My education at MUSC gave me a strong clinical foundation while teaching me to remain curious, adaptable, and committed to lifelong learning. Those skills allowed me to evolve into a pelvic health specialist, educator, and residency program director.
For Stephanie Morgan, DPT '12, a career in physical therapy began with a passion for movement, rehabilitation and helping people return to the activities that matter most to them. More than a decade later, that passion has evolved into a career dedicated to advancing pelvic health care, expanding access to specialized services and mentoring the next generation of clinicians.
In this reflection, Morgan shares her experience in the MUSC Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, the importance of adaptability and continuous learning throughout her career, and how her education prepared her to become a pelvic health specialist, educator and residency program director.
I was initially drawn to physical therapy because it combined my interest in movement, rehabilitation, and meaningful relationships with patients. I appreciated that physical therapists could help people understand their bodies, regain function, and return to activities that were important to them. MUSC stood out to me because of its strong academic reputation, emphasis on clinical reasoning, and integration within a collaborative healthcare environment. I graduated from the MUSC Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in 2012.
Following graduation, I began my career in outpatient orthopedics and sports medicine. That experience provided an essential foundation in musculoskeletal assessment, movement analysis, exercise prescription, and progressive rehabilitation. My career direction changed after the birth of my first child, when I became a pelvic floor physical therapy patient myself. Through that experience, I learned that several symptoms I had considered primarily orthopedic were also influenced by pelvic floor and lumbopelvic dysfunction. It fundamentally changed how I understood the relationship between the pelvic floor, core, hips, spine, breathing and overall function.
Recognizing the limited availability of pelvic health services in the Spartanburg, South Carolina area motivated me to pursue advanced education and specialization. Since then, I have helped develop and expand pelvic health programming in multiple practice environments, including outpatient services within a hospital system and out-of-network, cash-based care. Working across these settings has allowed me to treat complex bowel, bladder, sexual, obstetric, orthopedic, and pelvic pain conditions while improving access to specialized care.
Today, I serve as Residency Director for the Limitless Women’s and Pelvic Health Residency Program, the only program of its kind in South Carolina. In this role, I help develop curriculum, mentor residents, coordinate interdisciplinary learning, and advance specialty practice within our profession.
MUSC prepared me for this evolution by providing more than technical knowledge. The program strengthened my clinical reasoning, communication, professionalism, and ability to adapt as evidence and patient needs changed. What sets the MUSC DPT experience apart is its emphasis on developing thoughtful, well-rounded clinicians who can collaborate effectively, continue learning, and ultimately help move the profession forward.
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