Taking the diversity of health care providers into account, I have several experiences that will contribute to the physical therapy profession. The two experiences that will be the most beneficial are witnessing physical therapy as both patient and observer, and understanding how physical therapy interacts with other related professions through my time working in a hospital.
The first experience that will have a large impact in the future is having seen both sides of physical therapy, as both a patient and an observer. While in high school and college I had two ACL and Labrum surgeries each, requiring substantial physical therapy. This taught me that a patient undergoing physical therapy is in a vulnerable position. Undergoing my surgeries
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During my time on the acute rehab floor of Mary Greeley Medical Center, I was able to see how physical therapists interact with nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and many more professions. The main thing that I learned through this work opportunity is that it is essential to cooperate with other healthcare professionals in order to assist the patients most effectively. It is one thing for someone to take pride in their profession, but it is another for them to believe their profession is above others. Every healthcare profession has strengths to bring to the table, and patients’ recovery cannot be achieved without full cooperation from everyone. On the acute rehab floor I have witnessed several instances where professionals from different disciplines performed co-treatments. Another example of how different disciplines of healthcare collaborate is during patient care conferences, where the entire clinical team meets with the patient and discusses goals and ways to improve their treatment. Knowing the ins and outs of how different fields work together will enable me to be an effective part of the clinical team once I become a physical