J.T
Major-Exercise Science
I am majoring in Exercise Science and on the Pre-Physical Therapy track. My background in athletics, my internship experience at Northwest Porter Hospital, and past injuries have led me to become interested in helping others and working with the rehabilitation of injuries. I first became interested when I sprained my ankle playing soccer and worked with my High School's athletic trainers leading me to want to learn more about the human body. During my senior year of High School, I participated in an internship program at Northwest Porter Hospital where I shadowed physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, surgeons, etc. I spent 6-9 hours a week there and it led me to become fascinated with the rehabilitation of injuries. By the end of my internship, I knew I wanted to go into Exercise Science and aim for P.T. School. Overall, I wish to use the degree to create a strong academic background alongside more internship time and my time as an athlete here at IUPUI to become a strong candidate for P.T. school.
Career Goals
My main career goal is to become a physical therapist with a special interest in the rehabilitation of athletes. I hope to become a certified personal trainer to aid in the process of getting into P.T. school. I chose this career path because of my experiences with physical therapy during my internship program at Northwest Porter and my athletic background in high school and here at IUPUI. I want to be able to help rehabilitate athletes who have sustained injuries and get them back to their respective sports. Throughout the rehabilitation process, I would put them through specific training in their sport as well as normal therapy to make sure that when they return, they are fully recovered. While they recover from the injury, I hope to keep them in a positive mindset.
My Career Action Plan (CAP) Project
During my first semester at IUPUI, a class I was taking, Intro to Exercise Science, had a final project where I was to interview a professional in the career that I was interested in. I chose to go to the athletic center at Purdue Northwest where I interviewed a physical therapist and shadowed him for a couple hours. There, I learned about his role and what he does on the day to day basis. I also had to go online and create a monthly budget for a place I chose to live in. In the end, I had to pick a business that was currently hiring my career choice and write a detailed analysis of it. It includes a resume on the second to last page as well.