Samantha McNeil

Physiotherapist Resident  (Pediatric)

The Fun Stuff

Favorite Pastimes: 

Favourite Food: 

Fun fact: Was a competitive figure skater and coach for many years

The Serious Stuff

Sam completed her Bachelor’s degree in Child Health at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario before going on to complete her Master’s of Science in Physiotherapy at University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. She grew up competing in figure skating and rugby in Kingston, Ontario and has continued to coach skating at the Canskate and Star levels regionally.

Sam always enjoyed teaching children the fun of skating through helping them master new skills at their own time and pace. While at Brock University she had the opportunity to shadow under a pediatric physiotherapist and volunteer as a coach for the Skateable program, Canada’s adaptive skating program for children with disabilities. Through these experiences she realized she could combine her passion for working with children, with her passion for
physiotherapy.

During her Master’s, Sam had the opportunity to develop  individualized Aquatic therapy plans with both adults and children, becoming one of her major interests. For her final placement of her
Master’s, she arranged to return to Canada to complete 8 weeks in pediatrics at a clinic here in Ottawa, ON.

As research in the world of physiotherapy is ever evolving, Sam believes there are always new skills and techniques to be learned. Whether from pediatric physiotherapists, research, or from continued education courses, further learning helps to improve holistic individualized care plans for every child and she is committed to this ongoing process.