ACAPT and the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation (JHR) are proud to announce the 2026 Physical Therapy Student Essay contest winners, a judged writing competition designed to encourage deep thinking by physical therapy students about the role and value of humanities, ethics, and professionalism in academic training and professional life.
The annual Physical Therapy Student Essay Contest offers a creative opportunity to ignite critical reflection in PT students across the nation.
Congratulations to the 2026 contest recipients who wrote about their experiences in challenging assumptions in the classroom and clinical setting, and what has deepened their curiousity as a physical therapist.
The first-place winner received a $250 award from ACAPT and will appear in the 2026 Spring JHR issue. Finalists will be included in the Fall 2026 issue.
First place
Argel "Hal" Brown, University of Vermont
Argel "Hal" Brown, a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at the University of Vermont, recounts in his essay "What I Miss When I’m Certain" his disheartening clinical rotation at a productivity-driven outpatient clinic where profit margins seemed to supersede patient care. His narrative highlights how this difficult environment, which emphasized "selling certainty" over clinical inquiry, challenged his assumptions about clinical practice. Observing how decades of collective clinical experience seemed to have withered under productivity pressures showed Brown that "curiosity is not a luxury of ideal settings; it is an ethical commitment that must be practiced, especially when it is least convenient."
He learned that curiosity, which he felt flourished in the classroom, is fragile in clinical practice and requires deliberate protection. His essay reminds us that remaining intellectually engaged as a physical therapist means resisting efficiency-focused cultures by continuing to ask questions, consult evidence, and wonder whether there could be "more to the story." This commitment to sustained inquiry has become foundational to his understanding of evidence-based practice and professional integrity.
Finalists
Khiarah Miles-Williams, Thomas Jefferson University
Khiarah Miles-Williams, a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Thomas Jefferson University. In her essay, "The Discipline of Curiosity," she describes her first clinical experience with a patient whose chart was filled with documentation framing her as "anxious" and "non-compliant." Her narrative highlights how clinical language shaped her expectations and challenged her assumptions about what drives curiosity in healthcare.
She thoughtfully describes a moment when she asked the patient what they hoped to gain from therapy, and the reply came softly, "I just want someone to believe me." Taking the time to truly listen and observe the person in front of her taught Miles-Williams, that "curiosity is not driven by clinical complexity" but requires humility and a willingness to remain with uncertainty. It is not automatic but a discipline requiring deliberate practice. She gained a greater understanding that remaining intellectually and emotionally engaged as a physical therapist means resisting easy labels, choosing reflection over speed, and examining whose knowledge is privileged in clinical encounters. This commitment to curiosity as an ethical posture and form of resistance has become foundational to her understanding of patient-centered care grounded in humanity.
Kim Nguyen, University of Florida
Kim Nguyen, a DPT student at the University of Florida, Class of 2028. In her essay, "Beyond the Algorithm: Where Curiosity Begins," she reflects on her experience treating a patient with chronic low back pain whose presentation defied clinical algorithms and tidy theories. Her narrative highlights how this challenging encounter, where every test contradicted the last and pain responses arose before physical contact, revealed the limitations of pattern-based clinical reasoning.
When she asked the patient what the pain felt like, the patient responded, "It feels like my body remembers things I'd rather forget." This profound statement, along with the discovery that guilt, fear, and memory can shape the patient's pain experience, taught Nguyen that "pain perception is journalism in motion: every symptom is a headline, but the truth is buried in the paragraphs beneath."
Nguyen learned to put down her goniometer and build sessions around safety, pacing, and emotional permission instead of hunting for perfect corrective exercises. Observing that physical therapists must be part scientist, part coach, and part detective, she recognized that pain can be shaped by upbringing, culture, stress, memory, and fear. This understanding that curiosity is "the resistance against clinical autopilot" and a professional responsibility has become foundational to her approach as an aspiring physical therapist committed to honoring the complexity of healing and uncovering the stories patients don't yet know how to tell.