Today, Rudy realized his dream and goal of over 8 years!!! (insert my tears of relief, pride, and thankfulness!) He interviewed for the job on Wednesday and got the offer right then and there. He accepted the position on Thursday and Friday morning he was starting his career with fresh, new evaluations (patients). We are so thankful! It is a part time job for a month or so with the promise of being full time by the end of July.
His day was a full one with various challenges, but it was good! He's doing what he loves and what God has definitely gifted him to do. Hooray!! Gosh, this day seemed so far away for so many years ... and today we begin to reap the benefits of all the work, money, and sacrifice our family has made for so long. SO happy!!
If I may go on a little bit of a soap box ... there's so many misconceptions about what a physical therapist does and doesn't do. Every PT is aware of these misconceptions and efforts are being made to educate the public, but it still remains that most people think a PT does massage. Some facilities may do more manual therapy, but come on... why would you need a BS and then 3.5 full-time years of a Master's Degree to give a massage? And most programs are doctorates now, which Ru will continue on to get as well. Instead, PT's are trained to evaluate and treat any neuromuscular or musculoskeletal condition. That means the entire body. Just studying for his board exams brought back all of the years of learning about every random detail related to the body. And in case you haven't noticed, our bodies are pretty darn complex! Ru learned that when diagnosing a musculoskeletal condition, an Orthopedic Surgeon will get it right 80+% of the time, a Medical Doctor will get it right only 30% of the time, and a Physical Therapist about 70% of the time. Of course, an orthopedic surgeon and a PT specialize in this area, but it still goes to show that PT's need to know their stuff and they don't just do massage! (I can't tell you how many times we've heard this and absolutely cringe!) Now, I've gone to see a few physical therapists myself and there are some good ones and some who give a more cookie-cutter approach. Trust me when I say, Ru will be one of those good ones! Before he "got smart" as I lovingly call all these years of schooling, he'd do more manual therapy ... now that he knows his stuff, he can ask a few questions and immediately pin point what my problem is. Then, he will show me how to solve the problem and set the timer on me. Long gone are the days when I could just lay there and get pampered! :)
Thanks for letting me brag a bit and set the record straight! And thanks for all the encouragement we've received along the way! We have been supported in so many different ways and we are forever grateful!
His day was a full one with various challenges, but it was good! He's doing what he loves and what God has definitely gifted him to do. Hooray!! Gosh, this day seemed so far away for so many years ... and today we begin to reap the benefits of all the work, money, and sacrifice our family has made for so long. SO happy!!
If I may go on a little bit of a soap box ... there's so many misconceptions about what a physical therapist does and doesn't do. Every PT is aware of these misconceptions and efforts are being made to educate the public, but it still remains that most people think a PT does massage. Some facilities may do more manual therapy, but come on... why would you need a BS and then 3.5 full-time years of a Master's Degree to give a massage? And most programs are doctorates now, which Ru will continue on to get as well. Instead, PT's are trained to evaluate and treat any neuromuscular or musculoskeletal condition. That means the entire body. Just studying for his board exams brought back all of the years of learning about every random detail related to the body. And in case you haven't noticed, our bodies are pretty darn complex! Ru learned that when diagnosing a musculoskeletal condition, an Orthopedic Surgeon will get it right 80+% of the time, a Medical Doctor will get it right only 30% of the time, and a Physical Therapist about 70% of the time. Of course, an orthopedic surgeon and a PT specialize in this area, but it still goes to show that PT's need to know their stuff and they don't just do massage! (I can't tell you how many times we've heard this and absolutely cringe!) Now, I've gone to see a few physical therapists myself and there are some good ones and some who give a more cookie-cutter approach. Trust me when I say, Ru will be one of those good ones! Before he "got smart" as I lovingly call all these years of schooling, he'd do more manual therapy ... now that he knows his stuff, he can ask a few questions and immediately pin point what my problem is. Then, he will show me how to solve the problem and set the timer on me. Long gone are the days when I could just lay there and get pampered! :)
Thanks for letting me brag a bit and set the record straight! And thanks for all the encouragement we've received along the way! We have been supported in so many different ways and we are forever grateful!
Way to go Rudy! And let me just tell you that since becoming a Personal Trainer and a runner and dealing with lots of athletes (and their injuries) I have gained a HUGE amount of respect for physical therapists! For an athlete, a good PT is more important than a good doctor, I think! Just wished Ru was a little closer and I'd be sending lots of clients his way :)
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