My Co-op Experience in Hawaii – by Becky C.

Describe one highlight you experienced outside the clinic.

It is hard to choose a highlight outside of the clinic because the island has so much beauty and adventure to offer, but I would say one experience that has stuck out to me was watching the moonrise at Lanikai beach. I have been able to see many sunrises in my life, but I had never heard about a moonrise before. It was so surreal to be sitting in the complete darkness on the beach and then watching the moon slowly peak out from the water on the horizon. The moon emitted such a strong light and glowed up the entire beach. It was a magical experience that I will never forget.

What was the one highlight you experienced in the clinic?

In the clinic, my favorite experiences were forming relationships with patients with teaching them exercises and hearing their personal stories. I really enjoyed getting to know all the patients with their welcoming, enjoyable, and enthusiastic attitudes.

Who had the most impact on you during your time here?

The entire WORC clinic had such a large impact on me during my co-op. I spent most of my time at this clinic and the entire staff made me feel so welcomed! They were all willing to teach me something new whether that was the therapists, aides, or front office. I learned so much about different aspects within PT and about the operations of running a clinic. I will be forever grateful to the WORC family for making my experience so special and especially fun! There was never a day I didn’t laugh working in the clinic!

If you had to choose one word about your experience, what word would you choose?

One word that would describe my experience would be GROWTH. By working in the clinic, I gained confidence in my interpersonal and PT skills. I also feel I had personal growth and gained a new perspective on life with not stressing over the little things and having a deeper appreciation for my surroundings in the beautiful world we live in. I am so grateful to have had an incredible experience in clinic and out of clinic.

From this experience, what intentions will you have going forward with your career?

From this experience, I hope to carry forward the vast experiential knowledge gained from working in the clinic and the “Aloha Spirit”. I have enjoyed learning about a holistic approach to PT and hope to continue to do that in my future PT practice. What the “Aloha Spirit” means to me is being caring and empathetic towards others and being widely accepting of myself and others. I also hope to continue make genuine connections with my future coworkers and patients.