An important factor in selecting a leader for an academic program is finding someone with real-world experience in the field, someone who knows the ins and outs of the job and the landscape of the career market. That’s certainly what Central Methodist University is getting in its new Physical Therapy Assistant Program Director.
Megan Roemer, who taught the orthopedics class as an adjunct professor last semester, began the new year as the head of the PTA program, coming in with plenty of experience in the field.
Originally from the Joliet, Illinois area, Roemer graduated from nearby Governors State University, 30 miles south of Chicago. Since then she has been busy as a practicing physical therapist, working in orthopedics, outpatient, skilled nursing facilities, home help, and other branches.
Her work has taken her “all over,” including to Missouri cities of Versailles, Memphis, and Columbia. She currently resides in Columbia, where she continues to practice home help.
In her new position, Roemer is responsible for the oversight and day-to-day operations of the PTA educational program. She is tasked with fostering the development of appropriate operational standards and coursework, overseeing the function of the program and faculty, and marketing the program to the healthcare community, among other duties. But her passion, she says, is really for the students.
“I’m excited for the student interaction,” she said, “getting to help new PTA students grow and develop and get out there in the work force.”
Outside of work, Roemer says she doesn’t have a lot of hobbies, but spends most of her free time with her husband, Daniel, and their “almost-four-year-old” daughter, Avery.