My Health and Human Performance Internship: The Most Humbling Job

By Ashley McAllister '18

The final week of my internship spent at a physical therapy clinic was full of reflection, good-byes, and many thanks from patients along with encouraging words as I continue on my journey.

During my last week I continued to learn new techniques including how physical therapists analyze a person’s gait. Taylor, the clinic’s physical therapy assistant, told me that there is a lot more than just “watching” the person walk when looking at someone’s gait. Everything goes into account, how their hips, knees, feet and even toes move as they walk. All of these things help a therapist determine how a person is moving. Taylor shared with me how during her schooling they used different techniques to look at each other’s gait during lab. One technique was sprinkling baby powder on the floor and having a person walk across it. This allows someone looking at gait to see which part of the foot a person is walking on and which toes they are using more. 

Overall, Taylor told me it takes a lot of practice to become really good at noticing the incorrect ways people move. I was able to watch a couple patients of Taylor's while she was observing their gait and I could pick up on how they were moving incorrectly based on their injuries. I felt accomplished being able to pick up on how the patient was moving and then being able to see the improvement after Taylor corrected them was a very neat experience.

As I continued to reflect on my experiences this summer I realize that you meet so many amazing people with many different backgrounds in this job field. For example, I met a patient whose life was completely changed after a terrible car crash. Despite their disability, the patient owns their own business and is one of the sweetest people I’ve met. It was amazing hearing their story and seeing how positive and hard-working they are. It was very humbling to meet and work with this person.

My last day was bittersweet, being told by many patients that I’ll do amazing things and hearing their good luck wishes with my future endeavors. It was really a confidence boost hearing so many people tell me I’m going to do great things in the future and to just have them wish me luck. I enjoyed my time at the clinic and I plan to check in with everyone I worked with. I am so blessed to have done my internship with this clinic. It was an amazing experience I know I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else!