Back in August, we welcomed a new member to our team- Dr. Daven Valdez, PT! Well, he wasn’t completely new, as Daven was a student here from January to March 2020 when he was undergoing his Doctorate education, so we were happy to welcome him back. Here is some information about Daven:
- How did you end up in Durango and where did you live previously?
I was born in Durango and grew up in Durango and Dolores. Southwest Colorado has been my home for most of my life and I always knew I wanted to end up back here after pursuing my professional degree. After graduating high school from Dolores I went to Grand Junction to obtain my Bachelors at Colorado Mesa University and then moved to Denver where I obtained my Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from University of Colorado.
- What do you love about working in Durango/at Tomsic?
What I love most about working in Durango is being able to give back to the community that raised me. Once I decided to pursue Physical Therapy as my profession, I always knew I wanted to make my way back to Durango to provide high quality care for the active community members that call this amazing town home. What I love most about working at Tomsic is being able to learn from and work alongside some of the best and most knowledgeable therapists around. I was a student at Tomsic my second year of PT school and the PT’s here left such a great impression on me that I knew I had to work in that environment to help me grow as a clinician and person.
- What are your special interests in PT and how do you incorporate them into your clinical time at Tomsic?
A special interest I have in PT and one that I try to incorporate into my practice is resistance training. Utilizing the principles of progressive overload to build strength and stability for my patients is a big part of my treatment style when indicated. Being creative with my exercise prescription to replicate and build to my patient’s hobby or activity of choice is something I strive to implement and improve on each day in the clinic.
- What’s one fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?
One fun fact about me is that I try to learn to the best of my ability all the activities that my patient’s enjoy. Being a great clinician in health care to me means being able to connect with each patient on a professional as well as a personal level. If I am seeing a patient that enjoys pilates or yoga for example, I will take classes to learn how to incorporate elements of that activity into their plan of care to better connect with them. It is something that also keeps me busy and ensures that I am always learning.
Make sure to say hi to Daven the next time you see him in the clinic!
