Katrina Francis

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

As a physical therapist, I help patients recover from illnesses and injuries. I help people heal with different forms of exercise, massage, and other hands-on techniques and even use different modalities like electrical currents and sound waves. I have mostly worked with older folks, but patients can range in age from 1 day old to 100+ years old!

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I decided to be a physical therapist in high school. My school had a mandatory job shadow and I first went on a shadow with a physical therapist. I thought the job was so much fun, and I liked how creative you could be. I also had a very good friend who had Down's Syndrome, and I initially wanted to work with kids with special needs. However, once I got to school, I realized that my true passion was actually to work in the hospital setting.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

I spent time shadowing physical therapists in different settings to see what the job was like.