Setera Stock

4th period
Language Arts

Job Shadow

Physical Therapy is the career I decided to job shadow. Since i’m already injured
and go to a physical therapist at least 3 times a week, I job shadowed the therapist I go
to; Chaz Becksted. He is the therapist at Copper Hills. Being at a school watching over
all sports that are going on during that time and be very slow, but also very busy. Chaz
will have assistants to help him with injured people. The environment of this workplace
is very friendly, and seemed like everyone there liked the job they were doing or the
treatment they were receiving.
I shadowed over a four day period, one hour each day. One day I was there,
hardly anyone came in. If someone did come in it was to check something small like a
cut or a jammed finger. On other days when it was crowded I saw bigger injuries such
as a rolled ankle, or a knee injury. Seeing them go through the therapy was interesting
to watch because you wonder how that particular exercise is suppose to help the injury
they are dealing with. Being at a school therapist I think opens more doors to see
different kinds of injuries from all sorts of activities. Chaz deals with so many different
people. It was interesting to see how he dealt with each injury differently.
When there is down time and no one comes in, their job is to catch up on emails
to parents of students that came in the day prior, and make sure their equipment is
clean for the next patient. Being with them and watching how they control such a
welcoming and safe environment makes you always want to be there. It showed me that
careers like this can do so much more that help people with injuries. Watching the way
they will talk with their patients and help them through situations, I could tell they really
cared about who they were taking care of. Not only would they see how their injury is
doing but catch up on their life. To me it was mentally good for the athletes to be in
there to just feel safe enough to be able and talk with someone that listens. Afterward I
asked Chaz about what kind of relationship he tries to build with his patients, and he
said that he does not care if he builds a relationship with them or not, he wants them to
know he is there to just listen if needed.
Job shadowing this career made me convinced its a field I want to go into. The
environment is a place that I would want to work in, especially if I could make it feel safe
like Chaz did. I learned a lot about the bodies muscles and how they worked, which was
interesting to know how much they have to know to distinguish what kind of injury
someone has. This experience was good to have a sneak peak of what that career is
like, and what to expect one the busy days and the slow days​.