Each experience not only challenged my resolve to become a physical therapist, but also strengthened it. While school did an exceptional job teaching me how to care for people under normal circumstances, working as a physical therapist aide at California Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy granted me the opportunity to study physical therapists rehabilitating actual people in real situations. I learned the importance of listening to patients, treating each person as an individual while adapting to conditions, and providing high quality healthcare. At Naval Medical Center San Diego, as a volunteer research assistant, I explored the research aspect of physical therapy, as well as acute care. As a volunteer research assistant, I exposed myself to a new perspective of treating patients. There are unexplored ideas to rehabilitate decreased mobility, and research scientists are constantly discovering efficient and effective methods to improve physical therapy. What makes acute physical therapy unique is the rehabilitation of a patient’s mobility, in addition to treating a suffering disease. Through my experiences, I have learned that the extra variable to treatments requires the physical therapist to have an extensive knowledge beyond physical therapy. I no longer contemplate with the infamous question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” because, through all my
Each experience not only challenged my resolve to become a physical therapist, but also strengthened it. While school did an exceptional job teaching me how to care for people under normal circumstances, working as a physical therapist aide at California Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy granted me the opportunity to study physical therapists rehabilitating actual people in real situations. I learned the importance of listening to patients, treating each person as an individual while adapting to conditions, and providing high quality healthcare. At Naval Medical Center San Diego, as a volunteer research assistant, I explored the research aspect of physical therapy, as well as acute care. As a volunteer research assistant, I exposed myself to a new perspective of treating patients. There are unexplored ideas to rehabilitate decreased mobility, and research scientists are constantly discovering efficient and effective methods to improve physical therapy. What makes acute physical therapy unique is the rehabilitation of a patient’s mobility, in addition to treating a suffering disease. Through my experiences, I have learned that the extra variable to treatments requires the physical therapist to have an extensive knowledge beyond physical therapy. I no longer contemplate with the infamous question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” because, through all my