Intern Reflection Paper
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.
The GSIRC highly encourage hands on experience for student interns. In order to have a sympathetic notion on what to do as an intern, the PEES courses taken previous semesters were remarkably accommodating when assisting the clients through rehabilitating workouts. In order to understand which anatomical part the patient is rehabilitating, anatomy and physiology were one of the vital subjects to be acquainted with. Having the understanding of the anatomy terms helped me, as an intern, to understand majority of the diagnosis shown on the patients’ charts. As the patients goes through their exercises it were also essential to understand the movements of each exercise such as abduction with external rotation or knee flexion. The course that corre...
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...e to work at the Greenwood Sports and Industrial Rehabilitation Center helped me strengthen my communication skills along with learning skills.
Being able to have worked with numerous patient with a variety of diagnosis help me learn more about how to time manage and develop communication skill. Learning hands on was a great experience to gather information from patients and the physical therapist (PT)/ Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA). When assisting patients through their workout, I was able analyze man of the muscle that were be used and became more focus on the form and movement. Watching the PT and PTA come up with exercises of their own shows the there have to be a lot creative thinking which I have gained along the way. For the first time I actually experience the use of resistance bands and how effective they are compare to free weights and machines.
"The Physical Therapist: A Professional Profile." American Physical Therapy Association. Online. Internet. 8 April 1997. Available: http://www.apta.org/pt_prof/professionalprofile.html.
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.
For as long as I could remember, I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the field of physical therapy. Everything about the human body is captivating from the way it works to its powerful ability to heal itself. To many people, the field of physical therapy involves using exercise to aid in the restoration of physical function in patients, but to me, it means so much more. One reason as to why the field of physical therapy peeked my interests is because it combines my keen curiosity for the human body and all its fascinating capabilities, physical exercise and the compassion to help others. In recent years, several events occurred that have helped inspire me to become a physical therapist.
With the help of physical therapists, people are able to get their body back. They construct elasticity, muscle, and life back into their patients. Their goals are to terminate people’s pain, help with range of motion, and give them their sense of confidence back. The meaning of physical therapy is a profession in the medical field that deals with helping individuals preserve, repair, and improve movement. However, physical therapy is not only limited to one type of personnel. There are many different specialties of physical therapy one can study. For example, physical therapy can range from: orthopedic, geriatrics, neurological, cardiopulmonary, pediatrics, athletics, and general physical therapy. The question that comes to mind when thinking about physical therapy is, “How does one chose the path of physical therapy?” Physical therapy is emotionally and physically demanding and the progress of a patient, depending on their situation, typically moves slowly. Nonetheless, people who find it rewarding are very happy with their choice of career. The thought of making an improvement in peoples’ lives is an important quality to have for those who would like to enter into the field.
With the help of my family and employers, I resign from my job and enrolled into the University of Houston-Clear Lake. They motivated me into taking the first step into my professional career in where I achieved my bachelor’s degree in Fitness & Human Performance. It was there that I was given the opportunity to do my internship at Proactive Physical Therapy (PPT) and see hands on what to expect in a PT setting. To be a part of someone’s rehabilitation journey, from the moment you first see them at their initial evaluation, to when they are graduating and being discharged, is an incredible feeling to be a part of. A Physical Therapist often encounter patients that are at the lowest point in their life in which they would have to teach, coach, listen and motivate the patient to rehabilitate them. When TW came in for PT, he was down on himself because he had
The medical field is expanding ever so rapidly in today’s society. In the field of Physical Therapy one needs to have the understanding of how the human body works and the injuries one body could sustain. I have chosen a career to help others to battle back from life-changing injuries or surgeries. I will take the first step of joining the medical field by obtaining a physical therapist associates degree. I will become a Physical Therapist Assistant.
The way the Tracy handled, and interacted with the patient completely impressed me, and from that day onward, I was certain that physical therapy was the career for me. The aspect of physical therapy that I enjoy the most is working with different patients on rehabbing their injury. With every new patient that walk through the door, come s a exciting new challenge for me to help the patient work to get back to their physical ability they were at before their injury. The aspect of physical therapy that I’m the most worried about is the amount of time I have to spend in college to obtain my degree. Although I don’t mind spending a few extra years in college, in the back of my mind it still worries me a little bit. I can use physical therapy as a reflection of my faith in the way of helping patients who have suffered become healthy again. As Jesus before me helped cure the sick, blind, and taking away the sins of the world by dying on the cross, I plan to the best of my ability help anyone I can recover from an injury that is causing them great pain and suffering in their
“Employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 34 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.” 1 There is three main reasons of what is contributing the growth of the physical therapy profession. The first reasoning of why there will continue to be an demand for physical therapist is the baby boomers is a generation that continues to stay active longer into there life. This can contribute to individuals having pains or increasing the risk of injury at a later age in life. Secondly, there is also an increase of chronic diseases that require the attention of the physical therapist. These conditions include disease such as “diabetes and obesity, have become more prevalent in recent years. More physical therapists will be needed to help these patients maintain their mobility and manage the effects of chronic conditions.”1 Thirdly, Technology has a impact that more surgeries are performed outpatient and requires the physical therapist attention after surgery for proper care and gain of normal activities after surgery. The profession of physical therapy is predicted to continue to grow throughout the
While there were many differences between each setting, there were also several commonalities. In all settings, the physical therapists provided care that was professional and skilled. They worked collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to provide the best care possible for each of their patients. They strived to establish rapport and trust with each patient. Each of the settings I observed provided me with insights to the field of physical therapy and convinced me that this career is the right choice for
Ever since I started talking this class, English 1301, with Dr. Piercy, I have been able to expand my writing and thinking skills. Not only was I able to make more better essays but I also learned important topics such as how education creates an impact in the world. In this essay I will be talking about three writings and how they are related to this course semester. The three writings are “On Bullshit” by Harry Frankfurt, “Why I Write Bad” by Milo Beckman,and “Statement of Teaching Philosophy” by Stephen Booth. How are these 3 writings related to this semester’s course work?
While being able to financially support myself one day still motivated me, I began to appreciate the importance of physical independence as well. I never want to be physically limited and unable to do the things that make me happy, such as snowboarding or kayaking, and I also want to remain independent into old age. This reinforced my desire to pursue physical therapy because I want the opportunity to help others achieve this same kind of freedom that will improve their quality of life. A student and professional must be invested in the patients and be able to empathize with them. Having these abilities will contribute to creating more effective treatment plans and achieving better treatment
During my undergraduate career, I have been heavily exposed to the field of physical medicine. I have worked as a PT technician for almost a year in an outpatient clinic, and have actively sought out other observation in other physical therapy settings. I have had the chance to observe PTs in acute care at the local hospital and a pediatric therapy center. Through these observation opportunities, I have a gained a great understanding of the role the physical therapist has within society as well as the benefits of participating in physical therapy. Physical therapists are allied health professionals who collaborate with other health care providers to assess, develop and organize a treatment plan to ultimately improve the quality of life for their patients. It is the duty of the physical therapists to create and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, alleviate pain, increase strength, and enhance or remedy incapacitating conditions resulting from injury or disease. It is crucial that physical therapists have the ability to properly educate individuals on their role and purpose in the patients’ continuum of care. PTs must also inform people about the great benefits of participating in physical therapy. A few benefits of physical therapy include: reducing or eliminating pain, recovering from an injury, improving mobility, avoiding surgery, and managing other health conditions. As a PT technician, I have had the opportunity to understand the purpose and value behind therapeutic modalities, prescribed exercises and manual therapy techniques. Consequently, I have had explain my knowledge of the function and benefits of certain therapy practices to patients. My experiences in different physical therapy settings have given me a strong comprehension of a physical therapists role in
2. Fitzgerald, GK.; Piva, SR.; Gil, AB.; Wisniewski, SR.; Oddis, CV.; & Irrgang, JJ. Agility and perturbation training techniques in exercise therapy for reducing pain and improving function in people with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial. Phys Ther. April 2011;91;4: 452-469.
During my undergraduate studies, I spent time exploring the field of exercise science. I endured laborious coursework that molded my character into a strong-willed, disciplined student. As I deepened my knowledge of the human body, my passion for working in health care evolved to new heights. I also grew a fondness for learning new material and concepts. By the end of my undergraduate experience, I knew how to maximize my personal success.
The identity of a physical therapist is essentially an expert in movement. In order to optimize patient movement, a strong foundation of biomechanical knowledge is required. In order to ensure that I build a strong knowledge base, I will put forth my best efforts into all of my course work. Although book knowledge is important to have, practical knowledge can be considered to be of slightly greater value in certain cases.2 For instance, it is more valuable to have performed and experienced a patient care technique, than only to have read about it. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of