Anatomy - Physical Therapy by Lillian

Anatomy - Physical Therapy by Lillian - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

As a young child my parents enrolled me in a dance company as an extra-curricular activity. As it turned out, I loved dancing and enrolled in more & more classes. Because of the strenuous nature of the leaps and jumps during the dance routines, I ended up with a knee injury known as Patellar Tendonitis. My doctor recommended I attend physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around my knee.

The physical therapy office worked together with me and showed me multiple exercises to do on a daily basis. My therapist explained that by doing these exercises daily, I would not have to stop participating in dance and could continue doing an activity that I generally loved. My therapist was kind and patient with me while I complained of the pain. She pushed me to try and never give up hope since things take time to heal. She had an amazing work ethic, and I aspire to be similar to her.

My professional goal is to become a physical therapist. I intend on specializing in pediatric physical therapy which will allow me to target specific care for children in a hospital setting.

I would like to provide hope, patience and guidance to children who need to endure treatment. These children may be afraid of change; afraid of never being able to do something they had been able to do in the past. I want to provide them with the strength that “they got this,” that change is good, and they will be become a stronger individual based on the situation they are currently facing. I would like to show these patients that certain techniques and treatments will provide them with an ability to live life to its fullest.

I realize that I must have effective communication skills, so patients understand how to maintain progress after their therapy sessions. I plan to keep up to date on the latest techniques and treatments so I can provide optimal patient care. I am hoping to also help educate patients, parents, and the general public on the benefits of physical therapy. There are so many possibilities within the field of physical therapy that provides the public with the ability to continue to have a good quality of life.