What made you want to become a Physical Therapist?
Growing up as a student athlete from the moment I could apply for school sports, injuries were very commonplace in my life. Ironically, I often chose to not seek much medical attention because I thought that I needed to be ‘tougher’ or that I was ‘making it up.’ Once I found that I needed surgery to remove a bone that was causing me pain on a daily basis, I was torn over not being able to compete in my favorite sports. Despite my injuries ranging from something like a simple bruise to a fractured shin, I had never needed the intervention of physical therapy. While reluctant to go, I knew it was necessary, and little did I know that experience would shape my future. I was fascinated to see how my body could go from something so shaky and flimsy to something fully functional and it really sparked my curiosity. I had never really understood the realm of physical therapy but I wanted to learn more and more after my experiences. Now on track to becoming a physical therapist, I hope to help many others who were in my position as well as those I cannot relate to in the future!
How do you think this program has helped you prepare for graduate school?
This program has already helped me prepare for graduate school even from freshman year. Back in high school, it was really easy to ignore the college application process- especially due to the weirdness brought by COVID-19 protocols! So when the time came, it was really intimidating for someone who didn’t exactly have many pointers on applying. The Rutgers DPT 4+3 Program helps me avoid this similar issue with graduate school, and helps keep me stay on track and prepare early on for the application process. This program helps me feel extremely comfortable reaching out to the directors of the program as well as other students who are following the same path as me.
A fun fact about me is that I am a big fan of the arts and I love to create art or sing in my free time. I am proud to be a member of the Voorhees choir!