Provo, UT; Utah State Hospital Physical Therapy Clinic - Phillip

My internship at the Utah State Hospital has been a great and unique experience. I have had patient responsibility and been able to work directly with several patients. After the Physical Therapist evaluates a new patient, he will create a treatment program for them. It is then my responsibility to help the patient through their treatment program each day. This includes exercises and modalities that focus on recovery as well as improving strength, endurance, and flexibility. Having already taken classes at BYU in Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, and Psychology, among others, helped prepare me for this experience working with patients.

Patients of all ages come to the physical therapy clinic (there are units with pediatric, youth, adult, high-risk forensic, and geriatric patients). Each patient is very different and deals with physical difficulties as well as mental illnesses of varying degrees. Because of this, I have learned to be adaptable in many different situations. I have developed greater patience and care for others. It is challenging to work with those who are struggling, but also very rewarding to know that I am making a positive difference in their lives.

Overall, my internship at the Utah State Hospital Physical Therapy clinic has been a wonderful experience. I’m sure I will remember these experiences for the rest of my life.  I have become more aware of mental disorders and I have become more kind and understanding. I also feel more prepared for my future in the health care industry where I will be working with patients on a daily basis.

Alpine, UT; Alpine Fitness - Jared

Interning with the physical therapists at Alpine Fitness has been one of the most beneficial experiences of my life in terms of my future career and schooling. I have learned an incredible amout here, and I loved every second. I will never forget the things I learned, nor the people I met. It was apparent that this internship has been going for years and has been refined in the fires of trial and error. I loved the environment, the quizzes, the hands on learning, and the opportunities and freedom to take this internship into my own hands and make it my own and excel in my own fashion, at my own speed. The more time and effort you put into the internship, the more you can get out of it.

Provo, UT; SOS Physical Therapy- Andrew

Before working at SOS Physical Therapy, I’d never been in a physical therapist’s office.  During my college career, I’ve changed my major and career path a few times.  Physical therapy is a relatively recent career choice, which means I haven’t had the opportunity to do any job shadowing.  Having never needed physical therapy personally, I’d never been in a physical therapist’s office until I started working at SOS Physical Therapy.

My time at SOS Physical Therapy has helped me better understand physical therapy.  I’ve seen things that strengthen my desire to become a physical therapist and other things that make me wonder if I want to pursue such a career.  It’s helped me see that there are different kinds of physical therapy.  Working at SOS Physical Therapy has proved to be a valuable, eye-opening experience.

For more information about SOS Physical therapy visit  http://www.sosphysicaltherapy.com/index.html  

Bountiful/Layton, UT: OMS of Utah -Allyson Andersen. "My Summer In'Tooth'ship"

Many find the sound of a drill digging into bone unsettling but I find it fascinating! One of the most common procedures of the oral surgeon I worked for are implants. Now to start an implant, an incision is made in the gums with what is called a 15-blade. Next, the doctor uses a peritoneal to pull apart the gums from the bone of our ramus if we are dealing with the lower jaw. Once the flap of gums are reflected back, the doctor takes a drill with about an inch drill bit on the end to start the hole for the implant to be placed in. While the surgical assistant suctions the blood seeping from the gums, the oral surgeon continues to dive into the bone until the drill bits are up the size and depth sufficient for the implant. Bone from the patient is put back around the implant to increase bone growth along with other bone fragments from human and cow origins. Now that the implant is screwed into place, we can close the flap of gums with a suture. After we have finished driving the curved suture needle through the gums to re-attach them to heal, we finish by injecting "PRP," also known as platelet rich plasma to make the tissue heal faster. My plan for this summer was to intern for a dentist, Dr. Healy, as well as an oral surgeon, Dr. Liston, in order to widen my view into the medical field. I learned more about myself from this internship and had an amazing time doing it.

Heading into my summer internship, my plan was to become a dental hygienist. Some of the factors that made my view change are the role of a dental hygienist, variety, and human anatomy involved in oral surgery. The first day I went in to my job, I was with Dr. Healy and his staff. I shadowed the dental hygienist first because of my interest in this field. After watching the hygienist clean tooth after tooth, I realized this was not something I would love to do. They have the same routine every day. I do not think it would take long for me to become bored of this schedule. My first day at the oral surgeon's office was far more exciting! I love the variety involved in oral surgery. What I mean by this is there are some surgeries like wisdom teeth removal and implants that are most common; although I have learned from working in oral surgery that you never know what case is going to come through the door next. The variety in the office consisted of: removing third molars, extracting teeth, taking tissue and object biopsies, implants, sinus clearing, nose reshaping, suture removal, and different people. Lastly, my favorite class on BYU campus has been human anatomy, which I have been able to apply to oral surgery on a daily basis. I now want to be a surgical assistant because I simply love being there and doing the tasks that come with the job description.

I had a fabulous time at my internship and if you're on the fence about doing one, hop on over and try it! Not only did I learn what I wanted to do, but I learned what I do not want to do. If I had not taken this opportunity I would have made a big mistake in becoming a dental hygienist. There is no better way to see if the occupation you have chosen is the right one for you, then to go out and participate in the work.

For more information of OMS of Utah visit http://www.omsofutah.com/index.asp

Provo, UT: Central Utah Surgical Clinic -Cory Pettit

This summer I had an internship at the Central Utah Surgical Clinic working under Dr. Nelson, an orthopedic surgeon.  It was a great experience, as I got to see all parts of the surgical process.  I would begin by doing clinical visits with him, where we saw people before and after their surgeries.  For those coming in pre-surgery, Dr. Nelson would use subjective assessments of pain and mobility, as well as medical imaging to determine a course of treatment.  What most struck me about these meetings was how friendly and personable Dr. Nelson was with everyone.  He greeted each patient as if they were long time friends,  and after the consultation he would usually spend about 5 to 10 minutes talking about some common interest they shared, whether it was sports, fishing, or even a mutual acquaintance.  It always seemed they had something in common.

After the consultations, the next step was the surgeries themselves.  I was fortunate enough to be able to actually be in the operating room during the procedures, and got a close-up view of what was going on.  Dr. Nelson would explain to me what was the steps in the operation, and would help me understand and see the anatomy in the area he was operating on.  What most surprised me about the surgeries was how intensive they were.  Many called for power tools such as a power drill and a bone saw.  It reminded me of a carpenter's shop, where instead of working with wood, they were shaping bone.

The last step in the process was to visit the patients a few weeks after their operation.  He would check up on them to make sure there had been no complications, and that everything was healing correctly. Although they were sometimes still in pain, almost all of the patients saw improvement and were very grateful for Dr. Nelson.  Being an intern with him was a great experience, and helped solidify my desire to go into orthopedics.

For more information visit  http://www.centralutahclinic.com/departments/surgery-center.