For Erica Liao ’25DPT, MPH, Arcadia’s Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Public Health dual degree program was the perfect fit for training her to become a well-prepared physical therapist who also understands the broader issues in healthcare, including social determinants of health.

“We see that within communities, historical and systemic inequities have led to health disparities,” explained Liao, who hails from Jersey City, N.J. “I now understand that a patient’s recovery from a physical injury can be hindered not just by the injury itself, but also by their living conditions, their ability to afford treatment, and their health literacy.”

Liao excitedly participated in opportunities that expanded upon her classroom learning. In her role as a research assistant for Dr. Augusto Macalalag, associate professor of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education, she co-authored a study about empowering K-12 teachers to incorporate “real-world” socioscientific issues into their STEM curriculum with a goal of improving student engagement. For Liao, this served as a tangible reminder of the impact she and her colleagues have.

“Research was never something I thought I would be interested in, but I am incredibly proud of the work that we did,” she said. “It’s humbling to know that our work is now part of the broader academic conversation, and that it may influence the way future generations of students learn about STEM.”

Liao also served as president of the Arcadia Physical Therapy Multicultural Leadership Alliance (PTMLA). Through this leadership role, she was able to leverage her background in public health to bring new perspectives to her PT cohort. This included organizing educational initiatives to highlight various topics, including cultural humility, which Liao is passionate about.

“Cultural humility is the ability to maintain an ongoing self-reflection and self-critique while engaging with a patient,” she explained. “It is not about knowing everything about another culture or being ‘politically correct.’ Rather, it is a commitment to always learning and trying to understand others’ experiences and perspectives.”

During her time as PTMLA president, the alliance hosted guest speakers to highlight spirituality and religion, gender and sexual identity, disabilities, and more. Through these experiences, the cohorts learned to approach each patient with curiosity, respect, and a willingness to listen and learn from each individual.

On top of her educational and extracurricular endeavors, Liao feels her clinical rotations gave her solid experience in considering the broader context of a patient’s life.

“Instead of just focusing on the physical injury or condition, I am more easily able to look at the person as a whole, taking into account the patient’s living situation, socioeconomic status, cultural beliefs, etc.,” she explained. “In my last clinical rotation, I worked with a large population of children and young adults with cerebral palsy. As per the traditional PT approach, a lot of my treatment sessions focused on exercises to reduce spasticity, improve muscle control, and increase endurance to improve mobility in the community. However, I understood that these were only a small portion of my patients’ goals. 

“Our sessions often also involved discussions with patients and their families about resources for reputable aides to offer assistance with daily living; community resources to develop connections with other children and young adults in the community; empowering patients to advocate for themselves regarding accessibility in their communities; and explaining insurance coverage for equipment or orthotics.”

After graduation, Liao will take the National Physical Therapy Examination in the hopes of becoming a travel PT, marrying her passions for healthcare and traveling.