New grads often struggle under the pressure of perfection—but what if giving yourself grace is the real path to success? Dr. Paul Salamh shares how mindset, vulnerability, and mentorship can change the way clinicians thrive in their careers.

Dr. Paul Salamh is a Visiting Associate Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and Director of Research for the DPT Phoenix program. With a PhD in Physical Therapy, he has authored over 80 publications and been cited more than 1,300 times. His research focuses on musculoskeletal disorders and evidence-based rehabilitation strategies, shaping both clinical care and physical therapy education. Today, he joins Tom Swales on Staying Relevant to share his insights on mentorship, education, and building effective clinician mindsets.

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Paul Reveals:

▫️ Why perfectionism can hold back new grads and clinicians.

▫️ The power of grace, vulnerability, and humility in learning and patient care.

▫️ Strategies to manage fear of failure in students and professionals.

▫️ How being precise, selective, and mindful in your work drives better results than chasing quantity.

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⏱ Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:35 The Unknown Scares Us: How early career uncertainty shapes mindset

04:50 Mentorship Matters: Lessons learned from models in life and work

08:20 Giving Back: Helping others climb their mountain

12:05 Core Values: Kindness, humility, and vulnerability in practice

16:45 Managing Fear of Failure: Coaching students to succeed

22:30 Precision vs. Perfection: Why picking battles matters

28:00 Grace Over Perfection: Advice for new grads

33:15 Staying Sharp & Relevant: Mindset for impactful projects

37:40 Social Media & Research: Adapting to modern communication

41:00 Closing Thoughts: Take your time and focus on what matters

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Follow Dr. Paul Salamh:

📸Instagram – @tuftsdpt

🐦X – @PaulieSalamh

🌐 LinkedIn – Paul Salamh

💪 Tufts Physical Therapy Program – medicine.tufts.edu

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Sponsor — The AMT Certification This episode is brought to you by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System — the neuro-centred certification that helps clinicians and performance coaches solve the root cause of pain and accelerate client results.

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