Bored volunteering?

[bgm]

Has anyone else found volunteering at PT clinics boring? I volunteered at about four different places the past few years and only one place has actually took the time to talk to me and teach me stuff. All the other ones made me fold towels, change beds and acted like I was in the way when I tried to ask questions.

I decided to get my masters in Exercise Science in the fall instead of applying to PT school. I’m just really confused now and wondering if I should even consider PT now due to the horrible volunteering experiences. Not sure if its the PT clinics or me

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[Bigshoguns]

Volunteering is boring, it's a fact, but you have to find the fun in it. PT is not boring. What would u do if someone you don't know just showed up @ ur work and started asking you questions etc while you were working? Would you not find that person in your way?

You do what you are told, and then ask questions during the PT's downtime or break. But it is boring stuff like cleaning the beds and equipment, making heat packs and cold packs and folding towels etc.

BUT PT is not boring. So don't get the two mixed up. LOL

Has anyone else found volunteering at PT clinics boring? I volunteered at about four different places the past few years and only one place has actually took the time to talk to me and teach me stuff. All the other ones made me fold towels, change beds and acted like I was in the way when I tried to ask questions.

I decided to get my masters in Exercise Science in the fall instead of applying to PT school. I’m just really confused now and wondering if I should even consider PT now due to the horrible volunteering experiences. Not sure if its the PT clinics or me

 

[chung2509]

I kind of feel the same, the hospital I'm volunteering at, the PT's basically just make me transport patients back n forth from their treatments and thats basically it.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

One word from my experiences: OBSERVE.

Don't sign up as a volunteer because it is exactly what you said. Call a PT individually and ask if you can hang out with them for a day and then at the end of that day ask if you can meet up again.

If you observe, you get to look over the patient's charts, talk with the patients while doing PT, participate, and ask the PT as many questions as you want while with the patient. After you spend enough time with them and earn their trust, he/she will start to let you do more and more (throw the ball, demonstrate exercises, count reps, even help with transferring).

PT is not boring; volunteering is extremely boring. Ask to observe a PT individually; it has worked well for me.

 

[jamesmku]

I would suggest observing the characteristics of the PT rather than the setting. Not every setting will be fun, one may like a particular setting over another. I believe all PT's have similar core characteristics regardless of what setting they are in. If you feel you are similar to these types of people, then you know you're in the right place. Birds of a feather flock together.

 

[PTtoBe]

I agree with all of the above. Even when you observe (instead of volunteering), you'll still probably be glazing over at times. I think the key is to focus, as someone mentioned, on the PTs themselves, and how they handle varying patients and situations. Observe the details, and ask them questions after they're done with each patient and they can explain things to you.

There's a fair amount of variation among PTs, I've noticed. Some have a lot of energy and are very personable and really try to figure out how to do the best for each individual, some seem like they just want to go home and are doing the minimum possible.

 

[WillWords]

I guess it's all relative...I'm sure some of you have had great PT observation experiences. I haven't yet--it bores the crap out of me. Everytime I drive to the hospital to do my observation I get a knot in my stomach because I don't want to go.

 

[Akiramay]

One word from my experiences: OBSERVE.

Don't sign up as a volunteer because it is exactly what you said. Call a PT individually and ask if you can hang out with them for a day and then at the end of that day ask if you can meet up again.

If you observe, you get to look over the patient's charts, talk with the patients while doing PT, participate, and ask the PT as many questions as you want while with the patient. After you spend enough time with them and earn their trust, he/she will start to let you do more and more (throw the ball, demonstrate exercises, count reps, even help with transferring).

PT is not boring; volunteering is extremely boring. Ask to observe a PT individually; it has worked well for me.

I definitely agree with this!

 

[PMC85]

I just dont understand why schools want to see 200+ hours of observation time. they act like your time as an undergrad isnt worth anything. I dont think dental school/med school require this insane amount of hours. oh and inpatient hours suck for sure, how many times do you really need to observe grandma walk from the bed to the chair and back to the bed.

 

[Cronos]

Have to agree with the rest. I really enjoy my PT's though. Boring experience with excitement sprinkled in. Asking questions sometimes backfires for me because I can't hold up my end of the conversation, I really just have no idea what the PT's are saying which is a little frusterating. Waiting to clean the place up is a drag but I focus on whatever PT-patient interaction I can and they let me do as much as possible. Even working with the patients when they are overly busy.

I've only volunteered at one place and need to go back to get my LOR. Plan on attempting to volunteer at some private practices before the summer ends to get that experience in.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

Shadow/observe the PT's individually. I got that advice from Akiramay a while back and it was great advice. If you still hate it, look for a different setting within PT or a different career path. If you can get in a hospital in a rural area; they treat everything: peds, acute, sports, outpatient, etc.

Have you noticed the different between PT's with the DPT and say the old PT with a BA? The DPT's I have observed have been way better at their jobs and much more impressive than the old ones with a BA.

 

[WillWords]

I just dont understand why schools want to see 200+ hours of observation time. they act like your time as an undergrad isnt worth anything. I dont think dental school/med school require this insane amount of hours. oh and inpatient hours suck for sure, how many times do you really need to observe grandma walk from the bed to the chair and back to the bed.

To deter the people who are wishy-washy about being a PT

 

[PTstudent11]

My 2 cents:

Observing is monotonous and frustrating because you can't actually have patient contact. Best solution: work as an aide. I've worked as an aide for a year and honestly think if I based PT on my observations, I'd never have decided to get my DPT.

I'm a firm believer that you can't really know until you "do".

(granted, its not easy to get a pt aide job... but at least try to become more active in your observations)