Evolution of My Perception

Since I began my perception of my internship has changed. I had imagined my internship as me being allowed to only observe through the observation room. I also thought I would not get to interact with the patients like a more learn by watching and listening type of thing. However that is not the case I am allowed to be in the room and sometimes I am asked to help with the session. I even get to play with the children in the gym. I always get to ask questions after the sessions are over, I am never left without an answer.

What surprised me the most about my internship is that I was under the impression that physical therapy was more towards traditional style, such as stretches and exercising. I also thought that occupational therapy was also more of a traditional matter. However, I have come to learn that it is more of helping someone, a patient get better and recover without them feeling like that is what they are doing. Instead it is about helping a patient recover while still having a positive attitude and fun. Whenever I see a therapy session that involves children, they play a bunch of games and build obstacle course, but in reality they are exercising, building muscle, and getting stronger. I can say the same thing for patients that see the occupational therapist. I see those children get to listen to music, play in the gym to build their listening skills, and improve on giving more specific directions so they can play with friends, All while jumping, crashing, zip lining, and being happy. To help them with their direction giving and being more clear when they talk they get to invent new obstacle courses in the gym then write them in the invention book so other patients can have fun. Something else that surprised me was I did not expect to see so much bonding between the therapist and their patients. I had thought that since there are so many patients and the therapist sees them 1-2 times a week or every two weeks for a certain amount of time that there would not be as much of a bond grown. However, I learned that the patients do grow close to their therapist. I even meet one patient that had been seeing the same therapist since he was 6 months old and now he is five years old.

I have learned from the routine and boring moments of the internship that even moments like these are important. For patients that come in every week and work on the same focus point, like maybe strengthening their larger, lower muscles for coordination these routine of doing it over and over again is what is going to help tone those muscles. I feel it is kind of like when you practice for a sport or for a band, repetition is what gets you there. Playing the same four measures till you get them perfect, or going over the same play over and over till you can do it in your sleep. Plus I feel like even the boring or routine moments are learning moments. Like if a therapist is making one patients do a stretch multiple times or is making many patients in the same situation do the stretch it must mean that stretch is very effective. Same goes for the boring moments like cleaning out the record cabinet, as we go through files and select what can be thrown out and what stays I get to read and learn about different cases, I learn how to treat different conditions even if I had not seen the patient in person.I truly feel everyday I learn something new despite the constant in the routine.