The EMG Solutions clinical education program began in July 2023. Since its inception, the program has entered into agreements with 23 entry level Doctor of Physical Therapy programs to accept students for clinical experiences (CEs). As of July 2026, 10 students from 6 different programs have completed or will complete CEs engaging in clinical electrodiagnostic examinations (EDX). Two students including one from a 7th different program are confirmed for late 2026/early 2027. The expert clinicians who have served as primary clinical instructors include Mark Simmons, PT, DSc, ECS, Kyle Martinos, PT, DPT, ECS, Daniel Trapp, PT, DPT, Karah Loftin, PT, DPT, ECS, Colby Kunkel, PT, DPT, ECS, and John Lugo, PT, DPT, ECS. Students have encountered patients in private physical therapy outpatient clinics, outpatient hospital clinics, diagnostic testing facilities, and large orthopedic physician networks. The urban areas where students have provided services include Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Montgomery, AL, and Huntsville, AL while they have also delivered essential healthcare to underserved rural areas of Georgia, Kentucky, and Alabama.
There were two unique challenges faced by the executive team at EMG Solutions when starting the clinical education program. The first was associated with the specialty nature of EDX within physical therapy practice and entry level physical therapist education. Clinical electrophysiological physical therapy is the second oldest specialty area but as of June 2025, has the third fewest number of board-certified specialists. EMG Solutions is one of the largest physical therapist providers of EDX in the United States, employing 17 specialists, board eligible therapists, and residents in their American Board of Physical Therapy Residency & Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) accredited program. EMG Solutions has partnered with health care institutions in 8 states and encounters patients with suspected conditions including focal mononeuropathies like carpal tunnel syndrome, spinal nerve root lesions like lumbar radiculopathies, diffuse polyneuropathic processes like type 2 diabetic polyneuropathy, and motor neuron diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). EMG Solutions provides ample opportunities for physical therapy students to encounter and examine patients with these conditions. However, because of the busy entry level physical therapist education curriculum, many programs do not have the resources to expose students to all aspects of EDX testing nor do they have time to develop the specialized skills unique to this area. Additionally, students have reported anxiety about having the psychomotor skills to engage in physical therapy practice when they may not have had enough time to hone the skills within the academic curriculum. Therefore, EMG Solutions developed a structured curriculum with cumulative and objective goals that delineates expectations for the student and provides them with structured and supervised laboratory and clinical practice with the two main aspects of EDX: nerve conduction studies and needle electromyography.
The second challenge faced by the executive team at EMG Solutions was to provide a terminal clinical experience to students that would enable them to demonstrate entry level proficiency as a physical therapy generalist in all aspects of patient management. Most of the patient interaction in clinical electrophysiologic physical therapy focuses on four elements of the patient client management model: examination, evaluation, diagnosis, and prognosis. PTs engaging in EDX do not normally establish short- or long-term goals determining the intervention strategies nor provide intervention to the patient. To remedy this deficiency, the clinical experience curriculum incorporates these activities with simulated management exercises. Based on the actual patient interaction of the EDX encounter, the
student will establish the rehabilitation potential, consider all types of providers that would be appropriate to contribute to the management of the patient, and select appropriate physical therapy procedural interventions that could be utilized in the care of the patient. Students are expected to provide their rationale and specific examples for each aspect of management via a standardized document that could be included in the patient’s medical record. Each document is reviewed by the clinical instructor who provides feedback as needed. EMG Solutions conducts interviews at the conclusion and six months after each clinical experience when possible. Students have provided feedback on the helpful aspects of this exercise in subsequent clinical experiences and on the National Physical Therapist Examination (NPTE). All students who have completed a clinical experience with EMG Solutions have reported a successful first attempt passing score on the NPTE.
The administrators of EMG Solutions’ Clinical Education Program have been recognized by national organizations for their contribution to the development of physical therapy students. Cathy DiGiacomo, PTA BS received the 2025 Award of Excellence in Clinical Education from the Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management (ACEWM). She received this award at the 2026 American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting (APTA CSM). In addition to her instrumental work in opening dialogue between entry level physical therapy education programs and EMG Solutions, she has published newsletters on clinical electrophysiology that were distributed to > 250 ACEWM members, academic institutions, and students that highlight the role clinical electrodiagnosis plays in patient management, what post-professional educational opportunities are available, and what a day in the life of a clinical electrophysiological physical therapy resident entails. There has been an increase in the number of entry level DPT students who are participating in the EDX Special Interest Group (SIG) and Cathy’s efforts have been a direct cause of that.
John Lugo, PT DPT has received one of the 2026 Education Impact Initiative (EI2) ELC Scholarship awards for his role as the Site Coordinator of Clinical Education (SCCE). This distinction was recognized by the Continuing Education Special Interest Group (CESIG) of the Academy of Education (AoE) to honor members of the AoE and CESIG for their contribution to clinical education. The award includes attendance at the 2026 Education Leadership Conference (ELC) to be held in Washington DC in October 2026. John is expected to network with academic and fellow clinical educators, discuss projects within the SIG, and discuss topics of interest to the membership of the CESIG. A report on the activities of ELC will be provided in a subsequent post. In his role as SCCE, John has been instrumental in developing relationships with schools and establishing student educational opportunities at EMG Solutions. Lastly, John has served as primary and secondary clinical instructor for students placed in the eastern Alabama & Western Georgia areas.
