Growing up, I always knew I wanted to have a fulfilling career that allowed me to help others. After much reflection, I figured I could never do both by sitting behind a desk in a quiet establishment. When I was in the eighth grade my first thought was becoming a physical therapist. I got the idea from my older sister as she started her college career preparing herself for physical therapy but soon gave up because of the hard classes she had to take, which then led her to get her degree in Recreational Therapy. I told myself I would not let the difficulty of class interfere with achieving my goals. When I became a freshman in high school, I met my Health Careers teacher, the school’s current athletic trainer and former physical therapist Erin Herrmann. After hearing my story, she recommended me to become a student athletic trainer the following year, which would give me plenty of practice in preparing myself to become a physical therapist. Here I am, my sophomore year in high school, the athletic trainer of the school’s girls’ varsity basketball team. Not even halfway into the season I tear my ACL, remind you I am not a player, I am the trainer. After what seemed like months, I finally have my surgery and I start physical therapy. I sit in the cold waiting room flipping through magazines waiting for my name to be called. I have butterflies in my stomach as I wonder what could possibly behind those large wooden doors. “Kierra Swindall”, they call out. I look
The job I plan on pursuing with kinesiology as my major is to become a physical therapist, which is also known as PT. Their main duty is helping patients rehabilitate with disabling injuries such as fractures, arthritis and low-back pain. Their duty is to help patients their relieve pain, increase mobility, and decrease long-term physical disabilities. Physical therapists focus on the evaluation of strength, balance, range of motion, co-ordination, endurance, and posture of each individual patient. Their patients can range from different age groups from infants to grandparents. The age group would provide a variety of therapeutic exercises for each of the health issues they would have. Depending
Everyone feels good about themselves when they help someone accomplish something. I feel overwhelmed with joy when I help people. Becoming a physical therapist assistant (pta) will allow me to feel that kind of happiness. Whereas I want to become a physical therapist assistant so I can help people, a physical therapist assistant is the perfect career for me given that physical therapy will always be needed. This career will allow me to interact with patients and learn about them. I will help patients regain their movement and manage pain whether it was from surgery or a type of illness. The schooling will be tough, but the end will be worth it.
As a result, I have suffered several minor injuries, including a concussion that required treatment. I have seen many orthopedic doctors and physical therapists over the years and had the opportunity to volunteer and later work with PT Solutions, a physical therapy clinic while in high school. All of my experiences with these medical professionals sparked my interest in pursuing a career in medicine. My goal is to one day become an orthopedic surgeon and focus on treating athletes. This career combines my passion for helping others and working alongside athletes. While this goal will take time to accomplish, I believe my investment in the Athletic Training program at UGA will allow me the opportunity to do what I love for a
When I broke my Tibia and Fibula playing football my sophomore year of high school, I started to really think about what I wanted to do with my life. I had a lot of love for playing football, and I knew that I did not want to stray too far away from the sport. It wasn’t until I started going to physical therapy that I realized that I didn’t have to, so I decided that I wanted to be a physical therapist, to help other people get back on their feet. However, my junior year, we got a new athletic trainer at my high school. So, I decided to ask Mrs. Pam if she would mind if I shadowed her, to learn more about what she did, and how to help other players with their injuries. She agreed, and I spent my junior and seniors years shadowing her. I learned
Currently attending the University of Dubuque, this bright-eyed young man found himself falling in love with the health wellness and exercise science program. Dreams of being able to work with the NFL or NBA as a professional physical therapist. Keeping his head on right is allowing him to successfully get through his first semester strong and well-balanced. With his background in football itself, he knows the ins and outs of what makes a person who is an athlete tick. Being able to aid someone who is hurt,
“What do you want to be when you graduate high school?,” my mother asked me. She has asked me this specific question my entire life but today she wanted an answer. I was seventeen, only a month away until my eighteenth birthday, so it was time for me to make a decision. I told her I did not know and she started to list a bunch of career options I could pursue. She continue to go on and on then, she said Occupational Therapist. My mom described to me what Occupational Therapist did and their job responsibilities. That is when I decided that this is the career for me. I am driven to become an Occupational Therapist because I want to provide for my future family, and to grow spiritually and mentally in the process.
When asked what I want to do with my life, my answer is simply to help others. Although this answer is one would expect to hear from just about anyone, I have always been encouraged by mentors and parents to do what I love. In my case, helping others brings me a great deal of satisfaction. The human body and how it is able to adapt has always been a fascination of mine, and from a young age I identified the health care field as an ideal fit for my interests in medicine, as well as my passion for helping others. With these two drives in mind, I found myself at the age of sixteen with a career goal in mind: Occupational Therapy.
Physical Therapist Assistant When one asks a younger child, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” They usually respond by saying, a ballerina, a princess, or an astronaut. When asking them the same question years later their response changes to a, nurse, pharmacist, firefighter, orthodontist, or something in the medical field. What about a physical therapist assistant?
For as long as I can remember, my profession of choice has been an occupation in the healthcare field. My dad often reminisces on when I was three when he would ask me “What’s your name?” I would reply with “Dr. Peppers.” Well sixteen years later my dream of being a doctor no longer exists, however my goal to become one of the best athletic trainers in the country is burning with passion. Growing up I wanted to be several different occupations like a trauma nurse, an obstetrician, or a physical therapist, before realizing after two years of high school sports medicine that athletic training was my niche. In coming to better comprehend athletic training as a career, my experiences in my classes and clinical here at Winthrop along with my high school experience in sports medicine has shaped my understanding of the athletic training world.
Hard work and empathy were instilled in me at a young age and ultimately have guided my life decisions. I always knew I wanted a career doing something that involved helping people and left me feeling that I made a difference in their lives. I finished my undergraduate degree in Nutrition, but in the end lacked passion for the profession. Following a personal experience with an Occupational Therapist, I was able to see the positive outcome she had on my grandfathers recovery which lead me to pursue my career in occupational therapy.
A degree in human biology qualifies a person for a variety of jobs. This degree provides a foundation to pursue veterinary, dental, or medical school paths, in addition to positions in research and development, laboratory testing, instruction, production, and quality control. Human biology provides a broad base from which to draw upon. The occupation that interests me the most is physical therapy. Physical therapy interested me ever since I began getting involved in gyms. My first encounter with a trainer at a gym was when I got trained for an hour for a baseball camp to help protect your rotator cuff, that was the moment I realized I wouldn’t mind having a job similar to what the trainer had. I wanted a job where I could help people
Why do you want to attend a summer program at Wake Forest University? How will this experience help you prepare for your college career and beyond?
Since entering college, I definitely “hit the ground running”. I have wanted to be a physical therapist since middle school, and I am anxious to be a part of its community. That being said, I set out on my career path with the goal of obtaining my bachelor’s degree and applying for physical therapy school within three years, while doing my best to hold a 4.0 GPA. This called for taking a heavy load of coursework and choosing to take classes year-round. I scheduled my time so that I would be able to balance the heavy course load, while continuing my normal volunteer work, job shadowing/observing, and being an active member in my organizations. One thing I did not account for was actual ‘paid’ work time. This is partially due to me being fortunate
The medical field had crossed this competitors mind a time or two, but was never anything serious. An elective credit was needed to complete the semester, so this fragile freshman decided to sign up for the athletic trainer course. Reed had no awareness of what was in store for the future. This novice trainer stood on the side lines during every football season, hydrating the players, taking care of sprained ankles, injured wrists, and finally a broken femur. It was then, junior year, that this novice trainer became a future paramedic. High school ended in December 2002, when this early graduate walked across the stage and the forthcoming journey began.
All through high school I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I graduated. When people would ask me what I wanted to study or what career I wanted, I would shrug my shoulders and say, “I don’t know”. Entering my first year of college, not much had changed, I still didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do. I had yet to choose a major let alone a career. What I was certain about the career I wanted was that I would be happy to go in for work every day and that I wanted to be able to help people in whatever I chose to do. After careful consideration and exploring the options available to me, I have come to the decision that I want to have a career in physical therapy.