Week 12.9.13

For my Honors Mentorship blog this week I will be reflecting on the following two topics and how they relate to my internship.

Building your Network:
     Over the past few months at my internship, I've not only gotten to know my mentor well, but I've also gotten to know the other physical therapists that work there. I've asked them about what colleges they went to and what majors they got which will help me decide what I want to do later in life. If I do end up becoming a physical therapist, having interned for my mentors will help me make connections. They are all well known throughout the community, and if I come back after college I would probably be able to get recommendation letters from them, helping me find a job. Another way this internship has helped me build my network is through the other interns. There are three other girls interning at my work and they are all seniors, meaning they'll be going to college next year. It will be great to be able to ask them questions next year, and listen to what they have to say about going into this field of work as a freshmen in college. They will be great friends to have these next few years.

Time:
     At my mentorship my time at the beginning of the year was not as structured as it is now, due to volleyball. I was only able to stay an hour each day because I had to get beck to practice everyday, and not to mention days when I had games and wasn't able to go at all! Missing all those hours was very frustrating because I physically, could not get the hours I needed to. However, since volleyball ended, I have been able to get a somewhat regular routine going, allowing me more time working at my internship and making me more effective while I am there. In more recent weeks, I have been going on Mondays for 3 hours and Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 2 and a half hours each. On these days when I stay longer, I am able to be more productive, and I help my mentor get work done more quickly. I have also been able to make up the hours I lost due to volleyball. Now over the Christmas break, I plan to get a week-two weeks worth of hours (8-16 hours) in advance, since tennis season is about to start. Tennis starts on Jan. 13th, so I plan to get the hours now, which means I hopefully won't have to make any up after tennis season. Working over the break won't just help me, but it will also help my mentor since the other interns won't be there to work. 

Week 12.2.13

My 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?

     I came up with this specific essential question because I've found that I'm very interested in neurology and physical therapy together. Strokes are perfect for this area of interest because they deal with the brain, and as a physical therapist I would help the patient heal from the brain injury. What helped me decide on this topic was the research I did for my annotated bibliography, which was where I found articles on stroke patients. I'm very excited about this end-of-the-year project because I can't wait to learn more about the human brain and how strokes affect it. I have learned about the general areas of the brain through Human A&P and AP Psychology, but I can't wait to dive deeper into this topic. I think this question describes exactly what I need to do for my upcoming project. I will need to decide on a type of stroke that my hypothetical patient will have (compare and contrast stroke types), I will need to research and learn more about the specific stroke I decide on (understand), and I will need to come up with a plan on how to heal the patient (rehabilitation plan). My essential question will be a helpful guideline for me as I start this project.

Week 11.19.13

     This week my assignment is to talk about my mentorship and what I do/learn there. I intern at Atlanta Rehab so I'm being mentored by a physical therapist. The internship aspect of what I do usually consists of me making copies, doing laundry, cleaning tables, wiping down the weights, and getting the heat/ice packs. However, the mentorship part of my experience has me interacting with patients, learning about all the machines/exercises, and watching my mentor work with patients. Having both sides like "internship" and "mentorship" are good for me because I don't just learn the facts, I also learn responsibility and the tougher work. One real experience that was cool for me was once I got to watch my mentor adjust a woman's back and neck. He showed me exactly what he was doing and which vertebrae he was working on. It was really cool because he even got out the "model" spine and pointed out specific places he was working on. All in all, my mentorship/internship is pretty interesting.

     One class I took last year that really helped prepare me for my mentorship was Human Anatomy and Physiology. I learned information about bones, muscles, organs, and body systems which I am now able to apply in my mentorship. I can actually make connections when I'm listening to a patient describe their injury, and I know terminology that I would not have if I didn't take this class. The terminology part is especially helpful when my mentor or other PTs are trying to explain a concept to me. Human A&P definitely benefitted me in terms of my mentorship this year. 

Week 11.11.13

     This week I researched possible colleges that could be right for me. I used the College-Board website to help me narrow down colleges I would be interested in. 
     One school that i had never thought of applying to until now is Emmanuel College. When reading the list of majors that this school offered I got pretty excited because it had everything that I thought I might be interested in (after doing more specific research over the next year or two). Some of the majors I might be interested in a few years from now (that are offered at this school) are biology, nursing/pre-nursing, psychology, kinesiology/exercise science, and pastoral studies/counseling. It would be really cool to have all these options when I decide what I am interested in doing for a living. The cost of this school isn't completely unrealistic, however it is fairly high. I could get scholarships to this school though, and I plan to get the Hope and hopefully the Zell Miller as well. I will most likely apply to this school along with a few others like UGA and UNG.
     For an out-of-state school I found Appalachian State University. This is a possiblilty for me because when I was looking at all the majors it offered, I saw some that I might be interested in. Things like biology and psychology were the main majors I was considering when looking at the list of majors. According to the College Board website Appalachian State also has 88% of their freshmen come back for their sophomore year. This tells me that it's a good school because the majority of kids aren't transferring after their first year. The cost of this school is pretty far up there considering I would be paying out-of-state, but I might be able to get a few scholarships. I don't think this is a realistic option for me because for at least my first few years of college, I've decided to go to an in-state university. However, this was nice to research because after a few years of college in-state I might want to transfer. 
     One of the cheapest and best options for me to go to school at is the University of North Georgia. This would not only be a great option as far as expenses go, but it would also be the perfect school to go to if I am still interested in physical or occupational therapy. This is also close to home and not too big so I think I would like it. I would go to the Dahlonega campus if I applied and was accepted. 
     Right now I think that this UNG and Emmanuel College would be my back-ups if I didn't get accepted to UGA. I want to go to UGA because it has quite a few options for majors, and then once I got more specifically interested, maybe I'd transfer to a smaller, more specific school. UGA is a good option because it's relatively cheap when it comes to expenses as long as I can get not just the Hope, but also the Zell Miller scholarship. The other reason I'm interested in UGA is because my brother goes there and he really enjoys it. 

Week 9.30.13

After watching the TED Talks video seminar by Sir Ken Robinson, I would choose to explore physical and occupational therapy if I had unlimited time and resources. Of course if I had unlimited time and resources, I would research many more occupations that are similar, but not as common. I don't know much about neurology, but I think if I had a class that focused specifically on it, I might be interested. For now though, I am mainly interested in physical and occupational therapy.  
     I believe that attitude has more influence than aptitude. An example of this could be in a work setting like a grocery store where I work. When I was still one of the newer employees, I was very enthusiastic and focused on my work. Even though I was still learning about my tasks and how to do them, I worked harder than most of the other, more experienced, employees which made my bosses appreciate me. If you are passionate about something, you don't have to be good at it. Passion is basically putting yourself into a job or activity, and spending time on something is how you can get better at it. This is why attitude is more influential attitude.
     I think that schools today should be centered around one subject instead of location of the student. I think that in schools, the problem is that the majority of students have no passion for most of what they're doing. Just like Robison said in the seminar, schools now are list fast food restaurants, focused on standards that are the same for every student. Maybe a student is very passionate about one subject, say science, but has no motivation to pay attention in any of his other classes. If he went to a school that focused mainly on science, he could take 2, 3 or even 4 science classes and then 1 of each of the other main subjects. This would allow him to focus on what he wants to do in life and where he wants to go. Specialized schools (similar to charter schools) should be much more prevalent in our society so that students could focus on their passions. 
     For me so far, HMP has improved my communication skills, and it has also taught me to be much more responsible. My communication has improved through email because I need to email my supervisor about HMP meetings/assignments frequently. It has mostly taught me responsibility because I must be very independent (without a teacher to meet with daily). I have to write my blog weekly, turn in my monthly assignments, and also turn in my hours of mentorship monthly to my counselor. Even though my supervisor usually emails to remind me when to turn things in, this is still very different than actually talking to her in a classroom. I've become much more responsible since starting HMP because of all these things. 

Week 9.23.13

Possible colleges I could attend:

1. University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, GA

http://ung.edu

Program- Doctor in Physical Therapy

Must be completed- Nine semesters of study, clinical research, and clinical experiences that last a total of 36 weeks.

2. Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA

http://www.uga.edu

Program- Doctor in Physical Therapy

Must be completed- Nine semesters of study and five clinical internships.

3. Armstrong Atlantic State University

Savannah, GA

http://www.armstrong.edu

Program- Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science

Must be completed- 123 semester hours of study in classes (like rehabilitation professions, medical terminology, and human development).

My criteria for a quality program of study would be one that prepares me for a real world job as a physical therapist. Both North Georgia University and Georgia State University would meet this criteria because they not only require a certain number of class hours, but they also require internships and clinical experiences. The only reason Armstrong Atlantic University doesn’t fully meet my criteria is because it doesn’t actually offer a physical therapy program, it just offers bachelor’s degrees that could get me into another college’s physical therapy program.

            In order to get a doctors in physical therapy from any program in Georgia I would have to do more than just attend classes. For North Georgia I would have to go to classes and get 36 weeks of clinical experience. At Georgia State I would have to go to classes and study with at least 5 clinical internships. So yes, there will be additional requirements for my field of study in all colleges in Georgia.

            I haven’t exactly come up with make-or-break criteria for a quality ranking and educational program for colleges. However for me, the college definitely has to be in Georgia. I’ve always thought I would prefer a somewhat smaller school like North Georgia; however, my brother just went to UGA this year and visiting him and walking around on campus has made me think I might prefer somewhere like UGA. As a junior, I haven’t officially visited any colleges yet so I’m not quite sure how to compare them yet. Once I plan some visits I think I’ll have a better idea of what I want. As far as money goes, I would prefer somewhere like North Georgia or Georgia State because they are cheaper than places like Mercer or Emory. Overall, I’m not quite sure yet of what I’m looking for in a college/PT program due to lack of experience.

            Nationwide, these 3 colleges rank decently in terms of their PT programs. Armstrong Atlantic ranks 99 in the country, Georgia State ranks 138, and North Georgia ranks 154 out of 184. These were the highest ranking PT colleges in Georgia besides Emory which ranked 7. The rankings were determined by student surveys which could be biased, but are most likely accurate.

            At North Georgia and Georgia State I would have the option to get a doctors in physical therapy through the programs. At Armstrong I would be able to get a bachelors that I could then get into a PT program with at another college by transferring.

            One scholarship from the North Georgia Community Foundation's website that I would be eligible to apply for would be the Kiwanis Club of Gainesville Charles J. Thurmond Youth Art Scholarship Award which I applied for last year through Key Club (I did not win). Another would be the Gail Ingram Scholarship 9for next year) because I meet the GPA requirements and would need financial help. One last scholarship I could apply for would be one of the Jackson EMC Scholarships because I also meet those requirements (my brother applied for one of them last year). 

Week 9.16.13

Grace

She helped others recover from injuries and loved everyone she met.

Week 9.9.13

     This week's assignment was on the importance of remaining professional throughout an internship. I read Tim Elmore's blog, Growing Leaders, which can be found at http://growingleaders.com/blog/. This blog explained that an internship should be like a 12 week (or in my case, 9 month) interview. It gave an example of someone who had hired interns for his company, but regretted it due to their lack of professionalism and real world experience. Elmore then suggested that he take a new approach toward the entire idea of interning, and instead make it a "12 week interview". As a student who will soon be interning with Atlanta Rehabilitation Center, I've learned that the whole time I'm interning, I need to keep a professional attitude and always be ready to learn new things. Some tips Elmore gave in his blog were to work hard on any tasks I'm given, be ready to learn new things at all times, have high energy and a good attitude, and show initiative in all I do. Reading this blog has given me some great advice for my upcoming internship.
     One thing I can do as an intern to make a good impression throughout this year would be to always be on time. This shows responsibility and initiative to my employers. Also, something I don't think I will find very difficult to do, is learn new things whenever I can. I cannot wait to jump in and start exploring physical therapy! I'm so excited to learn more about the everyday routines and tasks of a physical therapist. One last thing I can do to make sure I don't turn into a lazy intern is to work hard in every project/task I'm given. I will strive to do my best work in all I do, and this will prevent laziness from creeping up on me throughout the year (although I don't think it will be much of a problem since I'm so interested in physical therapy).
     For me, the main take-aways from Elmore's blog, Growing Leaders, would be to work hard, keep up a good attitude, be responsible, and be eager to learn in my internship. Throughout the rest of the year I will remember that everyday is a new day for me to make a good, first impression.

Week 9.3.13

     After reading The Lesson on Debt by Dave Ramsey summary, there was one main quote that was pointed out. It was, "We do not break the bad habit of debt through earning more money, but rather we break any habit by replacing it with a better one." To me, this quote means that earning a larger sum of money doesn't have to be accomplished in order to beat the monster that is debt. Debt can be beaten with the same income it was started with; however, bad habits must be broken in order to accomplish this. For instance, if a woman has a bad habit of shopping with her credit card too often, she can beat her debt by simply breaking the habit. She doesn't have to wait for a promotion or get a better job in order to get rid of her debt. Maybe instead of going on a shopping trip once a week, she cuts it down to once a month. This would be an example of "replacing a bad habit with a better one," and an example of how to beat debt. 

     To be quite frank, I'm not worried about getting caught up in debt as I get older; however, I still need to be on the lookout for it. I've grown up with an accountant for a father, so I'd say I've learned my fair share about budgeting and avoiding debt. My father keeps a budget in order to maintain debt-free credit cards. I just finished up a summer job that I will be working once a month during the school year and all next summer. When I got my job I also got a debit card so that I could easily save and spend my money. Currently I'm not saving for anything in particular, but it will all most likely go towards college. As a teenager with a debit-card, I am currently debt-free.

     As for my mentorship with physical therapy, I'd say money is a pretty vital part, as it is for any job. I'm not very educated on the financial side of physical therapy; however, after reading this summary I've learned that as long as I don't form any bad habits along the way, I think I will be fine as far as debt goes.  

Week 8.26.13

     After reading the article on ethics, I think that ethics are the standards that a person tries to follow by doing what is right in different situations. I also think that people don't learn ethics from one specific source or person. 
     People learn ethics from not only their families growing up, but also from churches and schools they attend as well. As for friends and television, it depends who you are hanging out with or what shows you are watching. If you are in the wrong group of friends or watching the wrong shows, your definition of ethics will probably not be very accurate according to what is actually the right thing to do. 
     Morals and ethics are two different things. While a moral is a lesson that teaches what is the right thing to do in a certain situation, ethics are the moral principles and standards that a person holds them self up to according to their definition of what is right. More simply said, a moral is one single lesson about what is right, while ethics are moral principles/standards of what is right.
     I don't think that anyone can call themselves "more ethical" compared to others. I believe that we don't have the right to judge one another. However, I do believe we can steer each other in the right direction and tell someone if what they are doing is wrong. I just don't think we should say, "I'm more ethical than you are and you should fix that because what you're doing is wrong." Helping someone see what they're doing is wrong and judging someone about being wrong are two very different things. 
     People can absolutely follow different ethical standards. Everyone has their own views on what is right and what is wrong. Everyone has a right to believe what they want, and while there is a correct "code of ethics", not everyone follows it. This means that everyone has different beliefs on what ethics are and what the correct ethical standards are. 
     One example of an ethical dilemma in a physical therapy setting would be if a star athlete came to you and was hurt, but he was begging you to release him for the big game coming up. As the physical therapist, you know he's not ready to be back on the field due to his injury; however, he's one of the best players, and the team will definitely lose without him. You can either choose to release him so that they have a chance at winning the game but he also has a chance of re-injuring himself, or you can choose to let the team lose and keep the player safe from more therapy. If you choose the first option, you know you would have a chance at making more money because if he got re-inured, he would have to be in physical therapy longer. In my opinion, the second option is the ethical one and the choice I'd make. In option one, even though I'd have a chance at making more money, the boy would most likely get hurt and that is a cruel thing to do (even if he is dying to get back on the field). Option two is the one I'd choose.