This will be the last post of my blog! I'll reflect on my mentorship as a whole...
1. What impact did this experience have on my personal growth?
As a person, I 've grown a lot this year because of the experiences I've had at my mentorship. One of the ways I've been able to learn so much about life and grow as a person is being around 4 different adults in different stages of life. One married, divorced and remarried with five kids, another married with four kids, another married with one and another on the way, and one single. Being around these four adults who have had so many different experiences in life, and have openly shared their problems and successes in life has allowed me to learn from their mistakes, and their victories. I hope to follow in all of their footsteps in different aspects, and I'm so thankful I have been able to spend the year learning from all of them.
2. What was my greatest accomplishment?
I think my greatest accomplishment this year was at the end of my mentorship. I was standing around waiting for my mentor to give me something to do, when I noticed one of the patients e-stem machines had finished. My mentor was busy with two other patients, and the woman was about to call to him to take her off the machine so she could go home, when I automatically walked over to take her off. Of course I've done stuff like this before when my mentor asked me, or even just because he was busy. However, I've never simply had the automatic response to help a patient with an e-stem machine. I've always debated in my head, "Would it be awkward to take those sticky pads off that persons bare skin on their lower back?" Although this time, their was no hesitation in my mind that things might be awkward, and to me, that showed that I'd really accepted and gotten used to sometimes "awkward" things that doctors have to deal with. I think that was a pretty big accomplishment for me.
3. What did you find most challenging about the mentorship?
The hardest thing for me at my mentorship was the process of learning how to do new tasks. I never wanted to let anyone down, or hurt the business in anyway, so I was always extremely cautious when learning new tasks. While it is good to be cautious about these things, I was almost too hesitant sometimes. I think that gradually learning more and more new stuff, and getting to know my mentor more helped me overcome my "fear" of learning how to do new things.
4. What did you discover about yourself?
I learned that I don't need to be embarrassed to ask questions. The whole beginning of the year, I was scared of sounding stupid when I asked how to do something. However, I realized that they can't expect me to simply know how to start an e-stem machine, so I started asking more questions, and in the process I learned so much.
5. What influence will this experience have on your future academic and career choices?
I think that having completed this internship with a physical therapy company, I've made many future "connections" and I've gained a lot of knowledge. If I ever want to become a PT or am applying to PT school, I can use my mentor or another PT there as a reference. They have not only given me life lessons and knowledge about PT, they've also allowed me to gain experience and "connections" for the future.
6. What did you learn from people you admire in the organization?
One of the other PTs at my mentorship is a woman who is in her late 20s, and she is still single. Although she wants to get married and have kids, she is waiting patiently on the Lords plan for her. She is a huge role model for me, and if I ever find myself, or a friend in the same situation later, I will be able to look back on wise decisions she's made and try to follow in her footsteps.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Week 4.28.14
This week for my blog, I'm adding a link to a video of my "elevator speech" that summarizes my final project for Honors Mentorship. It was filmed when I gave the "speech" to a small class at my school, and I wanted to show the website I made, so it may be a little dark in the video with the lights off...
Link to my speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lOscLCJvbI
Link to my speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lOscLCJvbI
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Week 3.31.14
This week I'll be answering a few questions about success at my mentorship for my blog...
1. What successes have you experienced? What did they mean to you?
At my mentorship, there's always been 3 (and now 4) other interns since I first came in September. This means I've always been taught how to complete tasks (such as getting heat packs, cleaning the hydroculator, and organizing equipment) in the office by other interns. Naturally, there's always another intern to do the hard stuff, or the things I haven't really had a chance to get the hang of. Something I consider a success was the first time I happened to be the only intern in the office with the PTs, and I was able to do everything they needed without the help of other interns. After more experience as the only intern in the office, I feel successful when I do anything I might not have been able to do alone in the past.
2. What setbacks have you experienced? What did you learn from those setbacks?
As I was saying in the first question, I was the newest intern out of the 4. All the other interns had been working there for about a month when I showed up. This means the PTs had taught them how to complete all the basic tasks of the office before I arrived. Therefore, I had to learn from the other interns. I think a setback was the fact that I took much longer to feel comfortable as the only intern in the office when the others couldn't come. However, in hindsight, I realized that there is never anything wrong with asking the PTs questions if I'm lost.
1. What successes have you experienced? What did they mean to you?
At my mentorship, there's always been 3 (and now 4) other interns since I first came in September. This means I've always been taught how to complete tasks (such as getting heat packs, cleaning the hydroculator, and organizing equipment) in the office by other interns. Naturally, there's always another intern to do the hard stuff, or the things I haven't really had a chance to get the hang of. Something I consider a success was the first time I happened to be the only intern in the office with the PTs, and I was able to do everything they needed without the help of other interns. After more experience as the only intern in the office, I feel successful when I do anything I might not have been able to do alone in the past.
2. What setbacks have you experienced? What did you learn from those setbacks?
As I was saying in the first question, I was the newest intern out of the 4. All the other interns had been working there for about a month when I showed up. This means the PTs had taught them how to complete all the basic tasks of the office before I arrived. Therefore, I had to learn from the other interns. I think a setback was the fact that I took much longer to feel comfortable as the only intern in the office when the others couldn't come. However, in hindsight, I realized that there is never anything wrong with asking the PTs questions if I'm lost.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Week 3.24.14
Regarding my mentorship...
Career Path
If I was interested in following in the footsteps of my mentor and becoming a physical therapist, I would first need to look at colleges. Colleges like UNG are good for this career because they have a physical therapy program, but I could also go to UGA and major in Kinesiology or Sports Medicine, and then transfer to a college with a PT program. My mentor did that because he went to Georgia Southern and then transferred to UNG for his doctorate in physical therapy.
Workload:
At my mentorship the workload is pretty even between the three physical therapists, although it really depends on the day. The receptionist tries to divide patients up evenly between the three of them, but sometimes patients want a specific therapist. The hand therapist, on the other hand(pun!), is relatively new to the company, so she doesn't have as many patients as the others.
Tasks:
At my mentorship, I do things from helping patients with their exercises to cleaning tables. The more, fun or interesting tasks include: watching my mentor work with patients, helping patients with stretches, etc. The less exciting tasks would be: doing laundry, cleaning tables, organizing files, etc. While those tasks are not the most enjoyable, they help prepare me for the real world, and get me ready for what I'll have to do in order to get a job I'm more passionate about.
Career Path
If I was interested in following in the footsteps of my mentor and becoming a physical therapist, I would first need to look at colleges. Colleges like UNG are good for this career because they have a physical therapy program, but I could also go to UGA and major in Kinesiology or Sports Medicine, and then transfer to a college with a PT program. My mentor did that because he went to Georgia Southern and then transferred to UNG for his doctorate in physical therapy.
Workload:
At my mentorship the workload is pretty even between the three physical therapists, although it really depends on the day. The receptionist tries to divide patients up evenly between the three of them, but sometimes patients want a specific therapist. The hand therapist, on the other hand(pun!), is relatively new to the company, so she doesn't have as many patients as the others.
Tasks:
At my mentorship, I do things from helping patients with their exercises to cleaning tables. The more, fun or interesting tasks include: watching my mentor work with patients, helping patients with stretches, etc. The less exciting tasks would be: doing laundry, cleaning tables, organizing files, etc. While those tasks are not the most enjoyable, they help prepare me for the real world, and get me ready for what I'll have to do in order to get a job I'm more passionate about.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Week 3.17.14
This week for my blog I'll be discussing three aspects of my mentorship.
Culture/Collegiality:
At my mentorship (for physical therapy) there are five main workers that I get to watch and mentor with, including my mentor. There is one receptionist, who does a lot (like scheduling, getting patients to fill out forms, the payment aspect of physical therapy, and a lot more), then there's three physical therapists (one is my mentor) who work with patients (and write updates for their doctors, etc.), and lastly there is one hand therapist who works specifically on patients who have problems with their hands. At my mentorship, it's basically one big room where all the patients work, and then the receptionist is up front. All of the workers interact constantly because it is so open, whether it be to get some information on a patient, or simply tell each other a joke. I think it's a very fun and welcoming environment for all the patients, and it allows the interns to feel comfortable asking questions whenever.
Collaboration:
My mentorship collaborates with mostly hospitals and doctors in the area. When a first-time patient comes to one of the therapists, they evaluate them and have to contact their doctor to better understand the patients problem. They also have to write periodic updates to the patients doctor so that the doctor knows where the patient stands. This communication is how my mentorship collaborates with other groups in the area.
Mentoring:
Besides the mentoring that I'm involved with at my mentorship, there is quite a bit of "mentoring" that goes on between the therapists. My mentor specifically, is a relatively new hire for the company, and although he has perfected the art of working with patients, the therapists that have worked for the company longer sometimes "mentor" him on more technical things within the business.
Culture/Collegiality:
At my mentorship (for physical therapy) there are five main workers that I get to watch and mentor with, including my mentor. There is one receptionist, who does a lot (like scheduling, getting patients to fill out forms, the payment aspect of physical therapy, and a lot more), then there's three physical therapists (one is my mentor) who work with patients (and write updates for their doctors, etc.), and lastly there is one hand therapist who works specifically on patients who have problems with their hands. At my mentorship, it's basically one big room where all the patients work, and then the receptionist is up front. All of the workers interact constantly because it is so open, whether it be to get some information on a patient, or simply tell each other a joke. I think it's a very fun and welcoming environment for all the patients, and it allows the interns to feel comfortable asking questions whenever.
Collaboration:
My mentorship collaborates with mostly hospitals and doctors in the area. When a first-time patient comes to one of the therapists, they evaluate them and have to contact their doctor to better understand the patients problem. They also have to write periodic updates to the patients doctor so that the doctor knows where the patient stands. This communication is how my mentorship collaborates with other groups in the area.
Mentoring:
Besides the mentoring that I'm involved with at my mentorship, there is quite a bit of "mentoring" that goes on between the therapists. My mentor specifically, is a relatively new hire for the company, and although he has perfected the art of working with patients, the therapists that have worked for the company longer sometimes "mentor" him on more technical things within the business.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Week 1.27.14
HMP Interview with Mr. Scheman (Human A&P Teacher)
(His answers in white, my reflection/responses in green)
1. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when
you hear about someone having a stroke? (word, phrase, feeling, etc.)
Scary, death,
paralysis, burden, costly...
I think many people would think this... Strokes are very serious.
2. Has anyone you know ever had a stroke?
(yourself, family, friends, etc.)
No one in family
had a stroke but father in law had an aneurism which almost killed him
back
then it was a 50/50 survival through the surgery.
I'll have to ask him more details about this when he has time. I wonder what year this
happened and how the chance of survival through surgeries like that have changed since
then.
3. If so, what went through your head when you
found out? If not, how do you think you would react?
Thought for sure the family
would be fatherless, very scary prospect for a family with 4
kids all under age
of 16
That is extremely scary to think about. I would like to ask him more about the man's
diet/lifestyle to see what might've caused a stroke. If it was genetic, I wonder how old
those 4 kids are now and whether they've had a stroke yet or are at a higher risk for one.
Build up a junk in
the arteries of the brain, hardening of those same arteries….
I read that he blockage stops blood flow to the brain which, in turn, stops the flow of
oxygen to the brain. Scary stuff...
5. How does a stroke affect a person? What are some
symptoms?
Death to brain
cells and brain tissues effects very specific bodily functions like gross motor skills or speech
I'm very interested in this part of strokes... Like how the location of the stroke depends on
which side of the body it affects, or how severe the affects may be.
You
have ones that leak and ones that burst!
I did some more research and found that the "leaking" ones are called hemorrhagic
strokes and the "bursting" ones are called ischemic strokes. [Cool website-
http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/TypesofStroke/Types-of-Stroke_UCM_308531_SubHomePage.jsp ]
7. Is it a long recovery process if someone has a
stroke?
Long term care needed because it takes a long time to rewire the brain
as it regains its
ability to function. It has to make new neural connections in
order to perform those
specific bodily functions once again..
"New neural connections" sounds really cool! I guess that's why repetition is key in stroke recovery.
8. What are some ways people recover from strokes?
Long term care physical therapy, repetitive motions, speech therapy….
This is what I want to focus on for my final project!
9. Do you have an original or creative therapy exercise
for stroke recovery
patients? (doesn’t have to be “tested” or “proven”, just
any thoughts)
We might've discussed mirror therapy once before... seemed like a new/cool idea to me.
Using mirrors to help patient with the side of body that was affected by stroke...
We did talk about this! I used a source about mirror therapy in my annotated bibliography a while back.
10. Are there any ways to prevent strokes that you
know of?
Face- is it drooping on one side?
Arms- does one drift downward when both are raised?
Speech- are they slurring words?
Time- if you see these signs, call 9-1-1, fast.
This should be on posters in places like grocery stores or somewhere older people go... It
could raise awareness.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Week 1.13.14
This week my blog will be focused on plans for my final project...
First off, my final project is going to be focused on strokes, how they affect a person/their brain, and how people recover from them. I'm very interested in this because after interning at a physical therapy place, I've decided it might not be the career path just for me. However, I'm still interested in the human brain and how it works. Strokes are the perfect topic because they have to do with the brain, and physical therapy, so I can enjoy what I'm doing and still use my mentor as a resource in my project.
My current essential question:
How will I compare and contrast different types of strokes in order to understand and create a situation regarding a rehabilitation plan for a hypothetical stroke patient?
This EQ has not changed from earlier in the year because I have not changed my mind about my project. I will be a hypothetical physical therapist who will create a rehabilitation plan for my hypothetical stroke patient.
For my project, I will have to create a website that houses all of my work. In addition to this website I'm thinking about using an online tool that makes "webs". This would be a sort of brainstorming or outlining for my final patient plan. These "webs" are like bubbles with different words or ideas in them that then connect to smaller and larger ideas. An example and explanation of a "web" can be found at, http://www.inspiration.com/visual-learning/brainstorming-webs .
For the "real inquiry" part of my project, which simply means going further than plain research, I'm thinking I'll do a few interviews. Next weeks HMP assignment will be to come up with 10 questions and interview someone who knows about your field of research. I was thinking I could do a few more interviews of different people (with the same questions), and then I could put them all side by side to compare them. I will probably come up with more "real inquiry" ideas as the project progresses, but for now I think the multiple interviews could be cool.
First off, my final project is going to be focused on strokes, how they affect a person/their brain, and how people recover from them. I'm very interested in this because after interning at a physical therapy place, I've decided it might not be the career path just for me. However, I'm still interested in the human brain and how it works. Strokes are the perfect topic because they have to do with the brain, and physical therapy, so I can enjoy what I'm doing and still use my mentor as a resource in my project.
My current essential question:
How will I compare and contrast different types of strokes in order to understand and create a situation regarding a rehabilitation plan for a hypothetical stroke patient?
This EQ has not changed from earlier in the year because I have not changed my mind about my project. I will be a hypothetical physical therapist who will create a rehabilitation plan for my hypothetical stroke patient.
For my project, I will have to create a website that houses all of my work. In addition to this website I'm thinking about using an online tool that makes "webs". This would be a sort of brainstorming or outlining for my final patient plan. These "webs" are like bubbles with different words or ideas in them that then connect to smaller and larger ideas. An example and explanation of a "web" can be found at, http://www.inspiration.com/visual-learning/brainstorming-webs .
For the "real inquiry" part of my project, which simply means going further than plain research, I'm thinking I'll do a few interviews. Next weeks HMP assignment will be to come up with 10 questions and interview someone who knows about your field of research. I was thinking I could do a few more interviews of different people (with the same questions), and then I could put them all side by side to compare them. I will probably come up with more "real inquiry" ideas as the project progresses, but for now I think the multiple interviews could be cool.
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