Pelvic Health & Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Addressing your questions about pelvic, women's, and musculoskeletal health. Health is a journey. Movement is healing!
Your first year out of school can be daunting. You passed all of your classes. You studied and passed the boards, which at the time seemed like the most difficult task of a Physical Therapist's career. Now for the fun part, practicing! You are a trailblazer entering the specialty field of pelvic health! You may have started some course work as a student. You felt invigorated! But where do you go from here?
1. Develop short term and long term professional and personal goals. This will help to design a path for your first few years out of the gate. Where do you see yourself going? Do you want to get involved in the Section on Women's Health? Do you want to get certifications? Do you want to set yourself up for independent practice? Start with a few things you know are attainable. Maybe it's setting up mentorship. Maybe it's marketing to or shadowing with a physician. Maybe it's just stepping up your social media game. Whatever your personal goals may be, write them down. 2. Find resources. This was one of my biggest influences as a brand new graduate. I maintained my membership to the SOWH and APTA. In doing so that allowed me access to the SOWH journal. My Medbridge subscription was also well worth the $. You can find all sorts of discount codes, but for the price you get access to con ed (and if you choose HEP programs). Social media has also been a HUGE resource! You would not believe the information I get from Facebook groups, Twitter, and free summits hosted by medical professionals. They are also a great place to network. Continuing education is fantastic, but expensive and can be time consuming! So check out other avenues for information as well! Also related to resources---when you find a great resource save it or print it and start to build your library. I have a accordion file folder full of journal articles and patient resources which has come in really handy! 3. Build your support network. As pelvic health physical therapists we practice so independently it is important to have a network of support. That may look different for different people. I've worked in hospitals with multiple pelvic health PTs where we all discuss challenging cases and treatment techniques openly and as an independent practitioner in an ortho heavy clinic. Regardless, have people you can talk to. It may be the people you meet at continuing education. It may be individuals you network with online. It could even be people you meet at conferences. 4. Prioritize self care. Make sure you take time for yourself. It is a fine balance between your professional and home life. Your professional life will be there. Make sure to take care of yourself and cultivate your relationships outside of work. I didn't realize how poorly I was caring for myself until I actually started making time for myself. That also comes with setting boundaries and saying no. Now don't get me wrong it's great to take on new and exciting opportunities, but this is where your goals come into play! Examine your personal and professional goals to ensure if new opportunities align with the vision you have for yourself. If they don't, don't feel guilty about saying no! 5. Stay curious and be kind to yourself. Healthcare is a team sport. Many of the individuals we see in the pelvic health realm have complex diagnoses! Start from one angle and continuously treat and reassess. Don't be afraid to refer back to the physician though. Sometimes there are barriers to musculoskeletal healing or other adjunct treatments need to be in place for success. Some people just aren't ready for the PT aspect of their health journey. One of my mentors told me as a very new graduate if you can give someone one thing that is helpful to them you are successful because you are still making an impact! I think that is completely true! It is all about perspective! Health is a journey. Best of luck in your journey as a pelvic health practitioner and welcome to the field! If you have more specific questions drop a comment or a message. |
AuthorHello! I am Caitlyn, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Women's Health Physical Therapist working in St Louis, Missouri. Faculty in developing residency program. Endowarrior Categories
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