Please introduce yourself:
My name is Reina Yamashita, and I am currently a third year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student. I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii where I started dancing ballet at the age of five. I was always passionate about dance, but I also had an interest in medicine, so for my undergraduate degrees I double majored in Dance and Kinesiology. I eventually decided that physical therapy was the right path for me because it brings together movement and medicine. Even throughout my DPT program at the University of Washington I have continued dancing and teaching ballet, and I hope to continue to do so as a physical therapist in the future.
What are your research and/or clinical interests?
I currently don’t have any particular clinical interests and I hope that my clinical rotations during my third year of this program will provide me with more exposure to various clinical settings. I have shadowed therapists in both inpatient and outpatient settings, but without having the experience of actually treating patients in both settings I feel like I am not yet able to come up with a preference.
What are your plans after completing your DPT?
After I graduate, I plan to move back to Hawaii to work as a full-time physical therapist. I currently don’t have a preferred setting, so I hope to narrow down what type of clinic I want to work at after my third-year clinical rotations. I plan to continue teaching and dancing ballet even after I start working as a physical therapist to maintain my ballet technique.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I like to take and teach ballet classes, go out with my friends, and play video games. Hawaii has the best places for poke bowls so that has been one thing I was really looking forward to when I move back.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I am a participant of the WICHE Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP) which provides financial support for my tuition under the terms that I return to practice physical therapy in Hawaii after I graduate; this is one of the reasons I plan to move back to Hawaii to practice after I graduate.
I received the Atsuhiko Tateuchi Memorial Scholarship for the Fall 2025 quarter which is available to students from California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii; preference is given to students of Japanese or other Asian ancestry. This is an award of $10,000 hosted by Seattle Foundation.
White coat celebration
After receiving her white coat with the rest of her DPT cohort, Reina celebrated by dancing around UW campus.
