Kelsey Deverell
E-Portfolio
Informational Interview
For my informational interview I met with a close friend of mine's father, Brian Reardon. Brian is a physical therapist that I have come to know very well over the years. Brian has been an important figurehead as I begin my career in the medical field. I have found that his advice thus far has given me a personal insight to the daily roles and responsibilities of a physical therapist. On top of this main focus, Brain is educated on many other areas of science specific to the human body and medical interventions of the century. Brian is currently a physical therapist at Regions, he also spends some hours at Woodwinds Hospital, which is where I conducted my interview with him. I felt as though Brain was a perfect person to interview with beceasue he is someone I trust, and because his advice thus far has been so helpful in my career path; getting the chance to hear and learn even more for Brian was an opportunity I am grateful for.
Q 1
What is your favorite part of your job?
"I enjoy working with patients, and seeing their success after periods of hard work and dedication. It is a rewarding job, knowing that you are helping people regain mobility. Another thing I enjoy is the creativity and daily problem-solving I can incorporate into my profession. There is never a dull moment. No patient is exactly the same so you are always thinking about new posibilities and techniques you can use to personalize their treatment plan."
Q 5
Q 2
What career path did you follow to get you to where you are today?
In college I needed to complete my pre-requisites to apply to graduate school in physical therapy. I graduated from St. John's University in MN. I then went onto graduate school for my Masters of Science in Physical Therapy. After graduating and recieving my license I pursued my transitional Doctorate of Physical Therapy, which is what I currently hold."
Q 6
Q 7
Q 4
Q 3
Q 8
What are the possible advancements in this career? Are there any goals you have for the future?
"A long term goal of mine that I hope to accomplish in the future is to open my own clinic. Opening my own clinic is a major advancement in my role as a physical therapist. Not only would my focus be on patient care, I would also have to opperate the business side of the clinic. I have always been self-motivated and goal-driven, and it is these skills that lead me to believe I could be successful in opening my own clinic. This goal of mine is still a couple years off, but I look forward to executing it sometime in the future."
Do you have any regrets surrounding your career choice/ path?
"I am very happy with the career path that I have chosen, as I said before, I find my career to be very rewarding and look forward to going to work 'almost' every day. However, one thing I wish I would have known going into this career is the amount of personal patience it requires. I work with clients of all different ages, ethnicities, needs, and backgrounds, and some of these clients can be difficult at times. You have to be prepared for any type of behavior, and although I have learned and adapted over the years I wish I had had a better understand and ability of the skill before I started in my profession."
To the left is a picture of me conducting my interview with Brian. I met with him for about an hour and am extremely lucky he took time out of his day to meet with me!
What is a general misconception about a Physical Therapist's job?
"One general misconception about my job involves the daily work I part-take in. When people think of Physical Therapy they think of the kind people go to after surgery or injuries, when in fact physical therapy is more focused on "habilitation" rather than "rehabilitation." This includes teaching people with a disability how to improve skills and function for daily living, rather that be getting dressed or learning how to eat on one's own. Most people do not understand that their are many types of physical therapy, not just the rehabilitation kind."
What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome while pursuing this career?
"The biggest obstacle for me was the time commitement it took to become fully qualified for a Physical Therapist career. Even now I am still learning more about the job! I had to go through extensive volunteering and coursework to get my license. This job does not have clear instructions, because as stated, each patient is so different. The hardest part for me was adjusting my brain to think this way, and to fully understand the vast area Physical Therapy encompases. Physical Therapy is a career where new interventions are constantly being developed, and you must train yourself to accept and study these new technologies."
What does a basic day look like in your career?
"I work in a variety of settings, either at a hospital or someone's home. My day is mostly spent in treatment sessions with my usual clients. When I am not meeting with patients I am usually doing documentation or filling out other billing paperwork. My scheule is fairly flexible and is fixed a lot around my life at home. Although I have a flexible schedule I still work a lot, most of the time I work five days a week from the hours of 9am-5pm. To have a successful job in physical therapy you have to dedicate a lot of time to your profession."
Is there any additional advice you would give to someone trying to pursue a physical therapy career?
"Some advice that I would give to someone not only interested in physical therapy, but interested in the medical field as a whole, such as yourself, is to volunteer in therapy or hospital settings. Learning what you like and dislike about a job is very importat before you ultimatley decide that you want to pursue that profession as your career. I took on many volunteer positions and did a couple of internships before I decided that physical therapy was where I belonged. Volunteering gives you a great insight to many professions and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering a medical position."