First Clinical Experience/Advice

[lincoln24]

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Hi everyone! I'm beginning my first part-time clinical in a typical outpatient/orthopedic setting in September. I'm extremely excited to begin, however some nerves are creeping in. I was wondering if anyone wanted to share their first clinical experience! I think it would be fun to hear/help calm some of my nerves, thanks!

 

[AP191]

Don't worry about your first clinical. For my first clinical, I had to be at advanced beginner or something along those lines, and honestly it was really easy. All of my classmates thought the same as well. My CI was very helpful and taught me techniques I didn't even learn in school. They expect you communicate well with patients, and adjust well with scheduling. Also, practice some of your basic skills like MMT, goniometry, etc.

 

[jblil]

For Non-Trads: Things I Wished I Knew

 

[ptbusiness]

Most of clinicals I have heard about are relatively easy. I was actually a little bit bored on 1 of mine since it was not that busy and I did not have much responsibilities. Once in a while people get and an a** h*** CI, but the probability of that is pretty low (heard about bad CI maybe only from 2 students). Good Luck!

 

[TayPTLove]

I just finished my first clinical at an outpatient ortho/neuro clinic. It was actually a blast! My CI, along with the other PTs there, were really helpful and all tried to aid my learning. No one expected me to be awesome straight out of the gate, which took a load off. There were definitely times where I doubted myself, or felt like the most inexperienced person in the world lol, but there were also times that I was really proud of myself. I made connections with patients, and even had one person thank me for helping them feel better. For me, clinic was a great experience and I'm hopeful yours will be too. Go in with a growth mindset and be open to learning. You'll do great!