First thoughts....

Week 1 over! (if you can count it a first week since there were only 4 work days) The week started rough when I had to be there at 5:15am the first day and didn't leave until 4:45pm. We were busy the entire day and my CI gave me an entire eval in spanish. My PT skills and spanish skills are no where near ready for that level of performance so it was pretty intimidating! Wednesday was another 11 hr day and I almost found myself in tears when my CI was getting upset with me about things that he assumed I knew but he had never communicated to me. He's someone that only likes things done his way and if you don't do it his way then you will get chewed out. Thursday was a little better because I decided to roll with the punches and try not to let his snide comments bother me. Friday was great- I overhead my CI talking about how well I'm doing in the clinic and that made me feel much better about the situation at the clinic. I know that I have a lot to grow in and learn but it's nice to know that at least I have potential.
One thing I learned at work this week is just how much I love people. I love the 4'11 Hispanic elderly woman who is so cute and I have the priviledge of teaching her how to walk properly while we chat in Spanish. I love the Polish elder who has been battling with colon cancer and he told me about how he was so depressed with the cancer and chemo and he thought he was on his deathbed but after starting PT his emotional and physical well being has completely turned around. I love the athletic kids who come in and my CI says "hey, heres the exercises we've been doing and we need to progress them" so then I get to use any piece of equipment  in the gym and design new exercsies to challenge that specific muscle group we need to strengthen. I seriously think I could design challenging exercises programs like that all day, everyday. I just love working and helping people.
I decided my main goal for my clinical is to make every single patients' day better. I realize this is a hard goal- sometimes the patient doesn't want to be there so it's hard to have passion while working with them. Other times you're not in the mood because you have 3 other patients you're working with and a million other notes and things to catch up on. Even though it will be difficult I really want to strive towards the goal of making every patients' day better in some way- whether small or big. Along with making every patients' day I decided I want to pray for every single patient I see during the day. I dont care if that's 10 patients a day like I would see in Iowa or if that's 18 patients that I will see in a day in Chicago- I want to pray for every single one of them, every single day. It doesn't have to be a long prayer or anything extravagant but just a short simple prayer that God would bless them.
I feel challenged and committed to learn from every single patient I encounter and every single PT I work with as well. It doesn't matter whether I want to be like them or I want to be the opposite of them, I know that I can learn something from everyone I meet. From my CI I learned that patients really like feeling respected and I also have learned many valuable PT skills. From one of my young patients I learned about the activism work that she is really involved in in the city and I also learned how there is a naked bike ride in Chicago every summer (one is taking place next weekend and for anyone thats wondering I will not be taking part in it. It was a hard decision but I just didn't feel comfortable with the idea of being NAKED on a bike- that's seriously messed up. The worst part is that 1000's of people do it. Dang this city is crazy!)

 so to sum up my goals for my clinical:

1. make every patients' day better

2. pray for every patient

3. learn from every single person I encounter