Amber Fitzsimmons, DPTSc
Assoc Professor and Dept Chair
Dr. Fitzsimmons is an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and the School of Medicine’s Anatomy Department. Prior to her return to academia for her doctorate research, she worked for over a decade in clinical practice with an emphasis on acute care and acute rehabilitation. She is the course director for PT 201: Physical Therapy Assessment, for first-year physical therapy students; PT 735: Psychosocial Issues in Rehabilitation Sciences, for second-year students; and PT 215: C.A.R.E. (Compassion, Accountability, Responsibility, and Excellence), a longitudinal course for first-year and second-year students focusing on professionalism and social responsibility in healthcare. Her anatomy appointments include teaching duties in PT 200: Neuromusculoskeletal Anatomy and as a gross anatomy laboratory instructor in the School of Medicine's essential core curriculum. In addition, she serves as the physical therapy faculty lead in the Interprofessional Education (IPE) program. She also serves on the committee of educational technology, and is the faculty liaison for UCSF diversity initiatives.