Hands On Hands Off

Hands On Hands Off


The Trait Every Great PT Shares — with Dr. Gail Deyle

November 26, 2025

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with the legendary Dr. Gail Deyle — clinician-scientist, mentor, and one of the most cited researchers in orthopaedic manual physical therapy.

Dr. Deyle breaks down:

  • The defining trait of clinicians who excel after fellowship
  • What separates great mentors from good ones
  • Real-world stories of PTs catching critical medical conditions
  • The biggest mistake clinicians make in their early reasoning
  • Why MSK health is a global opportunity for PTs
  • How clinicians can start contributing to research
  • The power of collaboration between clinicians and research faculty

A concise but insight-rich conversation with one of the most respected voices in the profession.


00:00 – Intro: Why Dr. Gail Deyle is a PT legend  

00:36 – Welcoming Gail + Reno conference gambling banter  

01:15 – What trait predicts fellowship success?  

02:36 – Seeing former mentees grow into experts  

03:24 – What makes a great mentor?  

04:43 – PTs as frontline diagnosticians  

06:48 – Real examples: PTs catching serious conditions  

08:22 – The biggest unlock in advanced clinical reasoning  

10:04 – Making implicit reasoning explicit  

11:35 – Communication, feedback & the mentor/mentee relationship  

12:00 – PTs as an untapped force in global MSK health  

13:10 – Red light / green light: habits to stop and start  

14:55 – Dr. Deyle named in the top 2% of cited researchers  

15:28 – Why clinicians should participate in research  

15:48 – Closing