Second Chances at Siskin Hospital

KD Norman, PT, DPT, NCS

Siskin Hospital is known for giving its patients a second chance at life after suffering from a traumatic injury or illness, but it can also provide associates a place for their dreams and passions to become a reality. Many clinicians have a traditional journey to working in physical rehabilitation but others take a more non-traditional route.

While earning her undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in psychology, KD Norman, PT, DPT, NCS, started to consider applying to medical school after graduation. She also started another exciting chapter of her life after marrying her high school sweetheart David, who was working toward his graduate degree with plans to continue on with a Ph.D. They had to decide which came first: medical school or a doctoral program?

“We made the commitment to do life together, and this decision was no different,” said KD.

Deciding to first focus on David’s Ph.D. before tackling medical school for KD, the couple moved to Scotland. Needing to provide for the family, but also wanting to do something meaningful, KD took a job at an elderly ladies’ home as a caregiver, helping them with daily tasks such as getting dressed and exercising. During this time, the couple also welcomed their first child.

The years following involved relocating several times for David’s career and welcoming two more children to their family. Without having additional family support, KD quickly realized that going to medical school may not be feasible.

“I valued raising my kids myself, and I didn’t want to sacrifice that time with them.” While she was happy to be focusing on her family, she never got over the desire of wanting to do something more outside the home.

KD first encountered the physical rehabilitation field in 2008 while recovering from a torn meniscus and became interested in learning more. Unfortunately there was not a PT school close by and her children were still very young.

When they moved to Chattanooga in 2016, the pieces began to fall into place to pursue her dream. Her children were now older and more independent, her husband had a good job that was flexible, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Physical Therapy program did not have time constraints on when students took their prerequisite courses, meaning her undergraduate degree applied.

In 2018, KD began PT school, 10 years after originally discovering her interest in the field. At 40-years-old, she was at a very different stage of life than her peers, which had benefits and challenges, but she persevered through the support of her husband and three boys.

KD Norman, PT, DPT, NCS, works with Siskin Outpatient Therapy patient Tim, along with her PT student Raegan.

After learning about Siskin Hospital’s Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program, KD knew that this mentorship would allow her to gain years of experience in a short time span. She shadowed Matt Annessi, PT, DPT, NCS, who would later become the co-director of the residency program and solidified her passion of working with the older population through physical therapy.

She completed her last clinical rotation at Siskin Outpatient Therapy’s downtown Chattanooga location and fell in love with not only the patient population but also the organization’s mission.

“This was the only place I applied after graduation. Shortly after being hired, I applied to the residency program with the plan to continue to work at Siskin after completing the program.”

During the program, she spent eight months in the inpatient rehabilitation facility working with stroke, spinal cord and brain injury cases, along with an additional three months in outpatient therapy.

Her children, who are now in high-school and college, continue to show their support for her passion and work-ethic throughout PT school and the residency program. She also hopes that her experience will influence how her boys treat their future wives, as they possibly deal with the stress of balancing a career and family.  

“My oldest children who are now in college have said to me a couple of times, ‘I remember how dedicated you were to your studies, so if Mom can do it, I can do it,’ which is nice to know that I was able to influence them in that way.” 

After completing her residency, KD returned working full-time at Siskin Outpatient Therapy, primarily focused in vestibular and neurological cases, and continued studying for her Neurologic Clinical Specialist certification. In July 2024, she officially passed her board certification, continuing the residency program’s 100% passing rate. Her experience also recently came full circle after serving as a Clinical Instructor for her first PT student.

“Now that I’ve gained all this knowledge and experience, I’m excited to be able to focus completely on helping people get better while mentoring others that are passionate about this field.”

For more information about the Neurologic Residency Program, visit www.siskinrehab.org/neurologic-pt-residency-program or email neuroresidencyprogram@siskinrehab.org.