Shadowing: A Summary of My Experiences

Since my shadowing was during when I was taking physics, I didn't really have time to talk about it, so now that it's done I just want to re-cap what I learned/what happened at each of the places I shadowed out.

Family Friend PT: I did my first shadowing stint in April 2009 with a family friend who has been a PT for over 20 years. This was when I was just considering PTA and she is really the PT that pushed me to go "all the way". I spent around 25 hours with her over the course of 3 days and I saw SO much. She really is a do-it-all-PT. I'm not sure that I could have the stamina that she does or the schedule, but it's good to know that you can do all kinds of different things at once. She owns her own out-patient clinic, which was really great in itself, but she also does some visiting/home care through a local visiting nurses company. I got to go into a couple of nursing homes with her as well as pediatric home care! The peds were so cute and I really think I would enjoy working with them, especially since my first degree is in early childhood/elementary education. I can really use that degree to my advantage once I'm a PT. (But, I also want an open mind to experience everything before I decide what I may want to "specialize" in or towards in a job!)

Local Hospital OP & IP: The local hospital was a nightmare. I really wanted a lot of in-patient care and I only got about a day and a half worth and the other 30 hours I got was in the out-patient facility. The PTs weren't very helpful and I spent a lot of time folding towels and cleaning beds. I felt very out of place and no one really seemed to want to explain anything to me. The one lady I got to follow around had a really neat day- she did in-patient in the morning and then in the afternoon she dealt with lymphodema patients, which was awesome. Other than that, I mostly felt bored and out of place. I couldn't wait to find somewhere, anywhere to shadow so I could leave. I still thanked them for allowing me to come, but yuck, not a great experience.

Local OP Facility: I had a really great experience at the out-patient place I went to-- it was just one PT and a secretary (who he let do different things with modalities, which I found interesting since she has no PT degree of any kind...). He actually allowed me to ask questions, watch diagnoses, and he explained anything I was interested in. When there weren't patients I'd pick his brain about school and life. He was a really nice guy AND he was also a "second career" PT person! It was really cool to hear about someone else who had a previous degree and went back to pursue PT instead. It gave me hope that I can do this and that it's not impossible! And since he is the only PT at the clinic he brings his dog into the clinic with him. It's a gorgeous white dog in the husky family and was the nicest dog ever! All the patients were so happy to see the dog, I think it really helps the atmosphere therapeutically. Plus, he gets to spend all day with his pet everyday! Pretty sweet!

So, all in all, 2-out-of-3 great experiences isn't too bad. I am just hoping that my 110 hours will be "enough". It's been really hard trying to fit them in while doing school full-time plus two part-time jobs. I think I really got a great scope of potential job positions with those three (especially with the first!) and we'll have to wait and see if it pays off. I also hope that I got some good recommendation letters from it as well!

Step One is DONE!!!!!!!!! =D

Yes!! Today I am officially done finishing ALL of my prerequisite courses for PT school! The angels are singing! I am so, so, so happy to be DONE!!!

After my Physics II final, I hardly knew what to do with myself! I can't believe it. It's been just a couple weeks short of one year of hard work! And, I didn't do too bad, either!

Prob & Stats - A
Developmental Psychology - A
Biology I - B (grrr... stupid professor... I had an 89.4% AND visited him in his office all the time for help!)
Biology II - A
Chem I - A
Chem II - A
Anatomy - A
Physiology - B
Physics I - A
Physics II - A (I'm pretty sure!)

Plus, I had General Psychology (B) from my undergrad stuff.

Unfortunately, my two Bs brought my GPA down from a 3.92 to a 3.89... that really makes me upset, and I know that my GPA is still great, but still- I was SO close to the A in Bio I (and deserved it in my opinion!) that I wish I could've pulled off a 4.0.

This whole process has really been about me proving to myself and to the unknown "they/them" that I am smart and that I CAN do this!

Now- it's time to celebrate! And then Monday I start my last shadowing stint (around 30 hours) and super soon in 2 weeks is the GRE. *EEEEEK*