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Making a Difference – By Sarah Marshall
What to do with my life? This is a question that every high school and undergraduate student has to ask themselves as graduation approaches. It is a question that in the same moment causes equal amounts of excitement and utter panic. I was no different. The thought of ‘growing up’ and picking a career terrified me for months on end.
So how did I end up studying physiotherapy at the University of Western Ontario? This decision included much research, self discovery and reflection. I knew that I wanted to help people-such a broad statement that it could apply to almost any career, however. I had a special interest in health care and this helped to narrow my decision. One on one interaction with patients was another top priority for me. I loved talking to people and hearing their unique stories. Finally, I was interested in something hands-on and related to physical fitness. After researching a number of careers I was sure that physiotherapy was where I belonged.
Going into my program I knew that I was studying a career that focused on helping people return to their regular lives. As physiotherapists we try to train and teach our patients to achieve the level of physical fitness and mobility that they want and need. For each person this is a unique level and the process of attaining it is as varied as the people who come to us for help. This was such a draw for me because it meant that everyday would be different and I would be challenged continuously.
I began my first placement in June and was excited to work with ‘real’ patients and put all the knowledge I had gained over the past nine months to practice. I soon discovered, though, that physiotherapy is not simply prescribing exercises or utilizing techniques learnt in lab; it is all about patient-therapist relationships. We are taught how to relieve pain, how to help someone run faster, and even how to retrain someone to walk. But no textbook can define the effect we have on our patients. To see a patient break out in tears of happiness because she was able to walk for the first time in a month is all the validation I need to be assured that I have chosen the right profession. We help people-again a broad statement but one that can undeniably be applied to our profession. We change people’s lives, not just because we help them with their physical needs but because we care. We take time to listen to their stories and we focus on what is important to them. To me this is one of the most important things we can do.
So when people ask me why I chose physiotherapy, I say because I want to help people. At the end of the day I want to know that I made a difference in someone’s life, no matter how small. Ultimately it is the small changes that come together to make a big change. So do we make people stronger? Yes-in every sense of the word.
Sarah Marshall
MPT 2010 Candidate, University of Western Ontario
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