Reflection+Product

Students who choose Path 2 (//ME//) must complete the Graduation Project Reflection Product. This product provides an overview of and reflection on their thirty-hours of community service, career exploration/internship, or creative/performing arts (//Volunteer//). In the Reflection Product, students will synthesize the information in thier journal entries as they share their experiences.

The Reflection Product should include the following information: The point of my project is to research the communication involved between a patient and their physical therapists. My goal was set as the following: to research communication, volunteer at a local hospital at a PT gym, and to incorporate both my research and experiences into the ultimate project. Emotions are evoked through strenuous exercises and life-changing events that take course throughout patients’ treatments. First and foremost, the quality of the communication between each has to be good in order for the treatment to fall into place beneficially. It does no good to be a strict physical therapist with no means for human communication other than what is written on a piece of paper. By engaging the patients into conversation, you make them feel as though they really are getting the best help they can get. It is like when you are talking to a friend, but they have come to you with the same problem so many times, that you just mumble curt responses. They feel rejected and belittled. Through my experiences as a volunteer

-Specific actions, planning, problem-solving, methods for overcoming problems Through my experiences as a volunteer, I’ve learned so much more than is written in books or online. The research portion of this project has helped me immensely, but if I had not experienced it firsthand I would not have the same drive for it as I do now. There is something about really doing something versus reading about it. Patients are people too. If you treat them as whatever illness or injury they have, then that is not good. What is best is to first see them as a person and treat their illness accordingly. I experienced the difference. When I began volunteering in the summer, I was very new and so I was very excited and I made conversation with the patients there. But when I returned to volunteer during the school semester, my excitement dwindled to a calm state for I knew what I was going to and what to do. So there were some days where I slipped on my conversational habits. I noticed the tendency of patients to be more closed in those cases, and the awkwardness hang like a dark cloud over my head. On those days, I would reflect on the drive home and vow to change it the next time.

-Strengths, weaknesses, personal growth From this learning experience I have gained the insights of what I need to know for both this project and for my future. I want to be a Physical Therapist, but I don’t want that to get in the way of the most basic skills of communicating. Through experiences I have realized that PT isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be; I’ve heard many complaints about it. But what shocks me is that I don’t find myself backing out. I’ve had bad volunteer days and good ones too. What shocks me more is how it doesn’t really shock me. That is a very major contradiction, but it’s true. I think both the research and the experience has solidified a desire to pursue this career for me.