We welcome Dr. Ricardo Fernandez on the podcast today who has been a physical therapy educator & clinician. He has also been involved with NPTE/OCS question development and a member of the Illinois Disciplinary Board. We hear his insight on clinical education, his experience and insight from working in the disciplinary board, his experience and insight working on the NPTE/OCS exam, pros and cons of getting the OCS, and more!

Ricardo’s Bio:

Ricardo Fernandez has been working as a physical therapist for the past 28 years. He quickly rose in the healthcare profession and has worked in a variety of settings including acute care, out-patient clinics, private practice clinics and in education. He has also been an adjunct instructor at Governors State University, Morton College, Northwestern University and Oakton Community College. He has served as a clinical instructor for 87 students during their clinical affiliations throughout his career. Ricardo has been involved with protecting the public and has written physical therapist licensure exam questions and orthopedic specialty exam questions for physical therapists sitting for board certification in orthopedics. He was re-appointed to serve on the Illinois Physical Therapy Licensing and Disciplinary Board in 2012 and served as the chairperson until 2016.  Ricardo has generously donated his time to community based organizations and has presented over 150 physical therapy/health related lectures to various groups. Additionally, he has presented over 150 professional presentations across the country to physical therapists and other health care professionals for continued education. He is a licensed physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist and he is currently enjoying clinical practice.

Ricardo’s Email: fernandez23@usa.net  

Ricardo’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-a-fernandez-41123b45/ 

Ricardo’s Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/fernandez23_