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dptdaily pt2b15

Women in Physical Therapy

pt2b15

I’ve had a draft of this post pending for a few months, but I always feel like there’s more to say, more research to do, more thoughts to think before I finish it. However, in light of the upcoming #DPTStudent Twitter chat on Women in PT and Gloria Steinem’s 80th birthday, I decided to write out some of my thoughts on women in PT as they are now. I’m sure they will change and evolve, and I look forward to revisiting this important topic again and again. The way I see it as a PT student, women in the field face issues related to at least three different areas:

  1. Women are paid less than men even in a field where women make up the majority of practicioners. They are also less likely than men to own their own practices.
  2. They are underrepresented in leadership positions, such as those in the APTA, and also online.
  3. Female PT’s face sexism, and sometimes even harassment, from patients.

A lot has been written about women in general earning 77 cents to every dollar a man earns. In PT, just as in other fields, women stopping work, pausing work, or working part time, can explain some of this phenomenon.

However, I think it is worth delving a little deeper into this issue. Even women who never stop working fulltime are less likely to ask for a salary equal to that of their male peers. or to ask for the raises their male counterparts are requesting. But even more troubling is a study which showed that both men and women are subconsciously inclined to pay women less. When show resumes identical in everything except gender, both men and women made offers to the women for less pay, and also respected the candidates less. It is important to recognize that the gender gap in women’s pay stems from more than just some women’s decision to work less.

The second topic, regarding leadership, is perhaps best explained by Jennifer Bresnick, PT, DPTon her website (to which I’ve contributed), The PT Student.

With regards to the third point, we coincidentally just spoke in class today about patients who flirt with practioners and cross lines by touching them inappropriately. While this seems to happen to male PT’s also, at least in my class, they seemed to feel less threatened by it. I’m also curious about less obvious harassment. What about the patient who says he wants to work with a certain female therapist simply because she’s pretty? While some may take this as a compliment, I would certainly rather be valued for my brains and eight years of hard work studying than for my looks.

I’d love to hear any thoughts or reactions to this topic, and I look forward to chatting with you all on the 26th at 9 pm. Look for #DPTstudent and find me @JasDPT15.

shitphysiossay

The Four Mantras for Physios to Live and Work by.

1. “Lazy physio = lazy patients”

Someone once told me you should never trust a fat physio. Whilst I didn’t necessarily agree with that statement, I know what they are getting at. If all you do is simply “rinse and repeat” your sessions… your treatments, exercises etc (read: be a lazy physio) you will soon find that the patient will lose interest in your treatment. Soon enough they will be ignoring your rehabilitation advice and disregarding your home exercise program. Eventually, they will be added to your list of failed patients.

“Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm”

Clinical Implication: don’t be lazy, be inspirational… all day long.


2.“If you don’t emphasise, they won’t exercise”

I hear the astute physios saying “hang on, isn’t that the same as number one?”. And the answer is probably yes, but it rhymes… and echoes the importance of a regularly reviewed home rehabilitation program. More than once I have caught myself saying to an exiting patient “and just carry on with those same exercises” as though it was simply an afterthought. Now I don’t know about you, but I can’t see that patient feeling as though their home exercise program was the most important part of our session, even when it probably was.

Clinical Implication: review, refresh and emphasise exercises… all day long. It is absolutely essential for compliance!


3. “If you try to be everything to everyone, you will be nothing to noone”

Now this might seem a bit philosophical (and an obvious double negative), but it does make a lot of sense. At Uni, we had a highly experienced Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy lecturer that would regularly and proudly announce “I wouldn’t know… I’m not a musculoskeletal physiotherapist”! There I was thinking; what a cop out… how come I’ve got to pass your awfully boring subject (sorry CP physios) and then my musculoskeletal physiotherapy exam the day after? But now I know she simply following this mantra, she had her area of expertise and stuck with it!

Clinical Implication: do what you do well… all day long, for the rest: make a great referral!


4. “Narrow focus = narrow results”

Scratching your head about why your patient isn’t improving with your textbook, evidence based, gold standard treatment? Ask yourself “how narrow is my focus?” Now I don’t want this to be just: you should assess the hip for patellofemoral pain or the cervical spine for tennis elbow, it clearly needs to be much more profound than that!

We all know that there are multiple facets to an individual’s health each which determines their level of physical function… sometimes we just forget.

Clinical Implication: broaden your clinical perspective… all day long.


Source and original article:
http://www.thesportsphysiotherapist.com/physio-mantras-live/

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myroadtopt

I was browsing through my old anatomy notes when I found a handout that my anatomy professor gave us during orientation. I haven’t read it since orientation, so I figured that it would be a good idea to read it again before the Spring Semester begins. I took my favorites and rewrote them here.

These tips won’t work for everyone, so figure out what works for you!

1. Study daily. Don’t put off studying until right before the exam.
2. Don’t memorize. Understand the material so you don’t forget the information.
3. Learn it now. I know there are so many classes you have to juggle, but it’s a lot less stressful to learn as you go. Don’t wait until the weekend, after class is over, or before an exam. Stay focused during class and review the material often.
4. Have a good mindset. This is not undergrad anymore. Your classes are relevant to your future career. Don’t learn information just for the test, but learn it for your future patients, so you’re the best physical therapist that you can possibly be.
5. Prepare before lecture. Review your notes from the previous lectures, and try to read ahead into the new material.
6. Schedule study time. Keep a planner and set aside time to study.
7. Listen and focus. Try to fight your daydreaming during class, and actively participate when possible.
8. Use all study resources. This includes your classmates, your notes, powerpoints, textbooks, models, internet, videos, your own body, professors, and teaching assistants.
9. Study little chunks. It’s easier to pick  a section of your notes to master instead of trying to learn everything at once.
10. Learn the big picture. Understand the main concepts, then learn the details, and then revisit the big picture.
11. Find a study partner. Find a classmate that you work well with. You can schedule study time, bounce ideas off each other, quiz each other, teach things to each other, and help each other focus.
12. Helps your classmates. Learn through teaching other classmates. If you know the material well enough, you should be able to explain it to others.
13. Actively learn. If you are confused, try to learn the information by reading textbooks or looking online. Then ask your classmates if you are still confused. If your classmates cannot help, then ask your professor. If you have a question, do not immediately ask your professor. Try to actively learn yourself, and engage your classmates so they can also learn.
14. Sleep enough. It’s much more difficult to retain information and stay focused during class if you are mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.
15. Practice tests. Make practice questions and share with your classmates.
16. Spend time at school. Go into lab when you have spare time, work during your lunch period, or study at the library.
17. Make time for yourself. Do something that makes you happy or relaxes you. Cook delicious meals, exercise, call your loved ones, drive around town, or watch TV. School can take up a majority of your time, but it shouldn’t take up ALL of your time!
18. Set clear goals. Make daily goals and weekly goals. They can be related to school or your personal life. Plan to have a certain topic mastered by a set date.
19. Break down big tasks. Larger tasks can be overwhelming, so break it down into smaller tasks that are more manageable.
20. Reward yourself. Take a 5 minute break after studying for 30 minutes, eat some ice cream, or go to see a new movie. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, so don’t forget that!

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