The Role of Physical Therapy:

http://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php5?title=Global_Health


I never knew how difficult the challenges would be when I decided to undertake a mid-life career change to Physical Therapy or all it would involve. I don’t think anyone in my class, which started with 26 people who were first meticulously screened, given hurdles to jump and seemingly endless other requirements to fulfill before even being allowed to be placed on a two year waiting list to begin the program, knew what we were in for.

Today, the stress was more than apparent on the 14 of us who have survived the curriculum schedules as we sat down to take written exams on a mountain of information which was thrown at us in the last three weeks concerning Orthopedics and which we were all studying on day and night. One person said shortly before we began, “I think I’m going to throw-up” which you would think might be a funny statement to make but nobody in our group was laughing; I think everyone knew he was serious, felt somethng similar, and some commented afterward that they had hoped the suggestion wouldn’t cause them to lose it. Afterward, the first half of us had to take practical lab exams involving being prepared to perform a multitude of Special pathology tests, explain kinematic motions, correctly palpate the involved structures, identify all precautions, state the contraindications, perform rhythmic stabilization techniques, soft tissue mobilization, passive range of motion and stretching and come up with a treatment plan and appropriate therapeutic exercises for any upper extremity pathology within any stage that we were randomly assigned.

Anyway, being mentally exhausted, driving home, and knowing I cleared another hurdle and trying to shake off the anxiety and stress I thought about how much us student survivors have become a team, cling to each other for support and help and sincerely care about each other. We all have each other’s phone numbers and know where everyone lives. I thought about how bad I and the others must want this to still be putting ourselves through this and what makes this career so great that we are willing to do so. One of the questions asked before we were admitted into the program was why did we want to go into this health field and we were told not to just say, “I want to help others”, but the truth is I think that is exactly what makes it so exciting and rewarding and why the people who have survived have done so; we believe in the benefits of Physical therapy and wellness and having the desire to help others is a part of our nature; that is we are willing and able to endure.

Got home and read the above article talking about how the battle for health should not be overlooked and hoped others might appreciate those of us in this profession which strive to naturally improve people’s quality of life. God is Good!