Physical Therapy
Back to School: How to Thrive as a Student…
It’s back-to-school time, and as a way to offer some advice to the incoming class, our team spoke with Clinical Development Program Lead Jackie Davenport, PT, DPT, OCS, and Director, University Recruitment Kelvin Wong, PT, DPT, MBA. Together, they offered some important insights for students to keep in mind at the start of the year and throughout their studies:
Clinical Development Program Lead Jackie Davenport, PT, DPT, OCS
- Remember Your “Why”: Remember, physical therapy is about making an impact, seeing how your exercise program, manual skills, knowledge, and expertise help people live better.
- Be Wise about Money: Be mindful of spending and truly understand the impact of compounding interest. Make a plan for the future, including how to pay back loans while earning a standard PT salary.
- Always Keep Learning: PT school cannot teach you everything. The rest of your career will be a continuous journey of becoming a better clinician to deliver better care to the people you care for. Stay humble, embrace what you don’t know, and be willing to learn from everyone around you.
Director, University Recruitment Kelvin Wong, PT, DPT, MBA
- Stay Curious: Take advantage of every patient encounter by asking your clinical instructor why they chose a particular examination, intervention, or progression. Clinical rotations are one of the few times you’ll have experienced clinicians walking you through their decision-making in real time.
- Focus on Relationships, NOT Just Skills: Great outpatient clinicians build trust with patients, collaborate with teammates, and communicate effectively with referral sources. Introduce yourself to everyone, learn from other clinicians, and make each patient feel heard and valued.
- Embrace Feedback and Keep Improving: Feedback is one of the fastest ways to grow. Ask your clinical instructor for one thing you did well and one thing you can improve after each day or week. Small, consistent improvements compound into confident clinical practice.
