My step project was a research volunteer position with the Ohio State Sports Biomechanics lab in Martha Morehouse Outpatient Clinic. I was put on several projects where I edited the motion capture footage of patients through a software called Sports Vicon.
Through this project I learned the how truly difficult research is. Many of the lab members were professors, graduate students, and employees of the Wexner Medical Center and participated in research on the side. However the work demand that comes with research was not lost. I gained more respect for the researchers and their dedication and commitment to their work and it provided insight for my drive and motivation for my career. I will never forget work ethic of the lab members and I will carry that similar attitude through out my academics and physical therapy career.
Many of my lab activities contributed to my admiration of the work ethics of the lab members. Firstly was the way the interacted with other lab members. Weekly lab meetings consisted of positive and effective communication regarding projects and what aid might be needed on each of these projects. Many of the graduate students ran independent projects and I admired their ability to deliver their purpose and ask for whatever help they needed. They also ran projects while containing to excel in their academics and graduate programs. While maintaining their composure throughout these stressful activities, they remained uplifting and brought life into the lab.
Their patient interactions were another factor that led me to gain respect for the way they provided health care. Many of the patients we received for the research were in trials either for sports related activities or post injury gait observation. This meant that our patient population was either very young or older but the research team had no difficulty communicating and working with any demographic. Especially since healthcare has many disparities and patient care varies from area to area, this was an important quality to have.
I also appreciated the importance of teaching that was set forth in the lab. The environment was extremely conducive to learning and questions were always answered. There were various occasions where I would come into the lab, not knowing what trials were taking place that day or what movements analysis types would be captured that day but I always left with a greater understanding. Every lab member, either graduate student or primary investigator, thoroughly explained how to edit the motion capture footage and the purpose of the study. This was beneficial to my understanding of how advances in medicine can be made.
This experience was particularly meaningful to me because of my interest in bio-mechanics and kinesiology to understand the functionality of specific movements. As a future physical therapist, the conclusions and ideas retrieved from these studies will be helpful to understanding rehabilitative methods that are new or haven’t been invented yet. As western medicine becomes further based on pharmacology, physical therapy will maintain and extend a holistic approach that will be based on the studies done in the lab.