In my program, the third-year students wrap up the end of didactics by giving a speech about how they discovered physical therapy, what motivates them to keep pursuing the profession, and potential plans after graduation. I’ve already shared a little bit about my background and my PT journey on the blog, but my classmates didn’t know about my blog or the story of how I got here. I also have friends who wish to hear my presentation, so here it is.
Like my name, this journey for the DPT is quite unique. My PT journey began in high school. As the only daughter of two Filipino immigrants, choosing a career was based on financial stability and God’s calling. Like every person, I turned to a healthcare profession as a viable option. // In my sophomore year of high school, my mom got into a collision accident at the Schlitterbahn in Galveston.
Her knee injury resulted in going to a local outpatient PT clinic. She invited me to sit in on one of her sessions. I sat there watching the PT measure ROM and making my mom do exercises and thought to myself, “Now that’s something I can do.” At the time, I was taking classical ballet classes after school, where I saw my peers dance around while wearing knee/ankle braces. That sparked my interest even more and thus, beginning my journey to become a Physical Therapist.
When I got to Texas Woman’s University for my undergrad, I began getting involved on campus and developing as a leader. I enjoyed my classes, which solidified my decision to apply for PT school. When I applied to PT schools with my well-rounded application, I did the interviews, but ended up on the waitlist, which is a waiting period for what seems like eternity. I remember one night laying in bed, praying to God saying, “If I get into a PT school, then I am meant to be a PT.” It was also at this time I started doing social media management for a fitness corporation and a school organization. I was good at it and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Eventually, I chose to return back home to Houston and attend UTMB. I truly didn’t know my mental capacity until I entered PT school. Since the beginning, I struggled in PT school – paying attention in class, studying the right things in the right ways, and making the grades. It also didn’t help that my peers were leaving for reasons that included “PT not being the career from them.” The doubt started creeping in. During the first semester of PT school, I was creating “pretty notes,” rewriting my notes with different colors. Creativity and artistic skills have been part of my being since I was a child. They say PTs are creative in the sense they come up with different complex exercises for their patients, but the baby SPT in me did not find that satisfactory. I needed a creative outlet. In the summer of 2018, I decided to turn my public IG account into a blog about PT school, using #fortheDPT to track every moment. At that time, the PT community on IG was really small – super niche. The blog was slowly growing, and I was still getting by in school.
By the summer of 2019, I was scraping by in school. I was failing in O+P, which affected my progress in other classes. I was unmotivated to study, and every meeting I had with each of the professors consisted of my doubts in the career. After another failure and a lonely sob session on the floor of my apartment living room, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to take a leave of absence. My parents were disappointed in me. I was disappointed in myself. We had a timeline, and I failed to stick to it.
The decision to come back wasn’t easy. It was hard to accept the fact that my failing grades were due to poor study habits and time management. I also was “triggered” whenever the thought of practicals came into my mind (kinda still am). Even when I tried to leave, physical therapy seemed to make its way back into my life. I documented my leave on the internet, and most people were receptive to it. I met other people from other programs who also went through a restart. I captured the things I was doing during my break – traveling, seeking a professional counselor, working out, and observing at a local PT clinic. Since I’ve come back, my grades improved drastically, and the online PT community has grown exponentially. It has been great to connect with other PTs about aspects of our field. We discuss best practices, new research, and ways we can advocate for our patients and our profession. It’s because of this blog I learned how I can take a PT career in a unique direction. Having creative skills goes beyond never before seen exercises in the clinic. As technology advances, physical therapy can also grow in the digital space. I’m not sure what God has in store for me in regards to physical therapy, but I know God has a way of putting my creative hands in the mix. The journey #forthedpt goes beyond PT school as we are constantly striving to make our profession – both on the personal and general level – the best it can be.
I used Prezi as a visual aid, and I’m still working on sharing a video of my presentation. For now, you can read my speaker notes.
As always, you can follow me and my journey #forthedpt on Instagram (@jordaineenriquez).
Until next time,
Jordaine Enriquez, SPT