Meet Dr. Mercia Bakouetila Martin | Doctor of Physical Therapy & Digital Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Mercia Bakouetila Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Mercia, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in the Republic of Congo, a small, developing country in Central Africa. I immigrated to the United States at the age of 17, right after graduating high school, in order to pursue higher education. It was a huge culture shock initially. In Congo we speak French and local dialects, so adjusting to living in an English speaking country and learning a new language and customs was a challenge at first, but I am so glad I embarked on this journey.

I think my background and upbringing really shaped me into who I am today. Growing up in a developing country, experiencing frequent water and power outages, political instability, and civil war as a young child has given me an appreciation for what I have today, and a different understanding of the economic challenges some people might be facing. Healthcare back home is a growing industry in need of a lot of resources. It is common for people to be permanently physically affected by life-changing medical events such as a stroke or a heart attack due to very limited rehabilitation services. As a physical therapist, I can’t help but think about how health outcomes would be different in my home country if there was more resources, and knowledge. Those thoughts are the reason behind my passion for community health, and the work that medical non-profit organizations do. It is my hope and dream to build a platform and organization that will directly improve health outcomes for various population here in Houston, but particularly in Congo.

All in all, my background and upbringing keep me grounded, give me an appreciation and understanding for people of diverse backgrounds, and fuel my passion for public health.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a physical therapist at Spero Rehab, an outpatient physical therapy clinic in Southwest Houston. I work with individuals with neurological and orthopedic conditions, a specialty I like to call “northo”. It is very common for physical therapists to have a niche, and primarily treat one patient population, so getting to push the boundaries and work with individuals with such diverse diagnoses is really unique, and something I am very proud of. I have helped patients with stroke walk again, patients with chronic back pain go back to performing the activities that they love pain-free, and young athletes return to playing their sports without injury. But I believe that what truly sets me apart is my heart and passion for not just physical therapy, but public health as a whole. When I first created my Instagram account @TheGratefulPT, I wanted a platform where I could share physical therapy treatments, but also highlight community organizations that help better the health of Houstonians, as well as engage in thought-provoking conversations about culturally-informed healthcare, health literacy, and social determinants of health.

In my free time, I love volunteering, and providing free physical therapy services to those that are uninsured, or under-insured. I am also a huge advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare professions, and regularly research, write, and speak about these topics on various platforms. Finally, I recently started mentoring minority students interested in the physical therapy profession, and I assist them with essay editing, mock interviews, and virtual advising.

It is hard at times balancing working a full time job, while continuing to stay involved in the community and grow a public health organization that I hope will one day improve health outcomes for local communities in the US and in Congo. When that balance gets hard to maintain, and I find myself overwhelmed with the things I have put on my plate, I try to take a step back, re-evaluate, and prioritize.

Growing up, I was always the person with one thousand ideas. I would wake up one morning, think of a business idea, get really excited about it, share it with a friend, start on it and never carry it through. I was the queen of unfinished projects and high-functioning anxiety. When I finally decided to pursue my calling of being a physical therapist, I found it hard to stay still. I felt myself getting frustrated at the intersection of healthcare and financial resources. I watched people not being able to receive the care that they needed because of insurance limitations, and wrestled with the tough reality that you cannot help everybody. I began to struggle with my own work-life balance, and a heart that felt too big yet still too small for passions that were overflowing.

The biggest lesson I have learned throughout that journey, and what has helped me the most through these challenges is that you HAVE to be grounded in your ‘Why’. Why you do what you do is one of the most important question to answer early on — it acts as your anchor, and if you can navigate your career with your ‘why’ at the forefront, I believe you can go very far. When people look at me, I hope they see a Christian on a mission to share God’s love, kindness and mercy through rehabilitation and health education to those that need it the most. I hope they see a Congolese immigrant eager to help those from diverse backgrounds embrace their upbringing, and achieve their dreams. I hope they see an imperfect human trying to navigate her personal and professional life with the support of her faith, family, and friends.

I hope that my story resonates with others and that it encourages them to pause, find their ‘whys’, that very thing that sets their hearts on fire, and run away with it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question! I enjoy being physically active, so we would have to start off the week with some inferno hot pilates at Awaken Yoga Studio in Sugar Land. Then, we would hit up Lucille’s for some amazing brunch food, and live music. I’m a museum nerd, so I would take her to the butterfly museum which is one of my favorite, and a great opportunity to walk around Hermann Park. For other fun activities, I would take her to an escape room — I love Let Me Out escape rooms because they are SO immersive, Third Coast Volleyball club for some sand volleyball, and Momentum for some indoor climbing. For dinner, we would have to hit up Unique African Food and Chez Michelle, my two favorite African restaurants and Razoo’s for some great cajun food, followed up by Kilwins ice cream for desert. As far as night life goes, I’m not a big clubber, so I love places like Memorial Trail Ice House where you can chill outside, play some cornhole, and grab a drink around the firepit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This question is hard to answer because I think that there are SO many people that deserve credit and recognition for the role they have played in my story. First and foremost, I would not be where I was today if it wasn’t for God. I am a Christian before I am anything else, and God deserves all the glory for the unconditional love and grace He has for me, for guiding my steps, and for providing in the most supernatural of ways when I needed it the most. I also owe everything that I am to my parents Medard & Agathe for the countless sacrifices they have made for me to be able to study abroad and earn this education, my amazing husband Eric for always being my number one supporter and believing in me more than I believe in myself, my siblings Maryse, Pierre, Lewis, Ashley, Marissa, Leanne & Tristan for walking this journey alongside me, my in-laws Cecilia & Kenny for welcoming me into their family with arms wide open, my best friends Bridget & Wanji for being so inspiring and empowering through thick and thin, my dear friend Andrea for sharing the same passions as me, my mentor and sounding board Jenn for the constant support and hype. Finally, I also have to give a HUGE shout out to my close group of friends, “The Tribe” : Elodie, Alee, Brandon, Eddy to only name a few. A lot of us met as international students, and over the years built a friendship that is genuine, steadfast and truly uplifting.
It sounds like a lot of people but I truly believe that “it takes a village”, and I am so, SO, thankful for my village.

Instagram: @ThegratefulPT

Linkedin: www.lindkedin.com/in/thegratefulpt

Twitter: @ThegratefulPT

Image Credits
Cierra Courtney Charles, Jade Leblanc-Ernest