My career aspiration is to be a professional sports traveling physical therapist. I would love to work with an NBA team, but I am open to working with any professional team. As long as I’m helping athletes recover from their injury or helping them stay in shape. I am passionate about helping others and watching them overcome their injuries.
During my internship with the AnnieRuth Foundation, I was placed at Brooks Rehabilitation Center. There, I had the opportunity to watch physical therapy sessions up close while shadowing my mentors (Allie, James and Lindsey). I was able to help and be hands on with some patients while they did their exercises as well as learn how to prevent some injuries and how to treat the injured area. I sometimes helped my mentors transfer patients from the bed to a wheelchair with the two person squat pivot. The patients were able to do their exercises with some help. For example, we had patients who were struggling with back pain. The exercises they would do were bridges, side leg raises and Russian twists with a medicine ball those exercises would strengthen the core allowing the patient to strengthen their bad posture and stop the back pain. This was an invaluable experience, it gave me a better understanding of physical therapy and what I would do day in and day out. In a couple of years if I stay consistent.
The AnnieRuth Foundations summer internship program gave me a chance to see what I’ll be doing in my future career. This summer, I learned that communication, professionalism, patience, and problem-solving are all essential for being a good physical therapist. Watching my mentors work with their patients was eye opening. It wasn’t an easy journey for the patients, I was able to see their highs and lows, I watched them struggle but in the end they were able to walk out knowing they pushed themselves and had shown progress.
Being in the AnnieRuth Foundation’s summer internship program has motivated me even more to push myself to achieve my goals and aspirations so I can be successful not only as a physical therapist but in life in general.