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Physical Therapy Clinicals: 3 Things You MUST Do Before Choosing Yours

by Joey Masri

young-woman-doctor-older-man-patient-smiling

As a student, physical therapy clinicals are an exciting time in your journey through PT school. To this point, you’ve spent countless hours learning about various diagnoses, evaluative techniques, and treatment interventions. You’ve rummaged through pages of information and flipped through hundreds of PowerPoint slides. The amount of caffeine you have consumed and the hours of sleep you’ve lost are likely concerning to you. And now – the time has finally come to put all of that hard work and knowledge to the test with actual patients! 

But before that can happen, you have to choose your clinical site. And with that comes many tough questions: Do I want to work in this type of setting? What is the primary patient population? Are the people that work there open and kind to students? 

However, the most important question to ask is:

“Will this particular clinical experience help me develop into the clinician that I want to be?”

To answer this question, gather as much information as you can about each potential physical therapy clinical site. Understanding what you may be getting yourself into is very helpful and primes your mind for success. So, what are some things you should be aware of? 

Here are 3 solid pieces of advice:

1. Vet the physical location

This is a lot more complex than you may think. The geographical location of a clinical site provides volumes of useful information. Find out what area the facility is in and ask yourself questions like:

  • Is it near a retirement community (and therefore mostly geriatric patients)?
  • A booming metropolitan area (potentially a young and athletic crowd)?
  • Is it attached to a hospital (potentially more post-op patient referrals and interacting with physicians)?

It’s good to consider your personal needs as well.

  • Is it in an expensive or affordable area of town?
  • Are there suitable living accommodations within walking distance, or will you be forced into a lengthy daily commute?

For the active student (practice what you preach!), find out where the local gyms and parks are. Also, consider checking for supermarkets and farmer’s markets. These latter points are surprisingly game-changers and can mean the difference between a miserable clinical experience and a smooth one.

2. Look closely at the setting and company

This somewhat feeds off of the previous point.

  • Does the setting of the clinic (outpatient, inpatient, acute, etc) coincide with the type of work you want to be involved with after you graduate?
  • What about its specialties (geriatrics, pediatrics, pelvic health, etc)?

Think about what interests you.

  • Do you want to work in an acute care/inpatient facility interacting with many disciplines?
  • Are you more into the sports performance aspect and working with predominantly athletes?

Think about the company as well.

  • Do they generally have a good or bad reputation for patient care?
  • Are you interested in working for them specifically?

Many people are offered positions at sites at which they’ve interned; so if you’re really big on a particular company, it may be in your best interest to get an internship with them.

3. Consider the experience of previous SPTs

Speaking to someone who has been to the same physical therapy clinical might be the most valuable move you can make. Many DPT programs hold long-standing contracts with clinics to which they send their students. Therefore, chances are someone (likely in the class ahead of you) has already been there.

Reach out to them. Ask them what their experience was like.

  • What type of patients did they see and with what volume?
  • What about their Clinical Instructor (CI)? You may be a person that would feel more comfortable with more (or less) supervision - so you’ll want to know more about the CI(s) of the clinic.
  • Were the CI friendly and accommodating or cold and unavailable?
  • Was the clinic, as a whole, contributory to the learning experience of the student? This is key information that significantly affects your experience.

You may also want to know some other things, such as additional opportunities made available to the student.

  • Were there regular in-service presentations on current research/topics in the field?
  • What about opportunities to observe surgical procedures?

Have a long conversation with the previous student intern over some lunch (your treat) and you’ll be that much closer to knowing if this clinic is a good fit for you.

A quick run-down

To put it together nicely, these are the questions you want to be answered before selecting your clinical:

  • What setting is it? 
  • What does the patient population primarily consist of?
  • How long are workdays? What’s the weekly schedule? Weekends?
  • How many patients are seen hourly (volume)?
  • How much time is given for evaluations? For regular treatment sessions?
  • What documentation system is used? Paper or electronic-based?
  • What is the culture of the clinic?
  • Is the clinic evidence-based?
  • Does the clinic use a broad or narrow treatment philosophy?
  • Is the clinic friendly to students?
  • What other opportunities are made available to the student?
  • Will you get to observe surgical procedures?
  • Will you get to communicate/co-treat with other disciplines?
  • Are there in-service presentations?
  • Is there a book/research club?
  • Where are the living accommodations? How much is it?
  • Will you need to make sure to bring anything with you (clothing, bedsheets, medications)?
  • What is the weather generally like?
  • Is the area a walk-friendly area or is a car a must?
  • Where are the supermarkets? Pharmacies? Emergency care?
  • Where are the local parks? Where are the gyms? Where is [fun stuff]?

And, of course, don’t forget the overarching question: Will this particular clinical experience help me develop into the clinician that I want to be?

Are you still wondering which PT setting may be the best for you? Take our short quiz below, the answer may surprise you!

Take the Quiz

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