9-14-10

Today I met with my mentor for the first time and was introduced to the way the clinic worked. Amber mainly works with shoulder, ankle, and knee patients while George H. works with patients with back and neck injuries. I learned the procedure of scheduling a patient, how to type up and maintain a lot more paper work than I thought there would be for each patient, and how to clean up/do laundry to keep the clinic clean. In just two hours, I saw about seven different patients come and go. My mentor specifically had three patients--one with a shoulder problem and two with ankle recoveries. It was interesting to see all the different types of equipment that were used, from something as simple as a Styrofoam cylinder to roll against a wall and help stretch out the shoulder, to a more complex weight machine (Total Gym) to practice building pressure on the ankle. It was nice how everyone was very open and friendly, which made the first day an enjoyable experience. I look forward to encountering different types of patients to learn more about physical therapy.