passion for physiotherapy started at a young age. Through playing sports she suffered many injuries, and started seeing her physiotherapist regularly from the age of 12. When she suffered her first injury, she felt as though she would never be able to walk again. Through working with her physiotherapist who used evidence-based practice and individualized care, she was able to make a full recovery and return to playing sports at a high level. This experience sparked her passion for physiotherapy, and she hopes to positively impact the lives of her clients as her physiotherapist impacted her.
As Sarah is passionate about maintaining an active lifestyle, while not in the clinic she can be found hiking in the local mountains, rock climbing with friends, or road biking through the city.