PT Clinical Education Award

The Clinical Education Awards in Physical Therapy were established to recognize excellence in teaching by clinical preceptors who are affiliated with the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's University.

The Awards are granted on the basis of demonstrated excellence in clinical teaching, to therapists who have served as clinical preceptors in any type of clinical setting.

Clinical preceptors can be nominated for this award by students, clinical/fieldwork coordinators in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, or by colleagues or supervisors at their clinical facility.

For more information on the Awards or the nomination process, please contact: Melanie Law (lawm@queensu.ca)

Physical Therapy Award Winner - Sarah Mulvihill

Sarah Mulvihill graduated from the University of Toronto’s Physical Therapy program in 2021 and has practiced in many communities across Ontario, including St. Catharines, Hamilton, and Kingston. She currently practices at Providence Care Hospital and is one of the co-founders of Neurologix Rehabilitation, a home-based neurological physiotherapy practice in Kingston.

Sarah is a Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT)-certified therapist who is passionate about helping individuals achieve their functional goals and maximize independence. Sarah views clinical education as a collaborative learning experience and encourages students to ask questions, think critically, and approach clinical challenges with curiosity. She strives to create a supportive learning environment where students can build confidence, strengthen their clinical reasoning, and grow into compassionate clinicians.

Physical Therapy Award Winner - Kristina DiFabio

Kristina graduated from Lakehead Univerity's Orillia Campus, with an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Interdisciplinary Studies, following which she graduated from Western University's Master of Physical Therapy Program. Since graduating in 2014, she has completed continuing education in concussion management, vestibular rehabilitation, clinical pilates, and pelvic health. Kristina further developed her clinical skills in concussion management and sport physiotherapy through completion of the Sports Physiotherapy Fellowship and Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic at Western University. She enjoys providing mentorship, guiding students in developing their clinical reasoning and knowledge of evidence based practice. Kristina looks forward to continuing to offer Physiotherapy clinical placements to Queen's University MScPT students, as she endeavors to provide each student the best clinical experience.

2024 Award Winner - Dakshan Krishnapalan

" Dakshan graduated with a Bachelor’s in Medical Science from Western University in 2016 before earning a Master’s in Physical Therapy from Queen’s University in 2019. Since then, he has been employed at CBI Health, Kingston, where he has practiced for five years, focusing on a diverse patient caseload.

As a committed educator, Dakshan has taken on over 20 students throughout his career, finding that mentoring has been invaluable to his own learning and development as both a physiotherapist and a clinical instructor. He is extremely grateful to all the students he has supervised, who have played a significant role in shaping his practice.

Honored to receive the 2023-2024 Queen’s University Clinical Education Award, Dakshan looks forward to pursuing more opportunities in the field of education in the future. He also wishes to extend his heartfelt thanks to his colleagues at CBI and everyone involved in the program for fostering a supportive learning environment. "

Previous Clinical Education Award Winners

^{2023 - Nicole Mills
2021 - Christopher Pawliuk}
^{2020 - Latif Khoja}
^{2019 - Timothy Burgess}
^{2018 - Ashish Bharti}
^{2017 - Karen Parks}
^{2016 - Stephanie Brian}
^{2015 - Hussein Karim}

Previous Clinical Education Award Winners

2023 - Nicole Mills2021 - Christopher Pawliuk2020 - Latif Khoja2019 - Timothy Burgess2018 - Ashish Bharti2017 - Karen Parks2016 - Stephanie Brian2015 - Hussein Karim

^{2023 - Nicole Mills
2021 - Christopher Pawliuk}
^{2020 - Latif Khoja}
^{2019 - Timothy Burgess}
^{2018 - Ashish Bharti}
^{2017 - Karen Parks}
^{2016 - Stephanie Brian}
^{2015 - Hussein Karim}