Alumni Q&A: Dr. Mandy Agbannawag
Recently, the Department of Physiology caught up with Mandy Agbannawag, PT, DPT, for a Q&A. Dr. Agbannawag is a 2015 alumna of the University of Arizona Department of Physiology who went on to earn her doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University in 2018. Dr. Agbannawag has held positions as a physical therapy technician and a pediatric physical therapist, a role she currently holds working in pediatric home health. Dr. Agbannawag also worked on the course development and helped teach the pilot course for the PhsyioWorks program alongside Cindy Rankin, PhD, associate professor of physiology.
Department of Physiology: How would you describe your time as a physiology student here at the U of A?
Dr. Agbannawag: My time as a physiology student was overall fantastic. The physiology department is an amazing team of some of the most brilliant instructors. It definitely was not without its struggles in the beginning – physiology is a rigorous program – but it was also fascinating, and I was always excited about what I was learning.
Department of Physiology: What made you decide to pursue physical therapy?
Dr. Agbannawag: This is not the most unique story at all, as I think a lot of physical therapists would tell you a similar tale. I sustained a knee injury my sophomore year at the U of A (my boyfriend, now husband, was getting into slacklining at the time and wanted me to join). I ended up in physical therapy for six weeks. At the end of my therapy, I asked about shadowing my therapist to get a feel for the career. I ended up getting a job as a technician, and over the years I did that, I really fell in love with helping empower patients by giving them the tools to heal and get back to what they loved.
Department of Physiology: How do you like your current job? How would you describe it to someone with no medical or physiology knowledge?
Dr. Agbannawag: My job as a pediatric physical therapist is the most fun job in the world! Physical therapists are known as "movement experts." I help babies and children work toward better mobility or learn skills that they are having difficulty with. My job is to do this while making it fun for the child, so I essentially get to play all day! I also educate their parents and teach them how to work on our therapy goals when I’m not there.
Department of Physiology: How did the physiology classes prepare you for your career?
Dr. Agbannawag: One of the coolest things about a graduate professional program is that everyone in a cohort has come from different backgrounds. Some of my classmates studied physiology like me, some studied kinesiology, exercise science or public health, and some even had non-science or health-related degrees. I had a great group that I studied with throughout my program, and all of us had different undergraduate degrees. This meant that we all had varying strengths when it came to the content we were studying, and we could help each other understand concepts. My physiology background made me really strong in my understanding of anatomy/physiology and pathology on a more cellular and molecular level, while the exercise science majors had a better background in biomechanics and physiology on a "macro" level to help me out.
In my career, one of the most important parts is providing education to my patients and their families about the relevant anatomy and physiology related to their diagnosis or movement. I get so giddy when I get to "nerd out" about anatomy, and I feel I can explain things very thoroughly thanks to my physiology education. Additionally, as a physical therapist in a state where we have "direct access," meaning you can see a physical therapist without a referral from a physician, I need to be able to screen for medical issues that are out of my scope of practice. So, my well-rounded physiology education that included immune physiology, exercise physiology, cardiopulmonary physiology, etc., gave me such a great foundation for differential diagnosis that I learned in my DPT.
Department of Physiology: What would you tell your younger self about college? And about how things turned out for you?
Dr. Agbannawag: First, I would tell myself to seek help from my peers more. I, like many of us in healthcare, am a very Type A personality and fiercely independent. This meant I spent a lot of time trying to power through my classes on my own, and putting a lot more stress on myself than I needed to. Had I known how much a group to study with would have helped me, I would have done it in undergrad too.
I'd tell myself that things are going to turn out great, and there is no rush to get to the finish line. I didn't get into physical therapy school on my first try, and had I known how important and formative that year between undergrad and grad school was going to be, I definitely would have breathed a little easier. Not only did I spend that year gaining experience working as a physical therapy tech, but I also spent that year taking care of myself in ways I had neglected for a long time. I got myself into therapy to address my mental health, and I started running for my physical health. This set me up to thrive in my graduate program.
Department of Physiology: What is something you’ll always remember about your time as a physiology student?
Dr. Agbannawag: Definitely my time working with the Physiology Honors Academy, a peer advisory committee for honors physiology students. We planned many events for physiology honors students, but some of the best were the panels we hosted with professionals in various areas related to physiology such as medicine, pharmacy, research, therapies and more. It was a great opportunity for students to learn about careers directly from professionals in a casual setting, and it was also so rewarding to be a part of putting these events on. As someone who went through a lot of questioning about my career while in undergrad, it was great to help provide such a rich source of information for my peers.
Department of Physiology: How would you describe the physiology major to someone who may be curious about it?
Dr. Agbannawag: It is definitely the best major for anyone who wants to go on to any health professional program. While it’s definitely recognized as being really rigorous, anyone who is really passionate about science, and specifically the science of the human body, will find themselves excited and in awe a lot of the time. I can't tell you how often I came home from my physiology classes and geeked-out to my husband about what I learned.
Department of Physiology: What did you know about physiology when you were just starting out as a student? Did you know about any possible careers?
Dr. Agbannawag: I came into undergrad assuming I wanted to go to medical school, so physiology seemed like the obvious choice. I was aware of other career options, but I had never looked into them seriously until I was in school. My involvement in Physiology Honors Academy taught me a lot about other career options, and my time as a physical therapy tech solidified my career choice.