Frank Rosenthal
“Frank has worked tirelessly over the course of his career to both progress the physical therapy profession as well as provide leadership through mentoring and clinical education.”
~Justin Gittings, from his nominating letter
Frank Rosenthal, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Bucknell University in 2007 and Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2010. Then just 2 years later he became a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedics. The mission of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties is to advance the profession of physical therapy by establishing, maintaining, and promoting standards of excellence for clinical specialization, and by recognizing the advanced knowledge, smf skills and clinical proficiency by physical therapist practitioners through specialist credentialing. Frank is truly committed to professional growth and obtaining the specialist certification so early in his career indicates that he is driven and has achieved knowledge and skills that set him apart. To become a clinical specialist the therapist must complete 2000 hours of direct patient care in the specialty area or complete a residency program and take a challenging and rigorous examination. Furthermore, he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and is currently participating in a manual therapy fellowship through IMPACT. It is very evident that Frank believes in continuous improvement of himself which translates to continuous improvement of patient care.
Contributions to the Profession
Frank has served as a manuscript reviewer for the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy since 2015 and was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the APTA Perspectives Magazine.
Frank and his business partner/co-owner, Dave Bender, from the class of 2000, operate Peake Physical Therapy in the Baltimore/Towson area. Prior to this he worked with Rob Feeley from the class of 1987 in Parkville, MD and previously was the Rehab department manager at McCready Hospital in Crisfield, MD.
Contributions to Educating PT students
Frank has made and continues to make multiple contributions to the education of physical therapists and physical therapy students.
Frank has been a lecturer for our program in the areas of Acute Care, Vestibular Assessment and Management and electrotherapeutic modalities. He is an excellent instructor in the classroom with tangible, real-life examples and ability to make complex concepts understandable.
Frank has also made significant contributions to the profession through his clinical instruction of physical therapy students. He has hosted many UMES PT students on their part-time and full-time clinical experiences over the past 11 years. He has never said “no” to Dr. Sanfilippo’s requests for instructing students in his clinic, which is very much appreciated by the UMES Physical Therapy Department. His competent, professional, and thoughtful clinical skills and approach inspire each physical therapy student that he mentors.
I would like to read to you some excerpts from the individuals who nominated him.
“It was during my clinical experience with Frank as my clinical instructor that my didactic education came to clinical fruition under his guidance.”
“Frank’s constant availability for clinical mentorship and life guidance demonstrate his selflessness and dedication to the profession”
“Dr. Rosenthal displays leadership, commitment to the profession and mentorship that exceeds that of other physical therapists. Dr. Rosenthal is one of the most intelligent physical therapists I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from.”
“During my time at Peake, he would frequently reference research articles that supported certain interventions he was performing with patients. I remember a time where he was speaking with a patient about their Achilles tendon rupture and informed the patient why he was having them perform certain exercises based on current research. He even provided me and the other student at the clinic with research articles to assist us in our knowledge as well.
“Dr. Rosenthal’s commitment to the profession is shown through his constant seeking of knowledge and use of evidence-based practice daily.”
“Dr. Rosenthal is a physical therapist who embodies all of the qualities of an exceptional physical therapist that is dedicated to the profession and future of the profession. He not only is a great representation of University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Department of Physical Therapy as an excellent instructor, but also as someone who is a life-long learner.”
Congratulations to Dr. Frank Rosenthal, the recipient of the 2021 Raymond L. Blakely Alumnus Award for Leadership and Commitment to the Physical Therapy Profession.
