Finishing an orthopedic manual physical therapy fellowship isn’t just about mastering the material—it’s about being willing to grow, getting comfortable with not knowing, and learning new skills, sometimes awkwardly at first. But the real magic happens when all that hard work finally comes together in the clinic, especially with the support of a great clinical mentor. Someone who knows when to nudge, when to step back, and who helps you see things you might have missed on your own.

That’s exactly what I found in Dr. Mendez. As I wrap up my time in the AAMT’s orthopedic manual physical therapy program, I keep coming back to how lucky I’ve been to learn from Dr. Mendez. Getting to watch him work up close—seeing how he approaches patient evaluations, makes tricky diagnoses, and puts advanced techniques like spinal manipulation, dry needling, and exercise prescription into practice—was invaluable. I particularly appreciated the one-on-one practice sessions focused on manual therapy and dry needling techniques, which helped me overcome areas where I struggled.

These sessions better prepared me for SMT 4 and, even more importantly, increased my confidence in providing care in my own practice after his mentorship. Looking back, I’m just really grateful for the time I got to spend learning from Dr. Mendez in the clinic. His skill and generosity made me want to keep learning, and I know the experience will shape the way I practice for years to come. If you’re a physical therapy student or clinician considering advanced training, I can’t recommend him enough as a clinical mentor. I’m proud to call him both a mentor and a friend.

Google Review
-Alexei Marquez