The document summarizes Rachel Barnett's internship at the Asher Clinic outpatient orthopedic physical therapy department. It provides details about the clinic, education requirements to become a physical therapist, Rachel's roles and accomplishments during the internship, and lessons learned. Rachel assisted physical therapists, organized patient files, and gained a better understanding of the field. The internship confirmed Rachel's interest in pursuing physical therapy to help patients through treatment and utilize knowledge of anatomy.

1. Rachel Barnett
Outpatient Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Asher Clinic
Larkspur
Summer 2015

2. BASIC
INFORMATION
● Asher Clinic
● 2801 Larkspur Landing
Circle, Larkspur, CA
94939
● Employees: 14
● Mission: “to educate our patients on wellness and injury-
prevention even during the rehabilitation of a current
injury.”
● Goals: live better, work smarter, play harder

3. BASICS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
● SKILLS
○ Communication
■ Effective listening, speaking, and writing
○ Motor skills
■ Physical strength and coordination
○ Knowledge of sciences
■ Biomechanics, anatomy, physiology, etc.
○ Critical thinking and observing

4. EDUCATION
● REQUIREMENTS
○ Bachelor of Science degree (4 years) with
emphasis on anatomy, physiology, biology, and chemistry
○ Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from an accredited 3
year physical education program
○ Pass a State Licensure Exam
● COST
○ Bachelor’s Degree ranges from $9,139 to $31,231
○ DPT programs:
■ Public In-state: $14,427 (range: $3,387 to $45,340)
■ Public Out-of-state: $29,157 (range: $8,425 to $65,156)
■ Private: $31,716 (range: $19,500 to $94,020)
○ State Licensure Exam: over $400

5. JOB INFORMATION
● Common beginning salary: $80,000
● Various Practice Settings:
○ Outpatient Clinics
■ Orthopedic or neuromuscular injuries
○ Acute Care and Rehabilitation in Hospitals
○ Skilled Nursing Facilities
○ Schools
○ Wellness, Prevention, Sports, and Fitness
○ Home Health
○ Hospice
○ Occupational Environments
○ Local, State, and Federal Governments
○ Research Centers

6. ALTERNATIVE JOBS
● Medical Writer
● Physical Education or Health Teacher
● Medical Office Management
● Personal Trainer
● Health Product Sales

7. MY ROLE
● Shadowed physical therapists
● Assisted aides with laundry
● Performed duties assigned by office staff
○ Filed discharged charts
○ Documented and organized Plan of Care information

8. MY GOALS
● Learn about the profession
of physical therapy
○ diagnosing and treating patients
○ documentation
○ other behind the scenes action!
● Practice using professionalism and other
work readiness skills

9. ACCOMPLISHMENTS
● Filed 50+ discharged files
● Faxed 20+ plan of care
documents to physicians
○ Received 10 signed plan of cares from
physicians
● Prepared 40+ patient folders
○ Systematically placed and organized labels
on dividers

10. WHAT MY SUPERVISOR WOULD SAY
● Excellent active listening
● Polite and respectful while shadowing
● Exhibited interest in the field by asking
thoughtful questions
● Used professionalism

11. LESSONS LEARNED - SKILLS
1. Communication is the most important skill
2. The value of working meticulously
3. The importance of tolerance and respect
4. Professionalism affects
perception
5. Dedication determines fate

12. LESSONS LEARNED - REACTION
1. As a PT, you must...
● Tolerate different personalities
● Manually document all treatment
plans
● Communicate with physicians
while obeying their orders
● Hassle with insurance companies
Am I ready for that challenge?
2. There are a lot of people in this
world who need help. I want to be in
a job where I can…
● Utilize my passion and
knowledge of the human body
● Help people get better
● See peoples’ improvement
through my treatment
Physical therapy allows me to do
just that!
3. Physical Therapy is a difficult, yet rewarding profession…Count me in!

13. MY SUCCESSES
1. Emerged myself in a work
environment for the first time,
ready to learn and practice
professionalism
2. Saw what it takes by learning from
the physical therapists themselves,
and absorbed invaluable
information
3. Obtained knowledge about
anatomy and physiology, which
makes me want to pursue a career
in exercise science

15. Areas of Growth
● Communication
○ Trouble speaking clearly and concisely
○ Not finding the right way to phrase questions
● Endurance
○ Trouble standing and sitting for long periods of time

16. What’s Next?
This experience greatly helped me get closer to my
long-term goals because it allowed me to see and
experience all aspects of physical therapy. While observing
the physical therapists, I constantly asked myself if I could
see myself doing this in my future. The answer was most
often YES. I came into my internship with very little
knowledge of physical therapy, but came out with a good
understanding of how I can go about achieving my long-
term goal of being a physical therapist.

17. Advice
● Listen and observe carefully while shadowing so that you know specific
questions to ask the PT after the appointment. If you don’t understand
something, ask clarifying questions.
● Be proactive. If there is open time between appointments, either go to the
anatomy drawings and review what you observed and learned, or see if
any aides need help.
● Introduce yourself to the patient and make sure that they are okay with
you observing their appointment. While observing, be conscientious
about your body language and facial expressions. Stay positive!
● Document interesting things that you observe or learn each day directly
after your shift so that you can refer back to them later.
● Be present every day so that you can get the most out of your internship!

18. THANK YOU!