I had the pleasure of writing a journal on my second year of physical therapy school at Duke University! Check it out here! I am also going to leave it below, so that it will have a permanent home here on the blog (as these journals are updated every few years).
“WOW has my second year of PT school been a whirlwind. How did my first year fly by so quickly? It feels like just yesterday we were at orientation, nervous as can be but so bright-eyed. Then came cadaver lab. Then our first STEPs experiences. Then Black & White Formal. Then Match Day. And Cardiopulm. And so much more.
From having to quickly switch to online learning in March (hello COVID-19!), to living through history’s largest Civil Rights Movement, my second year has not gone how I planned. I have lost so many experiences: three months with my classmates, my last STEPs experience before our Terminal Clinical Experiences begin in August, our in-person White Coat Ceremony, attending the APTA’s Federal Advocacy Forum, and countless more things that would take forever to name. My 801 (a pelvic health/orthopedics split—something I have been SO excited for) was even in jeopardy of being cancelled for a few weeks, but thankfully I found out last night that my placement has been confirmed, and I am good to go!
As I reflect on all that has happened over the past few months, I am realizing that the struggles that I have endured during my second year have only made me better. There has still been A LOT of good.
I received my WHITE COAT yesterday (with MY name on it)…like someone pinch me: is this real? The dream I have been working towards since high school is finally coming true! I also attended my first physical therapy conference in October, APTA North Carolina’s Fall Conference. I then attended my second physical therapy conference in February, APTA’s Combined Section Meeting (CSM). It was in the beautiful Denver, Colorado, and let me tell you, that was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. This was the first time I had visited Colorado, and I had such a great time exploring, meeting new people (some of the BEST in the field), and nerding out over my favorite PT things. I have found my voice and grown more into the women I am meant to be. I have proved that I am able to remain flexible and still succeed, after having to finish up the last of my didactic coursework while living through a pandemic AND racial injustice. I have finally had the time to reach out to practicing therapists in the field, and request the mentorship that I have desperately wanted, but been too afraid to inquire about. With so much more “free time”, I have also been able to think about my passions, and the type of physical therapist and professional I aspire to be. I have had the time to really dive deep into studying for the PEAT (our mock board exam that is coming up in just a few short weeks). I worked part-time with a teenager with mild Cerebral Palsy and learned so much. I attended countless Duke basketball games and got to see them crush UNC (which I really cherish because who knows when we will get to watch sports live again)! I have grown my blog and helped countless pre-PT students prepare to apply to PT school. I even learned a year’s worth of MSK and Neuro, some of it online!
So honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better second year at Duke. Yea, a lot of things didn’t go how I expected them to, but that’s life! I have adapted, and I know I’ll be a better clinician and human overall for it. I am so excited to begin my Terminal Clinical Experiences in August, and really improve my clinical reasoning and hands-on skills. This is where everyone says the “real” learning begins, so I am nervous but ready to embark on this next step in my journey. I will miss my professors and my classmates, especially since our time together was cut short, but thankfully we are now living in the world of Zoom and can easily connect with the click of a button.
I hope my future patients are ready for me because I am so ready for them!”
June 19, 2020
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