When I first began pursuing a career in physical therapy, I knew I wanted to help people. As a student-athlete who has experienced injuries and rehabilitation myself, I understood how meaningful it could be to help someone return to the activities they love. I initially pictured myself working with athletes, helping them recover from injuries and get back to doing what they enjoy. However, my time at STAR PT in Covington, Tennessee, helped me see that physical therapy could mean so much more than returning to sports.
During my time in Covington, I had the opportunity to work alongside a physical therapist and a physical therapist assistant and learn from patients with different backgrounds, experiences, and goals. Every patient had a different story, and each experience taught me something new about the profession I hope to enter one day. While I went into the experience hoping to gain clinical knowledge and prepare for physical therapy school, I left with a new perspective on the kind of physical therapist I want to become.
One experience that stands out to me was working with a 90-year-old patient on fall prevention and overall strengthening. As someone who has spent much of her life around sports, I was used to thinking about progress in terms of getting stronger, returning to competition, or improving performance. Working with an older adult helped me recognize that progress can look very different depending on the person. For some patients, improving balance, building strength, and reducing the risk of falling can make a meaningful difference in their ability to maintain independence and continue participating in everyday life.
It reminded me that physical therapy is not always about helping someone get back on the field or return to a favorite sport. Sometimes, it is about helping someone feel more confident walking through their home, moving safely, or continuing to do the things they have always enjoyed. These goals may look different from the ones I was most familiar with, but they are no less important. That experience helped me recognize how much I wanted to learn about working with older adults and how physical therapy can support people throughout every stage of life.
Another patient taught me a different lesson. Their circumstances presented several barriers that made the rehabilitation process more complicated than simply following an exercise program. It required patience, flexibility, problem-solving, and an understanding that every patient comes into therapy with a different set of circumstances. I began to understand that what works for one person may not work for another, and that effective care requires more than knowing which exercises to prescribe.
As future healthcare professionals, it can be easy to focus on learning the right techniques, understanding anatomy, and knowing how to create a treatment plan. Those things are essential, but my experience in Covington helped me appreciate the importance of seeing the person behind every patient. People have lives outside the clinic, and those lives can affect their ability to participate in treatment and reach their goals. Sometimes, helping someone move forward means first understanding the challenges they are facing. That experience reinforced the importance of meeting patients where they are and finding ways to help them work toward goals that matter to them.
Although these patients helped shape my understanding of physical therapy, the impact of my time in Covington extended beyond what I learned in the clinic. The community welcomed me in a way that made my experience especially meaningful. I arrived hoping to gain experience, but I found myself surrounded by people who gave me opportunities to grow, learn, ask questions, and become more confident in my future career.
The patients who allowed me to be a part of their rehabilitation experiences gave me something I could never gain from a textbook alone. They allowed me to see the profession from a different perspective and reminded me that healthcare is ultimately about people. Every patient has a story, and every person deserves to have their goals, concerns, and individual circumstances taken seriously. Being welcomed into those experiences was a privilege and is something I will always appreciate.
As I prepare for the next steps in my journey toward becoming a physical therapist, I know there is still so much for me to learn. I will continue to gain knowledge, develop my clinical skills, and discover the areas of the profession that interest me the most. However, I will always remember the patients who helped shape my perspective during my time in Covington.
I went to Covington to gain experience in the field I hope to make a career in. I left with a greater appreciation for the impact physical therapy can have on people’s lives, a deeper interest in caring for older adults, and memories of a community that made me feel welcomed. Most importantly, I left knowing that the patients we work with can teach us just as much as we hope to teach them.
As I look forward to my future, I know I will carry those lessons with me. I may not remember every exercise I observed or every detail I learned, but I will never forget the people who helped me understand why this profession matters. They have become part of the reason I want to be a physical therapist, and their impact will stay with me long after my time in Covington.