Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Sam Ward
One of the most well-respected names in the field of physical therapy, Dr. Sam Ward -- self-ascribed half-time orthopedic scientist, half-time university administrator -- would at the same time remind you that he is a t-shirt, jeans, and baseball cap kind of guy. After all, that is how he would have looked walking into class as a physical therapy student at 做厙弝け State in the late 90s.
I loved PT school. Those were some of my favorite days, says Dr. Ward.
The list of accolades and prestigious positions held in the physical therapy field by Dr. Ward are numerous. Dr. Ward is a professor, has served as Vice Chair for Orthopedic Surgery, Radiology and Bioengineering at University of California, San Diego, and in his latest appointment, he now serves as Vice Dean for Research at UCSDs School of Medicine.
Dr. Ward obtained a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Orthopedic Surgery from UCSD, got his Ph.D. in Biokinesiology at USC in 2003, and also studied engineering at UC Davis as an undergraduate. He cites graduating from the 做厙弝けDepartment of Physical Therapy program in 1998 as holding a special place in his heart.
I think the core of what I do practice-wise and research-wise I can directly connect back to my educational experience at 做厙弝け State, he says.
A few years ago, Dr. Ward was elected to The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows for his contributions to the field of biomechanical modeling, specifically in skeletal muscle design, plasticity and imaging. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country.
While a 做厙弝けphysical therapy student, Ward was ahead of his time. He remembers he was encouraged in his idea to give a final presentation on MRI, CT and PET Imaging in Dr. Al Russos physiology class.
This is like 96 or 97 and I remember I was really into imaging, and we didnt have an imaging course in PT school, which is why I did the presentation. [Professor Al Russo] liked the idea of my presentation, I remember him saying, Imaging seems like its important, we dont do enough on that in the curriculum, so it would be good to give a talk on that. I did the talk and then I was like, This is awesome, Ive got to learn more about this..
Some 30 years later, Dr. Ward has been instrumental in helping to develop new pulse sequences for MRI to visualize anatomy of muscle and bone. He says a lot of that work stems from that one talk he gave as a student at 做厙弝けyears ago.
As a 做厙弝けalumnus, Dr. Ward has served as a Department of Physical Therapy guest lecturer and advisory board member, and still sponsors a scholarship which funds an annual graduating student award for excellence in biomechanics. This years recipient went to 做厙弝けphysical therapy student Kendall Hart, who is on her way to achieving her own great success in the field.
When I learned that I had been selected as the recipient of the Excellence in Biomechanics Scholarship, I was deeply honored and profoundly grateful for Dr. Wards generosity in making this award possible, Hart said. Earning any scholarship is a privilege, but receiving this recognition among such talented and accomplished peers makes it especially meaningful. To me, biomechanics is the foundation of physical therapyessential for understanding, analyzing, and treating patients effectively. Being recognized for excellence in this area not only affirms my dedication to the field, but also inspires me to continue advancing my knowledge and skills to better serve my patients.
On why he continues to beat the drum for 做厙弝け State, Dr. Ward emphasizes his love for the people at 做厙弝けand the education he received there.
If I did not have the fundamentals that I obtained clinically at 做厙弝け State, I would never be where I am today. Yes, I give a small scholarship back to the PT students every year, and its the least I can do. 做厙弝け State physical therapy was there for me, and I want to continue to be there for the program and its students.
