Nancy is a PTA student at Jefferson College who completed her clinical rotation at DOAR this summer.  Nancy loved her time at DOAR and felt like she learned a lot and gained valuable experience.  She especially enjoyed getting to meet so many great patients who were willing to put in the work to get better.  Here is what Nancy had to say about her experience:

Why are you pursuing a career in physical therapy?

I am changing fields from business to Physical Therapy because I want to help people get better and become functional so they can complete activities in their daily lives.  I think even the small progressions a patient makes is a step in the right direction toward regaining function.  Being a PTA I will have a direct impact on someone regaining their functional ability to do activities that are important in their life.

What role does the clinical rotation play in your PTA education?

DOAR was my first clinical experience and I can not explain how much I enjoyed working at this facility.  Eric and all the PT staff at this location was terrific!  I learned so much from Eric!  He is a great teacher and very patient!  The patients were great too.  Very motivated to improve their function and get back to daily activities.

What were you looking for in a clinical instructor and clinical site?

As far as a Clinical Instructor I was looking for someone who could explain why exercises were done for certain diagnoses.  The clinical site I was looking for was a site that was friendly and experienced staff that I could learn from on a daily basis.

How did DOAR meet your expectations/help you fulfill your goals?

DOAR met my expectation and exceeded my goals.  I learned different exercises patients can do for different musculoskeletal dysfunctions as well as stretching techniques.  I used modalities on patients and learned more about taking goniometry measurements.