My project was the Health Career Opportunity Program through NYU Langone Health Center in New York, NY. I spent four weeks shadowing physical therapists in the outpatient neurological Ambulatory Care Center. I also participated in a lecture series for the HCOP students, which centered on various healthcare careers and how to get into those careers.
When I went in to the project, I was having many doubts about both myself and my chosen career path. I was very afraid to live in New York on my own for four weeks, as I had never been there before. I was worried about getting to and from my internship every day, navigating the subway system, and finding places to eat. I was also second guessing my career choice. I wondered if PT was right for me, or if I would like working in the medical field for the rest of my life. I was also wondering about my assigned patient population (adults with neurological disorders) because I had previously thought that I only really wanted to work in pediatrics.
When I completed the experience, I was completely surprised with myself. I had little to no trouble finding my way around New York, and I was able to do a lot of sightseeing and exploring. There was so much to see and do every night after my internship and I had so much fun exploring in Manhattan, as well as going out to Staten Island and Brooklyn. I also reaffirmed my love of working with people and decided that PT is definitely the career for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved working with older adults, and that the neurological focus of the clinic was very interesting to me. I still haven’t narrowed down the exact patient population I want to work with, but I did find out that there is an option to work in a rotational setting, experiencing many different settings. I think this would be a good option for me, so that I can have exposure to many different things in my career.
Many people and experiences shaped my experience in New York. I had great roommates at the dorm at NYU, all three of whom were not from the area. We all had a great time exploring the city and going to different tourist spots. I also went out a lot on my own, something I was initially afraid to do. I found that I loved going to Central Park, and I made sure to go at least once a week while I was there. The park was so big and so exciting, that even after all the times I went I still hadn’t seen everything there.
I was also shaped by the patients I interacted with while at my internship. I previously thought that working with older adults would be boring and that I wouldn’t be able to relate to them as well. I was completely wrong. I made friends with many of them and I was sad to leave them my last week. I loved getting to see them progress through rehab, and I even got to see some patients from initial evaluation through discharge. I was surprised at how easy to talk to everyone was, and they were always intrigued to find out that I was from Ohio and this was my first time in the city. Many patients would give me suggestions of what tourist spots were best, or would recommend a favorite restaurant to me. I loved getting to see New York from a local’s perspective.
The people who were arguably most influential to me were the PTs I worked with. I was nervous about working so closely with them for four weeks, because I knew most PTs aren’t always happy to have an observer in their sessions. Within the first week, all my fears were gone. I learned so much from everyone I worked with. They were so great at explaining what they were doing and why they were doing it. Everyone I worked with was happy to give me advice, or even just have a friendly conversation with me about things going on in the PT field. I found out that many of them were rotating employees, which meant that they only worked in that particular setting for a few months. I had been worried about choosing a specialty or preferred patient population, but they assured me there was no need to choose, I could try them all out. I was so fortunate to have such great mentors where I was working, and they definitely shaped the future PT I want to become.
I was really excited to find that I was so interested in what I was seeing at my internship. It was scary for me, before going to New York, to think that I might be on the wrong career path. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if I didn’t like where I was, as I have already completed all of the classes I need to go to PT school. After completing my internship, I feel much more confident about going into PT. I was pleased to find that I loved being in the hospital setting, and seeing the outpatient side of things was a new perspective on the field. I also found the lecture series very helpful, because I was able to find out a little bit about other healthcare careers. The presentations were interesting, and it helped me decide that PT is definitely where I want to be. I now have a clear path to get where I want to go, and I’m really motivated to get there. Studying for the GRE and my classes is easier now because I have a clear goal in mind, and I’m excited to achieve that goal.