Chapman University’s Stroke Boot Camp is a no-cost, two-week intensive treatment program designed for chronic stroke survivors. Students and faculty collaborate across disciplines including Communication Sciences and Disorders, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant and Pharmacy. They all work together with faculty to design programming, provide hands-on interventions, and collect meaningful clinical outcome data. The result is a hands-on, patient-centered program that supports interdisciplinary learning and giving back to the community.

Tamara Udayakumar, Class of 2027 CSD graduate student described the experience as profoundly impactful:

“Volunteering as a speech-language pathology student clinician for Stroke Bootcamp and Parkinson’s Disease Bootcamp at Chapman University has been one of my favorite experiences of graduate school. These 2-week programs provide interdisciplinary services to people in the community and provided me with my first experiences co-treating with physical therapy students. I learned so much from them about safety for people with chronic stroke and Parkinson’s Disease. I also gained insight into the communication breakdowns that can occur when completing physical therapy exercises. This provided me with a deeper understanding of how communication varies outside the therapy room and how speech-language pathologists can work to support it. Additionally, spending multiple hours with my client while he laughed, vented, and rolled his eyes whenever the physical therapy student pushed him harder, reminded me of why I love this field. These bootcamps gave me the opportunity to learn more about my clients’ lives, uncover their struggles, and utilize communication strategies to strengthen their interpersonal relationships and self-esteem. While graduate school provides me with a wide variety of opportunities with many different client populations, this has to have been my favorite so far.”

Tamara’s experience capture what makes these programs truly special: the chance to apply clinical skills in a real-world, interdisciplinary environment while forming meaningful connections with clients. For many students, the boot camps offer not just a learning opportunity, but a defining moment in their professional growth,one that reinforces compassion, collaboration, and the heart of clinical care.