Helping Others Get Back in the Game 
Student Athlete Finds His Calling in Physical Therapy

October 30, 2026

For Jose Brian Palacios (DPT '28), the path to physical therapy began with a familiar stop for many high school student athletes - the athletic trainer's office. A football kicker, soccer goalkeeper and wrestler, Palacios often visited his athletic trainer with minor sprains and strains from his various competitions. The trainers helped manage his pain with electrical stimulation, ice packs and occasional whirlpool therapy, supporting his recovery and helping him return to sports.

“Those encounters definitely sparked my interest in medicine and ultimately led me to pursue physical therapy,” he said. “I set my sights on becoming a physical therapist because I want to help people return to their everyday lives pain-free, or at least with a better quality of life.”

Now pursuing his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree at PCOM Georgia, Palacios is preparing to receive his white coat, which he sees as more than just a symbol of personal and academic progress.

“Getting my white coat means the world to me. It not only signifies a stepping stone to becoming a practicing physical therapist, but it also serves as a testament to the many hours of studying and reviewing it took to get to this point.”

Palacios aims to help patients get back to what they enjoy doing in their daily lives, knowing that a patient's progress might mean learning to walk again, or gaining the independence to manage everyday activities or returning to a sport they love to play.

“As a physical therapist, it's very satisfying to see someone you don't know have another chance at a happy, hopefully pain-free or even independent life,” he said.

That belief in seeing the person behind the injury also shaped his decision to attend PCOM Georgia. While researching accredited programs, he discovered the College's osteopathic medicine philosophy and its whole-person approach to care.

“That outlook really resonated with me because I have so often witnessed and experienced people falling through the cracks when providers see them not as a person, but as just another patient,” he said.

Fittingly, Palacios is also drawn to sports medicine and neurological rehabilitation specialties, though he is keeping an open mind as he studies and explores the various possibilities of rehabilitation within the field of physical therapy.

“I plan to become the kind of therapist someone can trust with their care and their safety.”

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