Renee VanVeld, PT, MS

Renee VanVeld is an assistant professor and Director of Clinical Education. Renee teaches content related to evaluation and treatment of persons with amputations and persons with wounds. She prepares DPT students for and guides them through 37 weeks of clinical education. She also facilitates relationships with clinical sites and clinical instructors to ensure quality clinical education for our students.

She is a Certified Instructor for the APTA's Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program, teaching this continuing education course at least twice a year in Indiana. Renee is a member of the APTA, Education Section of the APTA, and INAPTA. She is actively involved in governance of the Indiana Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Renee works clinically in a Level One trauma hospital, focusing on treating patients after orthopedic trauma and/or amputations. She received a 2009 Mentee Grant to help guide a group of DPT students during a month-long service learning trip to Tanzania.

UIndy Goes to Africa

by Renée Van Veld, PT, MS

On a snowy December 9th, 2009, ten DPT students and two faculty members from the University of Indianapolis left Indianapolis on a nearly month-long service trip to Tanzania, located in eastern central Africa.  Four airplanes, four travel days and two flat tires truly in the middle of nowhere led us to our final destination of Pommern, a spread-out village community of approximately 4,000 people.  The trip was organized by Dr. Stacie Fruth through Global Volunteers, an organization Dr. Fruth had previously partnered with to go to Pommern ten years ago.  For me, it was also a chance to return to Africa, many years after my nearly three-year service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Rwanda.  Our purpose was to serve in any way we could while also fulfilling the students’ service learning component of our DPT curriculum.

Our projects were varied, including working at the local health clinic, remodeling the uninhabitable house of the new headmaster of the local secondary school, tutoring students from the same school in English to help them prepare for their national entrance exams for university, checking out the school’s antiquated computer lab and trying to diagnose and make some repairs to the local, very limited water system.  While at the health clinic on the first day, we tried to explain to the nurse what physical therapists do and how we thought we could help them.  The next day, a non-ambulatory 16-month-old girl showed up with her shy mother, delighting our students.  The word spread and within the next few days, two more pediatric patients appeared.  By our last week, a few students treated these patients each day, alternating so each student could have the chance to practice their handling skills before the beginning of their capstone clinical internships back in the U. S.

It was such a joy for us to watch our students, some who had never before left the U. S., discover many of the wonderful truths about Africa Dr. Fruth and I had learned so many years ago.  Most notable is the African ideal of the importance of building relationships with people.  We were all shown that while our American ideals have made us the most productive and prosperous nation on the planet, we can all benefit from slowing down and talking to people, learning what makes them tick.  Sometimes, this is more important than getting a project done in a certain period of time or choosing the “right” color of paint.  In addition, we saw what a large impact can be made by a seemingly small contribution of time or finances.  Lastly, I believe we all got the best reminder of how much we truly have in the U. S. and how much of that stuff is superfluous and a luxury when compared to what we really need to live a joyful life.