PT Friday!!

I meant to post last Thursday but as usual I did not get to it. I had such a great week last week and the two labs on Thursday were particularly superb.
Nothing really big or exciting happened, we didn't discover anything new or come up with a better way of doing something, we didn't cure cancer, or find out the way to abolish all back pain. We just had a normal everyday lab, learning about the cervical spine. What was great was how the students went through the lab. We were working on our palpating skills and assessing the movement of different joints of the cervical spine. These skills while appearing to the onlooker as a simple task, are, indeed, quite difficult. The students very quickly realized that it was more difficult than they thought at first go. I was so impressed with how honest they were about having a difficult time but more so how diligent they were at trying to acquire the skill. They tried and tried and then they would try and try on a different person. It was really great to see struggling and perseverance and the determination and resolve they had at becoming great therapists. If the rest of the semester continues like Thursday did it is going to be an awesome one. Here's hoping everyday is Thursday or as my students call it, PT Friday (they do not have classes on Friday, so Thursday is their Friday).

Another start to a great year

And they're off...
It is hard to believe we are a week into another year. Well, the students really only had class on Wednesday and Thursday so it was only truly just a half week but it really went well. In the seven years I have been teaching I have only encountered a good first week. Students are renewed and resolved to do well that first week as are professors and instructors so this makes for an enjoyable classroom. The real test happens in the weeks to come, when people get tired and not so motivated.
Like I do every year I pointed out to my students that they need to take advantage of having a new semester where they have a clean slate and the ability to "start over." Regardless of how things have gone in other years and semesters, because they are at the beginning they have the opportunity to excel and make the semester however they want it. We seldom get chances like this where we are able to start from scratch.
As it is with every year I am anxious and excited to see how things turn out, to watch growth and learning and to see novice student physical therapists turn into skilled physical therapists who have the ability to think for themselves and make a difference in the lives of so many...What a great job I have.

Experience, sleep, experience

One of the topics I suggest when prospective physical therapist students ask me for advice on writing letters of intent for physical therapy school is to talk about their experiences. Now I realize many will not have much experience in physical therapy but I am not talking about that. I am talking about experience with people or with injuries or events that have made them view life differently. Experiences help us to relate to others better, to understand them more, to identify with them and, in my opinion, help us become better physical therapists.
The reason I am thinking about this is because of my lack of sleep. We were blessed with two (count them, two) new arrivals two months ago today. Needless to say, I am not getting much sleep at all. I am again keenly aware of how much sleep or lack thereof influences all aspects of life. In the clinic, I routinely ask how my patients are sleeping after surgery or injury because I realize that if they are not sleeping they are not feeling well and are not healing as well as they could otherwise. Even though I have not had a recent surgery or a recent injury, this lack of sleep makes me feel....well, not very good. Because of my experience, I have a renewed appreciation for my patients who are not getting the sleep they need and how this can influence their days (and nights) and I think this awareness helps me be more in tune to the needs of my patients (as long as I am not falling asleep on them ;) ).

Sweet dreams....