Dr. Connor Schmitt

PT, DPT, LSVT BIG

Dr. Connor Schmitt grew up in Dallas Center (about 25 minutes west of Des Moines) and attended Des Moines Christian School from preschool through 12th grade. While in high school, one of Connor’s many jobs involved working in the kitchen at a skilled nursing facility. That experience, along with a baseball-related shoulder injury which necessitated surgery, sparked his interest in health care.

While completing his B.S. in Kinesiology and Health at Iowa State University, Connor became passionate about therapeutic treatment for individuals with limited mobility and vitality due to chronic pain conditions. Throughout his undergraduate education, he served as a tutor for several classes within the Department of Kinesiology as well as a Bible study leader for a group of young men. Upon graduating magna cum laude from ISU, Connor next pursued a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. Throughout this tenure, Connor honed his passion for working with both the geriatric population as well as patients suffering from trauma to the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and other acute and chronic conditions.

Woven throughout the school week, Connor served as a home health aide for two adolescents with muscular dystrophy, deepening his desire to provide compassionate, in-home care. The last year of his doctoral degree provided clinical rotations within two general orthopedic settings, a Level I trauma center, and an acute rehabilitation unit. These experiences revealed the value of in-home treatment for patients who were more comfortable in their homes as opposed to outpatient settings. Connor realized such a service could alleviate the stress, anxiety, time constraints, and transportation difficulties of both patients and caregivers.

After three years of graduate study, Connor graduated in 2020 with his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). He began work as a full-time physical therapist at a skilled nursing facility in Knoxville, Iowa, and was promoted to Director of Rehabilitation within a few months. In 2021 Connor had the opportunity to move closer to family in the Des Moines metro area and began working for a skilled nursing facility in Clive. He continues to work full-time with patients at this location, providing inpatient, outpatient, and in-home care to individuals in assisted and independent living. Connor recently became LSVT BIG certified, allowing him to treat patients suffering from the effects of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions.

In mid 2022, Connor decided to embark on his long-awaited desire to launch his own mobile physical therapy service, establishing Abundant Living Physical Therapy and Wellness, LLC. The name is inspired by John 10:10 (ESV), in which Jesus says he came that we might “have life and have it abundantly.” While physical healing pales in comparison to the spiritual healing that walking with Christ provides, Connor aspires to help his patients live with abundance and full functionality. In doing so, he hopes his patients can pursue their passions, continue their hobbies, hold their grandkids, walk with their spouses, and embrace the plans God has for them.