Best Friends Embark on Doctoral Physical Therapy Degree

Many people find their life-long friends during their undergraduate years. These friendships are built upon a connection so strong that they span first jobs, graduate school, marriage, promotions, children, and other seasons of life. This particular duo, Abbi Schnabel and Keira Shipman, met sophomore year after their paths kept crossing and they realized they shared mutual friends.

“Abbi is very outgoing, is one of the most genuine people I know, and she loves Jesus with her whole heart which makes her my go-to person in pretty much any situation,” Shipman said. “She quickly became one of my best friends and was one of my bridesmaids in my wedding last summer!” 

Schnabel added, “Keira is the most supportive and wonderful friend. From both loving Jesus, being from Southern California, playing soccer, and having mutual friends, we just had to be friends.” 

Both earned their undergraduate degrees through the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation in Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. Schnabel earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Health, Kinesiology, and Leisure Studies, while Shipman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science Studies. 

Now, they are setting out to navigate Baylor’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program together. 

Shipman was drawn to Baylor Physical Therapy’s hybrid and accelerated aspects, along with the “incredible community of faculty and peers that the program cultivates.” In addition, Baylor’s unique, steadfast Christian mission—applied in the classroom and in the clinic—was appealing.

“I chose Baylor’s DPT program because my undergraduate experience was amazing—there is no community like it—but most importantly, I’m looking forward to being surrounded by physical therapy mentors and professors who teach with a Christian perspective,” Schnabel said. 

For Schnabel, the physical therapy profession is a calling.

“I feel like this is where the Lord is calling me. I have been through a lot of ups and downs with school, but the one thing that remained constant was my passion for this field,” she said. “I absolutely thrive in getting to know people and feel it is a great way to love and serve others the way Christ would.”

Shipman wants to be a physical therapist to help people recover from injury and get back to living their best life as quickly as possible.

“I fully believe that movement is medicine, and it can help a myriad of issues with very little intervention,” she said. “Physical therapy provides a space where I’ll get to work closely with and encourage my patients through the entirety of their treatment and what could be a very tough season in their life.”

While their Class of 2028 cohort just began, Schnabel and Shipman have quickly built relationships with their peers and become immersed in the holistic curriculum. They are finding their respective undergraduate degree programs helped to prepare them for the challenges of the DPT program.

“The Health, Kinesiology and Leisure Studies curriculum prepared me for the DPT program, I think, by facilitating a rigorous academic curriculum that would not only prepare me but dip my toes in the water for what the education will look and feel like in graduate school,” Schnabel said. “It definitely prepared me by showing me proper ways to study and manage my time.”

Shipman noted, “I feel as though the Health Science Studies program prepared me extremely well for what we are about to step into. The coursework was very rigorous, especially anatomy, but there were so many amazing professors that were willing to dive deeper if there was ever anything I didn’t understand.” 

As this duo begins to navigate DPT’s hybrid doctoral program from different towns, they anticipate “lots” of study Zoom calls. They are also excited to be together in person during the program’s hands-on lab immersions, where they’ll be able to “hang out again—and with a few more new faces around!”

Schnabel concluded, “We became so close by just simply being what the other friend needs. We have so much in common and made constant effort to maintain a healthy relationship throughout the years. We both recognize how important our friendship is to one another and that, in itself, is what is going to keep our relationship strong.”

ABOUT ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Established in 2014, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences seeks to enhance health, quality of life, and human flourishing for all individuals and communities through education, research, and innovation. It includes seven academic departments—Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health, Human Performance, and Recreation; Human Sciences and Design; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Physician Assistant Studies; and Public Health. Robbins College offers 13 bachelor’s degrees, 10 master’s degrees, and six doctoral degrees, as well as nine graduate programs in partnership with the U.S. Army. Graduate programs in Robbins College are offered in a variety of modalities, including on campus, online, and hybrid.