Brooks Pena

Describe your internship search process.
   I was nearing my senior year of college and still desiring some insight on which career I'd like to pursue. I decided to begin with a physical therapy internship. I reached out to my career liaison Michon Ashmore for advice on where to start and she made it very simple. We searched physical therapy clinics near Tallahassee and she advised me to read each company's website to see what services they offered and which population they work with, and that if I wanted to work with them, I could email or call them to ask about what sort of learning opportunities they offer to students. I came across Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers and I resonated with their methods of patient care. I called the front desk manager to schedule an interview and soon after I was accepted into their internship program.

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to help secure your internship, what were they?
   Through the Career Center, I reached out to my career liaison Michon Ashmore to ask for advice on how to begin internship searching and she was a great help. She guided me very well and gave me crucial tips on how I could improve my resume and tailor it for the specific internship I applied to.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your internship, and what a typical day was like "on the job".
   My responsibilities include taking patient temperatures, working with patients directly and performing the prescribed exercises with them, setting up ice/hot packs for them, performing ultrasonic therapy, inputting patient information online, calling patients for appointment reminders, and cleaning equipment. As an intern at Fyzical, I work with about one patient every hour, so if I worked from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., then I may see up to four patients, unless my coworkers were already working with them, then I can either assist them or wait for the next patient to arrive. During each hour, I work with my patient through the listed exercises for the day and talk to them throughout the session, which is nice since you end up meeting a lot of interesting people. I also interact with my coworkers during our free time; or if there's a new intern we help familiarize them with the equipment and exercises.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?
   A major takeaway from this experience is that I do enjoy working with other people, so a career where I'm constantly interacting with others, such as physical therapy or exercise physiology, would be a good option. Also, the process of applying for the internship and acquiring it showed me that things aren't as hard as they seem. There are small, simple steps you need to take to get the things you want in life and if you fulfill them, your chances of success are very high. By the end of this internship, I will have a substantial number of hours and experience working with patients and this will undoubtedly help raise my chances of entering a PT program when I apply.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?
   This experience is unique because it requires 300 hours and we are actually able to work hands-on with the patients. This helped me realize not only that physical therapy was an occupation I'd like to further pursue, but also that I prefer working with college-aged athletes.