Niha D

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

There's a joke in the PT world that most of us end up in the field after being a patient. I'm a dancer and I was seriously dancing in high school preparing for an extended solo performance when my knees just started getting really bad. Long story short, PT was recommended. I began college wanting to go into healthcare but I hated the idea of nursing or being a doctor secondary to needles and blood. I chose pharmacy. One of my friends actually laughed in my face when I told her and said that, "I know you, and you're not one of the people who is going to be a pharmacist," and I took it to heart. I remembered how friendly and warm PT clinics were and I started looking into that. I observed a few PTs, and the rest is history.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

Protect yourself. You can't help others if you've damaged yourself trying to get to where you are. Eat healthy, sleep on time, work promptly and take breaks. You and your patients benefit more from someone who's at their best.

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

Clubs and volunteering. You can't be taught how to talk to people, you just have to experience it. I volunteered in every area I could, not just healthcare, with as many different walks of life as possible. I also just tried to experience life. One thing they don't tell you is you're spending a lot of time with these patients, and you start to get to know them, which means they start to get to know you. Being able to commiserate about trying a restaurant in the area or recommending a book for their book club may seem small, but it builds a lasting relationship with your patients.

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

When a patient first comes in, I ask them to tell a story about their injury, then I look them over using my testing skills. From there, I determine a plan to help them get better and how to treat themselves at home with exercise, self care, and sometimes equipment.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

Try everything. One of my teachers told me and I carry it with me. One of the great things in physical therapy is that we can go to any medical field we want. We can do PT with heart patients, end of life care, post surgery, kids, elderly, etc. We work in hospitals, schools, and are even getting into corporations and offices. Before I finally settle down, I'm going to try to go as many different places as I can.