our alumni

Jake McPherson

Jake McPherson.

Jake McPherson wanted a career in health care, and he knew that attending UB as an undergraduate was the first step in making that happen.

“UB’s exercise science program was unique in that it could be tailored to serve as an entry point into many different medical and allied health graduate programs—for example, physical therapy, medicine, physician assistant, dental medicine and chiropractic,” he said. “This enabled me to explore different options while still working toward my goal of a career in health care.”

In the program, McPherson learned from practicing physical therapists and performed clinical fieldwork at sites specializing in sports and orthopaedic rehabilitation. “The time I spent in those settings made me confident that a career in physical therapy was just what I was looking for,” he said.

Once enrolled in the DPT program, he spent more than 52 weeks in clinical training across five specialty practice areas. “This extensive and diverse preparation provided me the knowledge and skills needed to become a dynamic clinician. By the time I was ready to graduate and begin my career, I felt confident in my ability to work as part of a health care team in almost any setting.”

Today, McPherson is a licensed physical therapist in the area of outpatient neurorehabilitation, evaluating and working with individuals with a variety of neurological and/or vestibular conditions.