Can Games Make You a Better Manual Therapist? | Hollis Bixby

Hollis Bixby sits down with us to explore how gamification is reshaping PT education — from DPT programs to hybrid residencies to post-professional training.

Hollis has spent seven years as a sports physical therapist, is wrapping up her manual therapy fellowship through Regis University, and is beginning a new chapter as Assistant Professor at Campbell University. Through her work with Duke’s Orthopedic Hybrid Residency, she’s helping design gamified learning experiences that boost engagement, motivation, and clinical skill development.

In this episode:

• What gamification really is — and what it’s not

• How game elements improve learning and retention

• Strategies educators can implement tomorrow

• How fellowship and residency training benefit from playful design

• Why PT education needs to evolve for today’s learners

• Hollis’s journey from sports PT → educator → innovator

This episode is all about teaching smarter, not harder — and making learning fun again.