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Monday, July 18, 2016

How to choose a site

Advice from one student on fieldwork site selection:

Now that I am done with KIN 481 I will go back to JMU for my senior year and apply for physical therapy schools. For future students I recommend they begin searching for sites early. I began searching as soon as I could to ensure I got a spot at my top choice, especially because many places have very few internship spots available. I would also recommend doing one (471 or 481) over the summer at home because there are fewer students competing for spots and if you want to go back home after school it’s a useful opportunity to make connections with local companies. I would also take time to look at all the opportunities for internships, don’t limit yourself to just a PT office, maybe look at personal training or coaching or research. PT is such a common default that many people overlook other opportunities and futures in exercise science. I think these classes are some of the most useful classes in the curriculum. Many times college is all about becoming “book smart” but I believe the real, practical, learning occurs onsite. I have learned so much in my internships, that I will remember rather than forget once they are over like with tests and finals. The classes are also useful because for PT school applications I am required to have hours completed at sites and the hours for these classes are applicable.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Advice on choosing a fieldwork site

Advice from one student on the importance of site selection:

Intern at a facility where you can actually see yourself working in the future. If you think you’re going to live in a big city, my suggestion would be to intern in a city rather than in a small town. The environment can make or break a situation and it might be difficult to differentiate between disliking the work that you’re doing and the environment that you’re in (the type of people you’re working with/around as well as actual location). Don’t be afraid to intern at a location that interests you in comparison to where you think you “should” be interning or where your friends or parents think you should be. You have to pursue what you are interested in and at least get a feel for what life would be like in a specific occupation. No matter what happens, you will learn. You’ll confirm that you enjoy working in a specific area or learn that something you thought you would enjoy is actually the last thing you’ll want to pursue.

Physical Therapy Tech Employment

Full-time physical therapy tech employment in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area. Contact Jana for more info.