Describe the professional goals you hope to achieve by pursuing graduate study in physical therapy:
This is what I have so far. Any criticism is greatly appreciated.
Pursuing a degree in physical therapy always seemed to be an unreachable goal I set as junior in high school, but as I write this statement, I realize that the pursuit is only the beginning. Michael Jordan once said, "I hope the millions of people I've touched have the optimism and desire to reach their goals through hard work and persevere with a positive attitude". Michael Jordan and Mariano Rivera have been athletes whom I've admired throughout my entire life because of the obstacles they have overcome that made them who they are today. In 2012, Rivera suffered a torn ACL, and only because of the critical role physical therapists played in the rehabilitation process, was he able to return for his final season at age 43. My professional goal is to become a part of this process and be the reason why individuals are able to lift their arm, stand up from a chair, or walk again.
Sports have been the driving force for my aspiration of becoming a physical therapist. After sustaining a significant sports related injury, I knew I found my dream career. As a freshman in college I underwent elbow reconstruction surgery after I tore my ulnar collateral ligament. I was devastated by the thought that I would never be able to return to pitching. However, this feeling was quickly replaced by hope and optimism because of my physical therapist, Dr. Dodd. Dodd ensured me that he would work as diligently as he could in order to get me back onto the playing field. His knowledge of my injury and confidence in what therapeutic exercises and modalities would put me on the path to recovery helped put my mind at ease and I was able to concentrate on the recovery process. Without a physical therapist to guide me through the rehabilitation process I would not been able to recover from that injury. I want to be able to instill the same feeling into patients who feel like they are faced with the seemingly insurmountable.
As a current undergraduate with an intended major in Kinesiology, I have only begun to scratch the surface of understanding the intricate biomechanics involved in movement of the human body. Through my study of physical therapy, I aim to gain the knowledge I need to truly impact the life of an individual with therapeutic exercise. Learning, perfecting, and teaching the correct motor program for different movements has always been a burning desire of mine. Over the summer, I was able to work as an intern at Full Throttle Athletics. At Full Throttle, I learned valuable cues that may allow therapists to effectively convey the movement patterns to patients who are unfamiliar with exercise and biomechanics. Pursuing the graduate study of physical therapy will allow me to continue to fulfill my desire while increasing the quality of life of individuals.
Through my observation experiences of in-patient and out-patient settings, I was able to get a taste of how big of an impact therapeutic exercise can have on an individual's quality of life. One day I was able to work with a patient that was suffering from a stroke and many other health ailments. Both of the patient's legs had atrophied to the point where he was unable bear weight. The physical therapist and I were only able to perform passive range of motion exercises when we first began therapy; however, through the perseverance of the therapist to keep the patient motivated, we were able to have him able to bear weight for a total of five minutes. While this may seem like an insignificant accomplishment to others, the moment that we were able to share together is another professional goal I strive to accomplish through the progressive study of physical therapy.
This is what I have so far. Any criticism is greatly appreciated.
Pursuing a degree in physical therapy always seemed to be an unreachable goal I set as junior in high school, but as I write this statement, I realize that the pursuit is only the beginning. Michael Jordan once said, "I hope the millions of people I've touched have the optimism and desire to reach their goals through hard work and persevere with a positive attitude". Michael Jordan and Mariano Rivera have been athletes whom I've admired throughout my entire life because of the obstacles they have overcome that made them who they are today. In 2012, Rivera suffered a torn ACL, and only because of the critical role physical therapists played in the rehabilitation process, was he able to return for his final season at age 43. My professional goal is to become a part of this process and be the reason why individuals are able to lift their arm, stand up from a chair, or walk again.
Sports have been the driving force for my aspiration of becoming a physical therapist. After sustaining a significant sports related injury, I knew I found my dream career. As a freshman in college I underwent elbow reconstruction surgery after I tore my ulnar collateral ligament. I was devastated by the thought that I would never be able to return to pitching. However, this feeling was quickly replaced by hope and optimism because of my physical therapist, Dr. Dodd. Dodd ensured me that he would work as diligently as he could in order to get me back onto the playing field. His knowledge of my injury and confidence in what therapeutic exercises and modalities would put me on the path to recovery helped put my mind at ease and I was able to concentrate on the recovery process. Without a physical therapist to guide me through the rehabilitation process I would not been able to recover from that injury. I want to be able to instill the same feeling into patients who feel like they are faced with the seemingly insurmountable.
As a current undergraduate with an intended major in Kinesiology, I have only begun to scratch the surface of understanding the intricate biomechanics involved in movement of the human body. Through my study of physical therapy, I aim to gain the knowledge I need to truly impact the life of an individual with therapeutic exercise. Learning, perfecting, and teaching the correct motor program for different movements has always been a burning desire of mine. Over the summer, I was able to work as an intern at Full Throttle Athletics. At Full Throttle, I learned valuable cues that may allow therapists to effectively convey the movement patterns to patients who are unfamiliar with exercise and biomechanics. Pursuing the graduate study of physical therapy will allow me to continue to fulfill my desire while increasing the quality of life of individuals.
Through my observation experiences of in-patient and out-patient settings, I was able to get a taste of how big of an impact therapeutic exercise can have on an individual's quality of life. One day I was able to work with a patient that was suffering from a stroke and many other health ailments. Both of the patient's legs had atrophied to the point where he was unable bear weight. The physical therapist and I were only able to perform passive range of motion exercises when we first began therapy; however, through the perseverance of the therapist to keep the patient motivated, we were able to have him able to bear weight for a total of five minutes. While this may seem like an insignificant accomplishment to others, the moment that we were able to share together is another professional goal I strive to accomplish through the progressive study of physical therapy.
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