My first exposure to physical therapy was in 2001. I can't say that I chose physical therapy as my future career when I was ten years old, but the events that happened this year facilitated my mind in that direction. The summer of 01' is the year my father broke his back. A traumatic fall from a height of about 30 feet fractured his first two lumbar vertebrae. At that point in my life, I didn't understand the details and the severity of what had happened. I did understand however, that my father might not ever be able to walk again and that was devastating to me. The ideal route for my father's injury was conservative treatment. He was directed to wear a special back brace, an orthotic, for four weeks and to then start physical therapy. I went to physical therapy three times a week for four weeks with my father before he was discharged. I loved attending his physical therapy sessions. For a ten-year-old girl, it was more of a playground than anything. My favorite part was playing catch with the exercise balls with one of the aides at the facility while we were there. Remembering this experience, even though a small one showed me what type of work environment I want to work in, in the future. I enjoyed the liveliness of the staff and how they were able to incorporate pleasure into their job. Aside from the fun, it was remarkable to watch the progression of my father's treatment. In my eyes, they "fixed" my daddy and I realized that when I grow up, I want to "fix" people too.
Time went on and I started applying to colleges with my mind set on physical therapy as my future career. My major upon entering college was Kinesiology. Freshman and sophomore year was primarily dedicated to my courses of general education, though directed toward a route of exercise science. Mixed into my curriculum were some classes of general psychology and developmental psychology. I began to realize that I was also interested in the cognitive aspect of the mind. I started to speculate if a career in Occupational Therapy might be a better fit for me. The summer of 2011 I did two different internships, one at a Physical Therapy orthopedic facility and one at a pediatric Occupational Therapy facility. Through these two experiences, I found that I enjoy working with an older population, rather than strictly pediatrics. I also realized that I want to work with an age population that I can verbally interact with and relate to. My last semester of my undergraduate degree was dedicated to a full-time internship at an orthopedic physical therapy facility. This was the determining factor in my decision to pursue a profession in physical therapy. Because I was at the facility five days a week, I was able to witness the day-to-day progress individual patients were making. I also discovered I have the ability to balance a relationship between my patients and I, as their friend and as their instructor. I admired the knowledge the therapists had about the body, the rehabilitation processes, and their ability to educate their patients regarding this information. Having the opportunity to observe physical and occupational therapists in a variety of settings was one of the most assuring experiences I have had.
I have recently started working at an outpatient orthopedic facility and everyday it continues to support the feeling that this is the right career path for me. Through all the hours spent working at therapy facilities, I've come to understand just how big of an impact therapeutic exercise has on the quality of life. It has moreover given me the opportunity to observe a wide variety of injuries, modalities, methods of communication, and styles of therapy. Each experience I've had and will continue to have leads me closer to where I want to be in the future. They have helped me develop expletory traits necessary to become a physical therapy student and professional. I have an aptitude for educating others about the importance of physical health and what it means to work as a team. I yearn for the satisfaction I feel when a task so simple as walking in a straight line is accomplished and I have a passionate desire to learn all I can. I believe the best career fit for me is physical therapy and I hope to fulfill my aspirations and become an influential and innovative physical therapist.
