Before PT school, I worked as an aide in an outpatient orthopedic clinic and also shadowed a physical therapist in a hospital. Now, as a physical therapist, I let prospective physical therapy students shadow me all the time. Whether you find work as a PT aide or tech or fulfill your observation hour requirements by shadowing or volunteering, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
- Dress and act professionally. Before starting, check to see if there’s a dress code or other rules you need to follow. When patients walk in, they won’t automatically know you don’t work there, so you become a representative of the clinic. Keep that in mind whenever interacting with people. You will also need to respect HIPAA privacy laws since you are in a healthcare setting.
- Make conversation. Part of being a good physical therapist is knowing how to talk to all sorts of people and making them feel comfortable. Being a pre-PT is a good time to hone in on these skills. Make polite small talk by asking about the weather or a non-controversial current event. For example, “Are you excited to watch the Olympics this summer?”
- Don’t interrupt. That said, the therapist may already have a relationship with the patient and the two may already have their own things to talk about. More importantly, the therapist has to ask certain questions and relay important information to the patient regarding treatment. Never interrupt either the PT or patient when they are talking.
- Ask questions about the profession. You’re there to learn more about the profession. Ask the PT what they like and dislike about the job and the setting they’re in. Ask what the application process was like for them and about being a PT student. This is your chance to learn, and also to potentially gain a mentor or someone who can write you a letter of recommendation. Try to bond with the PT if possible.
- Know the limits. A pet peeve of mine when I take on shadows is being asked about a condition or my treatment plan. As a shadow, you likely have a minimal knowledge of PT content. Your job is to learn if the profession is right for you – not to learn how to be a physical therapist. That’s what PT school is for! I don’t mind a few basic questions, but in most cases, the answers are overly involved for someone trying to determine if they’re in the right profession.
- Be grateful. Physical therapists are busy! We treat patients all day and have a lot of notes to get through. Even in our down time, we often have people to call back or paperwork to catch up on. We are usually expected to be productive all the time. Having an extra person around to talk to can be tiring, and it can also get in the way of all the others things we have to do. Ask questions when there is a break, but if you see the therapist is writing notes or trying to get something done, let them do it.
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