About Rehab Knowledge Advantage
Hi – I’m Chrissy Durrough Lugge, PT, DPT, NCS. I live in Nashville, TN with my husband (Simon), daughter (Ava), son (Otto), and two dogs (Huckleberry and Norman). I am fortunate to say that I work full-time in my dream job. I am a physical therapist at Vanderbilt Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute where I split my time between treating patients with a wide range of neurologic dysfunction and working in research, primarily with the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology as the lead physical therapist for clinical trials involving the Indego exoskeleton and early-stage robotic technologies for rehabilitation.
I love patient care and research, but I view myself first as a teacher – a teacher of my patients and their families, a teacher of graduate students and residents in the clinic and classroom, a teacher of the engineers with whom I collaborate, and a teacher of the legislators to whom I advocate for our profession. My passion for teaching is why I founded Rehab Knowledge Advantage in 2016. I’m in the trenches with you and understand that a physical therapist’s days are spent treating back-to-back-to-back patients while completing seemingly endless documentation. It’s tough to find time to eat lunch, let alone review the latest literature or attend high-quality continuing education courses. There is very little that is as frustrating as finally investing your time and money to attend a class, only to find that the instructor is out of touch with day-to-day physical therapy practice.
Rehab Knowledge Advantage aims to bring expert clinicians into an online classroom environment to provide access to cutting edge, evidence-based education that applies directly to your practice. From the comfort of your home and on your own schedule, you can elevate your knowledge base to meet your career goals and optimize the quality of life of your patients.
About the NCS Advantage
When I (Chrissy) completed the Vanderbilt and Belmont University neurologic residency program and began studying for the NCS exam, I was surprised by the lack of direction available. This led me to develop a study program that allowed my study partner and me to earn distinction as Neurologic Clinical Specialists in 2014. I passed my study plan on to several colleagues across the country who improved the material based on their experiences – and it has evolved into the NCS Advantage.
Now in its seventh year, the NCS Advantage has helped over 1,600 people – 98% of whom passed the NCS exam. Every aspect of the course is thoughtfully designed with the goal of helping you pass the NCS exam. The content is structured in an easy-to-navigate, organized way that allows you to spend more time actually studying and less time figuring out what to study. I’m so proud of this course and hope you will consider it in your exam preparation process.
About the OCS Advantage
Marcus Williams, PT, DPT, MBA, OCS
Hi, I’m Marcus. I moved to Columbus, OH in 2005 to start my undergraduate studies and haven’t left. I graduated DPT school, with Nick and Chrissy, in 2012 from The Ohio State University. In 2014, I earned my MBA from the Fisher College of Business. I currently work, with Nick, at OSU Wexner Medical Center, in our Ambulatory Rehabilitation department. I also serve as Treasurer for the Ohio Physical Therapy Association.
I obtained my Orthopedic Clinical Specialist certification in 2017. Leading up to the exam, I had just been promoted to a managerial position and was getting a crash course on parenting from our oldest (Ezra), who was an infant at the time. Needless to say, it was hard trying to incorporate study time into an already packed schedule. I had no choice but to be extremely efficient with my time spent preparing for the exam. It is through this process that I gained the invaluable experience that led to the creation of the OCS Advantage in collaboration with Nick. This course is a refined version of the tools that effectively enabled both of us to pass the exam despite having limited study time.
Nick Smith, PT, DPT, OCS
Hi, my name is Nick. I am currently working at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the outpatient physical therapy department. Ever since I graduated from PT school in 2012, I have wanted to follow two separate passions in the physical therapy world: (1) to further my orthopedic skills and knowledge to become a better clinician while advocating for the profession and (2) to find a way to educate and mentor others in this amazing field. It was during my time as an anatomy teaching assistant at The Ohio State University when I realized how much I enjoyed academia. As a physical therapist, I have been a clinical instructor for many students in various stages of their education. I try to learn as much from my students as possible to keep up with the current evidence and trends in our profession.
After studying for and passing the OCS examination in 2017, I wanted to share my process with others seeking to take the exam. My goal with the OCS Advantage is to produce an efficient study guide for the working professional – highlighting the key concepts that we do not often encounter on a day-to-day basis. In my opinion, the practice test questions are an extremely valuable study tool, not only to simulate the mental fatigue of a 200 question exam, but also to focus on areas which may require further independent study. My hope is that you find this guide to be a valuable supplement to your OCS preparation.
About the PCS Advantage
Helen Carey, PT, DHSc, PCS
Hi- I’m Helen! I live in Columbus, OH and am currently an Assistant Professor in the DPT Program at South College in Knoxville, TN where I teach in the pediatric and neurologic PT curricula. Formerly, I was the director of The Nisonger Center Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program at The Ohio State University and have also held other academic teaching positions. Being a residency director and mentor has been one of the most rewarding activities of my career! Watching young professionals develop into advanced practitioners was an enlightening experience and really opened my eyes to the value of post-professional career development. As a member of the Rehab Knowledge Advantage team, I hope to put my 3 decades of experience in clinical practice, education, and research to valuable use in supporting the next generation of Pediatric Clinical Specialists.
I have been an ABPTS board certified clinical specialist in pediatric physical therapy since 1999, with 2 recertifications since that time. Although I have spent time in education and research over the past couple of decades, I remain committed to clinical practice, especially in the area of early intervention. My passions are cerebral palsy, knowledge translation, and clinical outcome measurement tools in pediatric practice. As a bachelor-trained PT (BHS in Physical Therapy from The University of Kentucky), I learned early in my career that I needed to advance my education to become the therapist I needed to be. That drive led to the completion of my MHS and then my DHSc in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis.
Jess and I have designed the practice exams and study guides to really challenge your foundational knowledge in pediatric PT, as well as clinical reasoning. The concept of self-testing is proven to help learners recalibrate their understanding of their own knowledge and facilitate the development of individualized learning goals. We look forward to being a part of your PCS journey!
Jessica Lewis, PT, DPT, PCS
Hello! My name is Jessica. I currently work at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. I graduated from The Ohio State University’s Physical Therapy program in 2011. Since this time, I have spent time working in schools, outpatient developmental clinics, specialty clinics, and research labs. Prior to starting my job at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I completed a pediatric physical therapy residency program through The Nisonger Center at The Ohio State University. The residency really helped me expand my skills in the clinic, research, and education.
I became a board certified clinical specialist in pediatric physical therapy in 2015. As I was trying to formulate my study plan, I was disappointed to find that there was nothing online that could help guide my efforts. When the opportunity to help develop the PCS Advantage was presented to me, I immediately knew that this was a project I would love to commit myself to. I am really excited about what Helen and I have created and I really think the content will help guide you and challenge you as you study for your PCS examination.
About the GCS Advantage
Jonathan Zins, PT, DPT, GCS
Jonathan graduated from The Ohio State Doctor of Physical Therapy program and further specialized in geriatrics. Using the GCS Advantage as a study tool, he scored in the 97th percentile on his first attempt of the GCS certification exam. He completed a residency program at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in 2021-2022, receiving expert level mentorship and leadership development. He currently works in the outpatient setting, but has clinical experience in skilled nursing, acute care, inpatient rehab, and home healthcare. He is one of only 3 clinicians employed at Ohio State to specialize in older adults and is passionate about providing expert level care to seniors in the outpatient setting. He has developed a 6hr continuing education course on best practices for treatment of Parkinson’s disease in rural Ohio, wrote a case study on the value of creativity and clinical problem solving to overcome barriers in the complex older adult, and presented this case study at the 2022 OPTA Transform Conference in Columbus, Ohio. He has also presented at the 2023 Combined Sections Meeting in San Diego on implementation of home health rotations in residency programs. Jonathan values innovation, alternative thinking, and authenticity to enhance the delivery of physical therapy in older adults.
- The Ohio State University, 2018, Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Science
- The Ohio State University, 2021, Doctor of Physical Therapy
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 2021-2022, Geriatric Residency
Kelly Giltner, PT, DPT
Hello! My name is Kelly, and I am a recent graduate of The Ohio State University’s Physical Therapy program. My passion for caring for older adults has always been a driving force in my career choice. Witnessing my geriatric patients’ enthusiasm for improving their mobility and aging well has been incredibly rewarding.
During my capstone experience the last semester of PT school, I had the great opportunity to work under the mentorship of Jonathan in the clinical and leadership setting. This experience further solidified my skills and passion for the care of the geriatric population. Additionally, for this capstone, I enjoyed completing a project to support the implementation of evidence-based practices across multiple clinic locations. This opportunity to develop the GCS Advantage excited me to delve deeper into learning and sharing that knowledge with others.
I’m committed to providing personalized care based on the latest evidence. Through assisting in the development of GCS Advantage, I aim to share my knowledge and passion, making evidence-based practice in geriatric PT accessible and understandable for all. We have put in the hours to gather and synthesize information so you can use your valuable time studying only the best high-yield content!
Best of luck, you got this!