Whether you need post operative care, have experienced a sports injury, or desire to get back to the activities you love, our Physical Therapy department is here to deliver quality care designed with each individual patient in mind. While our physical therapists, assistants, and techs work each and every day to provide exemplary care to our patients, we also value our ability to provide an environment that fosters learning, growth and development for our staff, as well the next generation of medical professionals.
Stephanie Plemmons, DPT, and Jayda Liggons, graduate student with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, who is doing her first round of clinicals with us under Stephanie’s supervision, took some time to share their clinical shadowing experience thus far.
To get us started, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in the field of PT?
Stephanie: I’ve been a PT for almost 7 years now. I always knew I wanted to do something in the healthcare field. In college, I was training for the Atlanta Publix Half Marathon and ended up injuring my knee. After this, I had to go through my own physical therapy, which is where I was introduced to the world of physical therapy. I’ve always cared about people and their well-being, and this job that allows me to provide quality care to my patients. It’s so rewarding to watch patients meet their goals and return to their favorite activities.
Thank you for sharing a bit of your story, Stephanie. Can you tell me what a typical day looks like for you?
Stephanie: I typically see 12-14 patients a day every 30 to 40 minutes, with each patient being one-on-one.
How has it been to go from a “normal work day” to shift into a teaching role?
Stephanie: Overall, I haven’t had to change much of what I’m doing, but I do make sure to verbalize to Jayda what I’m doing and why I’m doing it and how it affects the patient and their outcomes.
Jayda, how is this experience benefitting you so far and what are you learning from this that maybe you couldn’t get from a textbook? Has it been what you expected? How do you see this supporting you in your future career?
Jayda: This experience has helped me gain perspective on how to treat real patients. The textbook may give you a patient case, but real patients have personalities and have had tons of life experiences that can contribute to how you go about treating them. There have been a couple of unexpected situations, but Stephanie does an amazing job at explaining and helping me understand her thought process. I definitely will use this experience to guide me in my future career. This is my first clinical rotation so far and I have already learned so many things I wouldn’t be able to get from textbooks.
Stephanie, we know learning is never a one way street, so can you tell me what you’re learning through this process and how it is growing you as a PT?
Stephanie: Sometimes you can get stuck in a rut doing what we do every day. It has definitely made me hone in my skills by utilizing joint mobilizations, assessing other body parts, and progressing patients more to demonstrate how these things can show quick changes to a patient’s mobility and strength to improve their overall outcomes.
Jayda, I know you’ve been a tech before so this isn’t your first time in a clinic, but how has it been to begin looking at things from a clinician’s perspective?
Jayda: It has been very eye-opening to look at things from a Physical Therapist’s perspective. As a tech, I would go through exercises with patients and I wasn’t really thinking about the reasoning behind it, but now I feel like I have some insight into why those specific exercises would be prescribed for each specific patient. I also have more of an understanding of how big the role of a PT is.
Thank you again to Stephanie and Jayda for their contributions to our Georgia Bone & Joint team and a big “Good Luck!” to Jayda as she finishes graduate school and begins her career as a Physical Therapist. If you would like more information about our Physical Therapy department and services offered, CLICK HERE.