I have been working to acheive this goal remotely by working on effective communication through texts, emails, and phone calls. By the end of the year I will have done at least one professional presentation. To continue getting better at this goal I will continue presenting myself in a professional way whether that be through zoom meetings, over the phone with hospitals asking to put up flyers for our study, or over email and text.

4/12/21: I have learned professional behavior and practices through zooms, texts, emails. I have also had the opportunity to present posters at virtual conferences which has boosted my self confidence to present.

Learn how to run a research study

So far in this study, I have learned why the research is important by reading academic articles to learn how children who have autism statistically have a different experience when being treated at a general hospital by the frequent visits and greater healthcare costs involved. I have also reached out to many general hospitals and Emergency Care Units to discuss recruitment for our study. In the upcoming weeks I will be learning and conducting qualitative interviews. I am hoping from the knowledge and experience I am gaining that I might be able to conduct my own research study someday.

4/12/21: Although we have not finished the research study, I have learned the background of why this research is important, recruited participants, and lead participant interviews. I hope to contine working at my site over the summer and will hopefully be able to draw results from our data.

Be confident at asking questions

I made the goal for myself to ask at least one question per week in my individual meeting with my supervisor or at our lab meetings. I have consecutively done this and it has helped me get a clearer picture on what I am supposed to be doing and how that is impacted the study in whole. I used to struggle with asking questions because I wanted people to think I always knew what I was doing. I have learned it is important to ask questions for clarity and most times I will get the answer I need and even more information which helps me in the long run.

4/12/21: I have consistently asked questions in lab meetings, one on ones, and over email. I do not feel nervous about getting clarification when something does not make complete sense.

Career Goals

My career goal is to become a Peditric Physical Therapist. I am passionate about giving back to the community specifically with children. I also am good at working with children through multiple experiences with kids throughout the years. I do my best to understand them and their needs and as a Pediatric Physical therapist I want to hear their needs and be an advocate for them. I have this goal because I have observed Pediatric Physical Therapists and everytime I can see myself doing that in the future. I also love physical therapy being one on one with the paitent because I enjoy listening to people individually. I also enjoy being hands-on and I know as a Pediatric Physical Therapist I would always be moving around, taking on new paitents with different needs, and meeting new people.

When I was younger I used to babysit my cousins and family friends' kids. Being around kids gives me a different perspective on life and what really matters in it. When I was in high school, I used to volunteer through Vacation Bible School and was able to lead kids in activities such as music time and crafts. When I got to college, I joined VIDA Health Partnerships and Get Onboard Active Living (GOAL). GOAL gave me the opportunity to go to elementary schools to teach kids in an afterschool program about nutrition and physical activity. Below on the left is a picture of the group of volunteers I was with throughout the semester. I absolutely loved doing this and hope to continue volunteering throughout college. It has given me confidence public speaking to kids and has allowed me to discuss topics I care about.

I am certain I want to become a Pediatric Physical Therapist. Ever since I observed my younger cousins' physical therapy session during my sophomore year of college I wanted to work towards being one. I loved how caring Pediatric Physical Therapists are and how they know how to interact and talk to the kid in a way they are going to understand. I am finding out if this career is for me by finding more opportunities like GOAL to interact with kids. I also plan to volunteer through the Motor Activity Clinic which works with children with special needs in a pool and gym setting. I am also finding opportunities to observe multiple physical therapists so I can hear their experiences with that occupation and get a better feel if this is right for me.

My goals have not changed since I first applied for an internship. I still aspire to be a Pediatric Physical Therapist but I realized the importance of research. As a PT, I would want to stay up to date with developing research so I could provide the best care for my patients. I also learned how to search the web for reliable research and resources I have as a student to read articles online. My internship is helping me reach my goals by allowing me to be a part of a research study and take part in multiple research conferences which allows me to become a better public speaker through an online setting. To reach my goals at the internship, I have been using my one on one time with my supervisor to ask questions about the project but also questions that relate to my career goals such as grad school.

Goals and Next Steps

I am confident in my decision to become a Physical Therapist at this point. I've had multiple shadowing experiences with PTs that have a passion for their job that I would like in my career. They get to visually see the progress they help patient's become through physical therapy sessions weekly. I am exploring options on which type of setting I want to be and possibly be a traveling Physical Therapist. Through the internship, I've learned that an inpatient facility can be a nerve-wracking place for parents and children with Autism alike. As a health care provider I would do my best to get to know the patient's likes and dislikes so they can have the best visit possible. I think I will try to continue to go to Research conferences and learn about studies being done in the Exercise Science field so I can stay informed.

This semester, I am going to read some articles on Physical Therapy to get a feel for them. I also will be in contact with a Physical Therapist I shadowed so I could possibly get some more hours in over the summer. I also am actively looking for a summer job as a Physical Therapy technician.