And, I'm Off!!

October has been exceptional for me.  The bells rang loud; I heard he crescendo.  “Serendipity,” you say?  No, not at all!

After months-and-months of contemplation and GRE study, I've prepared myself for this moment:  It's Here.  I officially began my path to becoming a Board Certified Physical Therapist.  In doing so, I'm privileged to have started my clinical rotations through UHS-Pruitt Corporation & United Home Care in Metro Atlanta.  A leading healthcare conglomerate in post-acute and long-term health care in GA, SC and NC.  I've taken this opportunity to accumulate hours in the In-Home and Rehab Center/Nursing Home settings.  A profound experience indeed.

What brought me to PT is a career that allows me to use (not damage) my body and most importantly, leave an imprint on my community.  Unlike many careers, PT offers the ability to work in myriad settings around those from all walks of life.  In one instance you can find yourself in a hospital burn unit; on the other, in an outpatient setting tending to the ever-increasing geriatric population. 

Thus far contrasting my experiences from in-home to rehab center/nursing home, there are some glaring differences.  The most obvious is the impact of the different physical environments.  A patient at home is faced with a different ‘deck-of-cards’ than one living in a Rehab Center.  A Therapist must not only implement a treatment plan, but also do it according to the patient’s environment.  The approach can be night and day. 

Additionally, most patients in the Rehab Center are fresh out of surgery.  They are often less mobile and capable than those at home.  Patients at home have recently been discharged from the Rehab Center, thus being further along resulting in a more dynamic therapy approach. 

It's also been eye-opening seeing the different roles across disciplines of Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Nursing.  The interplay of these professions with respects to Physical Therapy becomes full-force in these two settings.  Each professional possesses a vital role in a patient’s recovery towards the life they once had. 

Last but certainly not least is the robust individuality (and, banality) of the patients.  Although mostly geriatric, each carries their own story and temperate that aids the heartbeat of a therapists' journey.  A small act of one, can be seen as gargantuan to another.  That’s the essence of Physical Therapy; that’s why I am here

Therapy Is Power,


Darrin Rich, Future DTP, World Citizen