Perhaps the first time I became interested in Physical Therapy was a Wednesday evening, my dad came home after a long and laborious day of cleaning pools. His shoulders were in pain, and I wished that I knew how to make the pain stop. All the adults in my life held labor intense jobs, men were either gardening or cleaning pools. The women were either maids or waitresses. In the back of my head I always felt that if it weren’t for my parent’s desire to help me achieve my goals, then they wouldn’t have to work so hard. Even so, I don’t think I had the complete picture of what physical therapy was, but through my experiences that picture became clearer. I would go on to fall in love with learning the intricacies of therapeutic exercises and building treatment plans for patients. I was given opportunities to be a leader and have my ideas be heard by my mentors, such as proposing a new product be integrated at our clinic. I was shown that my passion for small business and physical therapy were not mutually exclusive. I was
Here, I was exposed to Hippotherapy which is physical, occupational, and speech therapy conducted while the patient is on horseback. The first patient I worked with was a young girl with cerebral palsy who had refused to cooperate during her previous attempts at physical therapy, but she loved horses. I will never forget the smile on her face as I walked the horse towards her. She not only cooperated, but excelled during her therapy lessons and that smile was present during every visit. I found that physical therapy is a field where one can find a niche, be creative, and curate care for patients. My short time at the Shea Center sparked curiosity in all that physical therapy had to offer, and was a significant stepping stone into my journey through the
Ever since I was little I have alway been very intrigued about physical therapy. Just the aspect of working with other people, and knowing I’m doing something to help them, interests me. This year on November 21st, I job shadowed with Rotert Physical Therapy, and it turned out to be everything I expected. Working with the children was the highlight of my shadow; it was everything I expected and more.
It just so happens that I believe that I can best and most effectively “lend a hand” when a person is at their bodily weakest. From a single semester of shadowing—a total of 11.75 hours—under physicians and surgeons alike, I have experienced a taste of the medical field from the fascinating gruesome finesse of an open-heart surgery to the day-to-day clinical patient interaction that makes up so much of a medical professionals career. From a community standpoint, I believe that a person does not need to be a doctor to express and achieve care. Because of that, I have joined organizations such as Chords4Kids on the TCU campus—that sings nostalgic songs from the 2000s to down-syndrome children at the local education center as well as at retirement homes, and other events alike—and the TCU GO Center, which mentors local high-school students during their college application process. For the later, I have been given the responsibility as the Executive Organizer for their annual “College Access Day” which provides local students with college information workshops and campus tours. I have also actively
During the interview, the Physical Therapist I conferred with was very thorough and straightforward in his responses to the questions that were given. I decided to interview another one of my mother’s fellow co-workers, Mr. Stephen Chan, considering his new experiences in the Physical Therapy field. I met with Mr. Stephen Chan at the Kaiser Permanente Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic that is located in Union City. The essential subject matters that we discussed consisted of his Major and Minor in college, the Residency Program that he takes part in, variations of attitudes, and advantages in the workforce.
Occupational therapy was based off of psychology; we evolved from treating mentally ill patients with isolation as an efficient treatment plan. We must never forget we are known to be “the art and science of helping people do the day-to-day activities that are important and meaningful to their health and well being through engagement in valued occupations” (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2008). To other professional disciplines this article explains the difference between each of us, yet can also express our relation to one another. The basic goal of all therapeutic disciplines is to better our clients life, through physical, speech or occupational therapy. Every discipline targets different goals, may it be body mechanics, reducing a stutter or buttoning a shirt, at the end of the day our clients well being may it be through science, art or both is all that matters. To the occupational therapy field this article means progress for what we do. Reading this article today in the year 2015 did not seem like old information to me, it is still relevant, I am proud that our field is not only evolving with contemporary time but it is also maintaining its
When I was 15, my grandmother suffered from a severe stroke and was advised to go to a rehabilitation center. At that time I had not ever heard of the profession called occupational therapy. Upon visiting my grandmother, I had the opportunity to witness several health care professionals working together to help rehabilitate her. I have always wanted to engage in a career in which I could attribute to helping people, and at first I thought physical therapy would best compliment my natural abilities but then I encountered the occupational therapist. So as I watched her work with my grandmother diligently I realized that I had found exactly what I was looking for.
Educational requirements, opportunities and general demands of the career are only a few of the areas to inquire about in the field of physical therapy. This career is diverse in nature, in that a therapist sees many different ailments ranging from a sprained ankle to rehabilitating someone who has had an amputation. There is a fair degree of difficulty involved in becoming a physical therapist, and due to the high competition involved in entering the various Master’s degree programs as stated earlier, high grades and a positive attitude are very important for success in an interested student’s career. Volunteering is a great way to find out if a person would or would not be interested in entering the practice of physical therapy. This is an exciting career with many opportunities for advancement. This career is also a nice choice for those who become bored with the tedious monotony of a daily routine, since each day is a new experience.
witnessed first-hand the impact occupational therapy can make in people’s lives, watching the delight of a
I have been exposed to the medical field my whole life. My Mom was a nurse and I would love to listen to the stories she told about her time in the hospital. If anybody asked me at the age of five what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say “a nurse like my mom.” A few years later I decided I wanted to be a doctor from the few times I got to watch the television show “ER”. The beginning of my interest in physical therapy was when I met my fourth grade pen pal, Elmo, at a nursing home. Elmo had muscular dystrophy and only retained control of his right arm and pinky which allowed him to manouver his wheelchair. During one visit where we got to spend the whole day with our pals, the physical therapist at the nursing home came to see Elmo. I was allowed to stay and I remember thinking it was so cool that there was one person to help Elmo retain the little muscle tone and mobility he had left. In sixth grade, my class went to the hospital to sing Christmas caroles and I remember the coolest place being the physical therapy room. I thought it was amazing how patients were learning to walk again or throw a ball.
These interactions continued fuel my dedication to one day become a medical professional as thoughtful, empathetic, and passionate as the medical professionals I have observed and learned from. I had my first professional encounter with the field of Podiatry when I began shadowing a foot and ankle surgeon. Through the encounters with patients and observations of the clinical and surgical aspects of the field, I developed a passion for the significance of Podiatric care and a desire for the opportunity to pursue a career as Doctor of Podiatric Medicine. Through my passion and determination to contribute to the treatment and care of others, as well as the lessons I have learned from those who I have worked with and observed, I have realized what a career medicine means to me: inspiration. Medicine is about inspiring strength in others through the exceptional care that it provides. It is about inspiring hope in the most hopeless of situations. That is why I have chosen to pursue not only a degree, but a lifetime of passion, learning, and caring for my community as a Doctor of Podiatric
While growing up I had many ideas of what professional career I wanted to obtain, although until recent years, occupational therapy was not even a thought. It was not until my grandmother had a stroke that I even knew what occupational therapy was or entailed. I watched my grandmother participate in therapy leading her to learn how to tie her shoes again, and the things I thought were so simple as to dress herself again. It was during that time as high school graduation was approaching that I realized I wanted to be apart of that. I wanted to have a role helping others learn and exceed as she did because I seen how much joy it brought her. This experience opened my eye to the things we so often take for granted, that some people lose the ability of doing or lack the ability of doing. Throughout her journey of facing and overcoming these problems, it led me to a yearning to pursue this
My journey to pursue an education in physical therapy actually originates from my early childhood. I endured a very impoverished upbringing and my family’s socioeconomic status was below the poverty line. At a very young age, money became the central issue of my life. I found myself worrying about mortgages, health bills, and grocery money. As I grew older, I vowed to myself that I would not endure my family’s financial burdens into my adulthood. I knew the best way to accomplish this was by obtaining a college degree and having a professional career. However, I was unsure what career I wanted to pursue. I experimented with many different career ideas, but during my sophomore, I discovered my passion and skill for physical medicine. For my
Physical therapy as a profession started in the late 1800's to early 1900's as a way of aiding rehabilitation of patients with poliomyelitis, which first affected children in the United States in 1894. Then women were recruited during World War I to work with and restore function and mobilit...
All athletes get injured right? So who exactly allows them to run the fields again? There is a specific person meant for just that, a Physical Therapist. A career that would be fit for someone who enjoys being active and being involved in sports. As a way to help people, Physical Therapy is a very important career to any individual who is looking to get better, Physically. They attend any person,it doesn’t matter what age or gender. Over all this career is most important to athletes, who may get injured and need someone to help them get back in shape. As you continue to read, you will learn about the conditions and requirements needed to be a Physical Therapist. You will read about how not everyone is fit
The internship that I acquired during the summer of 2010 at the Greenwood Sports and Industrial Rehabilitation Center (GSIRC), allowed me to gain an immeasurable amount of experience during my tenure at this facility. Within this period, the exposure to new concepts within the physical therapy industry allowed me to observe and work hands on with patients of all ages and disabilities that exposed me to various treatment plans and programs to restore client’s mobility. The essential Physical Education and Exercise Science (PEES) courses taken at Lander University were beneficial to my academic knowledgebase, which prepared me and developed me for the opportunity within the physical therapy discipline. Working as an intern taught me the responsibility of time management and working within a lean schedule that allow me to further develop my skill set. This reflection paper will illustrate my classroom experience, internship experience, and learning experience.
Physical therapists are health care professionals that provide therapeutic services to their patients who have temporary or chronic physical conditions that were caused from injury or disease. Physical therapist also provided therapeutic services to patients after they have gone through surgery to help them gain back mobility and manage their pain. They can also work in preventive care by promoting healthy life styles and instructing individual patients or groups on preventing injury by using exercises that stretch and strengthen muscles. To help their patients try to recover they use massage techniques, wellness plans, and different types of equipment. When a physical therapist sees a patient for the very first time they must do an examination, evaluation, diagnosis, and then put together a physical intervention to start the rehabilitation process. They also work as a team with other health care professionals to help with their patients needs. Physical therapist can really make a difference in their patient’s lives by not only providing therapeutic services but also encouraging and motivating them so they can get better. The main goals of physical therapist are to help their patients retain or gain back lost physical mobility, eliminate or reduce pain, increase productivity and help promote a healthy life style so patients can have a better quality of life and become more independent.