I was told that in PT school that you watch surgeries for some of the clinicals. Is this true? Can anyone tell me what hands on things you do in PT school?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Do you watch surgeries in PT school?
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I had the opportunity to observe surgeries while I was doing my acute care clinical. I spent a morning watching ortho and another morning watching necks/backs. Could have observed cardio as well if I chose to. It was by no means a requirement though, just an opportunity.
As far as "hands on" goes, you'll do pretty much anything and everything that a working PT does.
I was in a part time affil last semester. It was an outpatient ortho setting and the PT there asked me if I would be interested in observing a surgery with one of the orthopedic surgeons he knows. Of course I said yes haha. He set something up for me and I ended up observing a THA. Really amazing experience.
And your hands on experience will increase as you get to be more comfortable at your site. PT interventions are kind of all across the board so I can't really tell you everything, but mobilizations/massage/PNF techniques/gait training/neuro-specific stuff.
And your hands on experience will increase as you get to be more comfortable at your site. PT interventions are kind of all across the board so I can't really tell you everything, but mobilizations/massage/PNF techniques/gait training/neuro-specific stuff.
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This is absolutely true but really depends on each clinical site.
I did a clinical at a teaching hospital in San Fran and got to see a neurosurgeon drill into a skull and place in a shunt, amongst a few other surgeries. Also I had the opportunity to observe tons of surgeries with well known orthopedic surgeons at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail and the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in LA while on ortho/sports clinicals affiliated with those clinics. Only clinical I was not able to observe surgeries was in a teaching hospital in San Jose as I was in outpatient neuro (had to be part of the TBI/SCI or inpatient units to observe surgeries there) but was able to observe EMG studies and spasticity clinic.
At my current job, our students have the opportunity to observe surgeries at HSS and NYU.
You will have to be more clear as to what you are asking when it comes to "Hands on". Once you are on clinicals, it's almost all hands on.
I did a clinical at a teaching hospital in San Fran and got to see a neurosurgeon drill into a skull and place in a shunt, amongst a few other surgeries. Also I had the opportunity to observe tons of surgeries with well known orthopedic surgeons at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail and the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in LA while on ortho/sports clinicals affiliated with those clinics. Only clinical I was not able to observe surgeries was in a teaching hospital in San Jose as I was in outpatient neuro (had to be part of the TBI/SCI or inpatient units to observe surgeries there) but was able to observe EMG studies and spasticity clinic.
At my current job, our students have the opportunity to observe surgeries at HSS and NYU.
You will have to be more clear as to what you are asking when it comes to "Hands on". Once you are on clinicals, it's almost all hands on.
Thank you for all the info! I am not sure if I could handle watching someone drill into someones skull so that is why I was asking, haha, other surgeries I think I could handle, but I don't know about brain surgery.
And in terms of hands on things I was wondering if say in PT do you get to do more things than in OT clinicals or than in cardiac rehab clinicals. Or does is just all depend on who the individual is and what they want?
Also do most PT schools have cadaver labs or is there few places with cadaver labs?
And in terms of hands on things I was wondering if say in PT do you get to do more things than in OT clinicals or than in cardiac rehab clinicals. Or does is just all depend on who the individual is and what they want?
Also do most PT schools have cadaver labs or is there few places with cadaver labs?
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You definitely can observe surgeries during PT school. As I was doing my observations, several of the DPT students were setting up surgical observation times. This was during both my inpatient and outpatient observations. Seems like a really cool thing.
Still not sure quite what you mean, but yes, we do get a lot of hands on experiences. At my school, you are required to do an affil in Acute Care, IP or OP Neuro, OP Ortho, and Geri. What you do in all of these areas will vary quite a bit...this is what I love about PT 
And it's all hands on (with the exception of documentation of course lol).
Most schools have a cadaver lab. I think I've only heard of a couple that don't. It will really solidify the info for you though, couldn't imagine anatomy or neuro without it.
And it's all hands on (with the exception of documentation of course lol). Most schools have a cadaver lab. I think I've only heard of a couple that don't. It will really solidify the info for you though, couldn't imagine anatomy or neuro without it.
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In order to pass PT school, you have to have the practical skills in the classroom as well as in the clinic. In order to pass a clinical, you have to pass certain criteria as designated by the APTA, which is centered around how you perform in the clinic.
As most practicing clinicians will tell you, you only learn so much in the classroom/labs. Most PT skills are developed in the clinic, both during clinicals and long after you have graduated. By the end of your clinicals, PT students pretty much have to take up a full patient load (simple and complex patients) with only some help from the CI. That means all hands-on in my book.
Cadaver labs vary from school to school. Some have their own labs. Some share with the medical school. Some share with the OTs. Some only use prosections. And some schools only use computers.
....oh as for the brain surgery, I was given a list of surgeries and I chose that as I knew I would probably not get the chance ever again. Truthfully, of all the surgeries that I've seen, it seemed much more "clean" than watching a shoulder surgery in terms of blood, etc. One advantage of watching surgeries as a student is that sometimes you get to treat that patient s/p surgery.
As most practicing clinicians will tell you, you only learn so much in the classroom/labs. Most PT skills are developed in the clinic, both during clinicals and long after you have graduated. By the end of your clinicals, PT students pretty much have to take up a full patient load (simple and complex patients) with only some help from the CI. That means all hands-on in my book.
Cadaver labs vary from school to school. Some have their own labs. Some share with the medical school. Some share with the OTs. Some only use prosections. And some schools only use computers.
....oh as for the brain surgery, I was given a list of surgeries and I chose that as I knew I would probably not get the chance ever again. Truthfully, of all the surgeries that I've seen, it seemed much more "clean" than watching a shoulder surgery in terms of blood, etc. One advantage of watching surgeries as a student is that sometimes you get to treat that patient s/p surgery.
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Thanks for the input. I was in my A&P class and our prof. was showing us pictures of surgeries and trauma patients and there were two of them I had trouble looking at, so that is why I was wondering about the surgeries. I was worried that this could affect me in grad school, but these were extreme cases so I am thinking I am going to be able to handle it. It just got me a little worried at the moment.
Thanks again!
Does anyone posting on this thread know whether many PT's do semester internships? At my university, my last semester of courses is an internship, so I need to start looking into those!
Thanks again!
Does anyone posting on this thread know whether many PT's do semester internships? At my university, my last semester of courses is an internship, so I need to start looking into those!
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At my school both PT and OT have cadaver lab for 1 semester. I think most schools do (?). It is a GREAT way to really learn the anatomy.
