Looking for an internship and finding one can be a difficult and frustrating process. You might be wondering “is completing an internship even worth it?” Alpine Physical Therapy offers an excellent Physical Therapy (PT) internship that will improve your skill set and prepare you for a successful future.
Image by rodrigobernasc from Pixabay
Should I Complete a Physical Therapy Internship?
Many people ask themselves if completing an internship is worth their time. More often than not, internships are extremely valuable and allow you to gain essential experience to help jump start your career. Completing a Physical Therapy internship, especially at Alpine Physical Therapy, provides essential hands-on experience that will prove to be useful in future PT and medical careers. Many schools and entry-level jobs require experience before a candidate is even considered, making internships a valuable and often necessary tool.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
How do I Choose a Good Internship?
What makes a good internship? A good internship will provide the essential skills and learning to succeed in your future career. A paid or compensated internship isn’t always the best. Hands-on experience and mentorship will always trump compensation. You should choose the internship that provides the most learning experience and allows you to aquire skills in the field. Alpine Physical Therapy provides opportunities for interns to gain valuable skills by hands-on learning.
What It’s Like to Intern with Alpine Physical Therapy
We sat down with Halee, a current Alpine Physical Therapy intern, to better understand what it’s like to participate in Alpine Physical Therapy’s internship program. Here is what she had to say:
Q: So Halee, what are the most valuable skills you’ve learned with this internship?
A: First off, how to be professional with patients, coworkers, managers. Different types of treatments: ultrasound, e-stim, different stretches, range of motion exercises. How to assist in patient treatment and what helps them to progress. I’ve had tons of hands-on experience.
Q: Do you feel that this internship has prepared you for your future work or career?
A: Yeah Definitely, it’s helped with professional interviews I’ve had. I’ve been able to mention skills I’ve learned here in those interviews. It has helped prepare me for a PA application.
Q: Did you have any PT experience before the internship?
A: No, none. I pretty much knew nothing about physical therapy but knew this would be a good experience.
Q: How did you find the internship?
A: One of my professors for kinesiology sent out an email about internship opportunities. She mentioned that this internship was one of the best opportunities in the state.
Q: Have you been able to achieve the goals that you had when you started the internship?
A: Yeah, I definitely approached the internship as a college class. I have just wanted to try my hardest so that if a PA or PT opportunity pops up in the future I’ll be ready for it. This internship has really helped me prepare for that.
Q: Have you been helped by mentors and fellow interns and has it helped you succeed?
A: Yes, definitely. They always help you with whatever you need. Other interns are very helpful and always willing to participate. If you only shadow, you’re only watching and never get to assist. Assisting in a procedure is really helpful.
Q: Do you feel that you’ve made valuable professional connections?
A: Definitely, getting to know the patients, interns, and management opens up opportunities to advance in the company.
Q: Have your views on a career in PT changed since starting this internship?
A: I personally have always wanted to be a PA and I don’t necessarily want to pursue PT specifically, but I have learned so much about physical therapy. I thought PT was just working out and stretching, but I have seen how it involves specific treatments. Patients are given specific plans and so much more help than I initially thought. Every time I have shadowed a patient it has been fun, and they feel better after the appointment, which is cool to see.
The Takeaway
Internships truly add value to your career development, especially a PT internship. We now know that at Alpine Physical Therapy interns are given great opportunities to learn from hands-on experience and increase their PT knowledge. From Halee’s experience we can see that Alpine Physical Therapy’s internship holds valuable qualities. Still wondering if completing a Physical Therapy Internship is for you? Contact Alpine Physical Therapy at https://alpinept.com/contact-us today!
Post by: Morgan