This past winter, Ariel Danziger interned at the Physical Therapy and Wellness Institute in Norristown, PA. She found this opportunity through her professor who had worked there while she was in graduate school.  Ariel’s typical day consisted of collaborating with professional Physical Therapists in delivering numerous physical therapy services, prescribing and instructing the proper forms of exercise, and assisting in the applications of cryotherapy, vasopneumatic compression, and other thermal agent modalities. Even though the junior’s days seemed busy, the most challenging parts of the internship were learning the medical lingo and being able to communicate.

A key skill that Ariel utilized during her experience was communication. “A skill that you must have in this field is good communication. The patients want to know what they are doing and why. They also want to know how it will help them in the long run. Being able to communicate with your patients will make you much more successful,” explains Ariel.

According to the junior, there wasn’t only one person that made her internship experience wonderful, but the entire staff who taught her new mechanisms in delivering manual therapy. The patients, as well, made her time at the Physical Therapy and Wellness Institute a great learning facility. They were very appreciative of all of the work that the Physical Therapists were doing and even though they had setbacks, they remained positive. This experience enriched Ariel’s learning and was rewarding for her. “During my time at the Physical Therapy and Wellness Institute, I was able to connect with other students who were working there. Everyone came in with different experiences and talking with them allowed me to think more about my future in this field.”

Ariel feels more confident in her abilities to communicate and treat patients. She believes that the internship gave her more experience and increased her knowledge about physical therapy. Overall, she learned that even though the results are not guaranteed, a Physical Therapist can keep the expectations of a client within an acceptable reach.

The coolest part of the experience for the junior was interacting with the patients and getting to know them. Ariel was able to get involved with their program and rehabilitation while seeing them progress over time. After spending time at the Physical Therapy and Wellness Institute, Ariel realized that this is what she wants to do in the future.

“Internships are great because they can help you decide if that field is something you really want to do. I would say do a couple of internships though because some are better than others and you shouldn’t base your decision on one bad experience,” advises the junior. Ariel would recommend this internship to anyone with a similar interest in physical therapy.