Highbar Rising Clinician Summit
One Room. Three Hours. A Bigger View of Your Career.
Every quarter we take over a room in New England and fill it with rising clinicians. No productivity targets, no clipboards — just a few hours with practicing clinicians who are living this every day. We dive deeper into who you want to be as a clinician, how to think when the answer isn’t obvious, and where this profession is actually headed.
2:00 - 5:00 PM
Why We Run It
We Don't Just Say We Invest in Students.We Book the Room.
Most clinics take students. Highbar is a teaching practice by design, and the largest in New England. The Rising Clinician Summit is what that looks like when we take it outside the clinic: a half day with rising clinicians from programs across the region. In the room with them are clinical instructors, board-certified specialists and senior leaders, digging into the questions that come up once you’re actually in practice.
It’s free to attend, and it’s open to students across our partner programs, not only those currently placed with us.
a year, once per quarter
students hosted across Highbar every year
PT programs we partner with across New England
board-certified clinicians on staff
The Schedule
What to Expect at a Summit
The sessions shift a little each time, but the shape stays the same, and the room stays small enough that everyone gets to talk.
Part I
Arrival and Introductions
Coffee, name tags, and tables that mix students from different programs on purpose. You will not be sitting with people you already know.
Part II
Opening, with Michelle Collie
A welcome that sets the tone. Not a career fair, but a room built for thinking about who you want to become.
Part III
Finding Solutions That Help Us Thrive, with Dave Pavao
Small-group breakouts on what it actually takes to thrive in this profession for the next 10, 20, 30 years, then a fast, creative challenge to show the idea instead of just talking about it.
Part IV
Your Climb Matters, with Michelle
A look at the people who shape your career more than any single event does. Individually, you'll sketch your professional identity, then in your small group, map the mentors, challengers, and connectors standing beside you and talk through what you drew.
Part V
Closing
Small-group discussion throughout the session feeds into one final, personal commitment: a person you'll reach out to that week.
Photos & Clips
Inside the Room
Small groups, real discussion, and clinicians who stay in the room all day. This is what a Summit looks like.
No Application Needed
Who Should Come
DPT and PTA Students
Any year, any program. You don't need to be on rotation with Highbar, and you don't need to be looking for a job.
New Grads in Their First Year
The questions don't stop at graduation. Early-career clinicians are welcome and usually end up doing a lot of the talking.
DCEs and Faculty
If you'd like to send a group from your program, get in touch and we'll hold seats.
Register
Get a Seat on October 1
The next Rising Clinician Summit is Thursday, October 1, 2026, 2:00 - 5:00 pm. Seats are limited to keep the room small, so claim your spot today.
Questions? Get in touch with our team.