physical therapy student – Page 4 – Fukuji & Lum Physical Therapy

September 30, 2016 By Mark Yanai

Introducing Ashley

Embracing Change is one of F&L’s core values that we look for in each of our employees. Every six months we get a new set of students from Northeastern University and our entire organization embraces their presence and the responsibility to care for them. This fall semester we have four new students including Colby, which I wrote about in my last blog.

Since my first Co-op blog, I’ve always used the same format when questioning the students about themselves. In trying to keep things fresh and evolving, I gave each of the Co-ops the freedom to write whatever they wanted in introducing themselves as employees of F&L. Today, we get to meet Ashley. [one_third]

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Deciding to spend my first co-op in Hawaii is probably one of the better decisions I have made. From the first time I spotted the Hawaiian site for my Co-op I knew I wanted to apply to Fukuji & Lum. However, never in a million years did I think I would actually get the honor of working with such intelligent and caring people. Being a physical therapy major, there isn’t much time to travel during the six years that I am I student. I am truly lucky to have been given the chance to be able to move to Hawaii and immerse myself in its culture for six months. [/two_third_last]

Working at Fukuji & Lum has given me opportunities that I never imagined were possible. From getting grastoned to actually taking patients through their exercise programs, I have gained so much experience that will help me become a better therapist in the future. Every day I learn something new. The people I get to work with are the best in their field, always making sure they explain things to me and that I understand, and constantly improving themselves as well.

Having the opportunity to work not only in a clinic, but a pool and front office, also gives me a chance to learn so many different aspects of therapy. Each job that I have is different and teaches me something new.

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Working in the office has taught me a lot about the paperwork aspect of therapy. Before this experience, I never knew how complicated insurance was and I have gained a lot of respect for the people who do those jobs. Being in the pool was something that made me very excited to work here. The pool is a very unique setting for therapy and one I always found fascinating. While in the pool I have learned an alternative to land therapy and it has taught me to think out of the box when it comes to coming up with helpful exercises.

So far two months (one-third) of my Hawaiian adventure has gone by and I couldn’t be more shocked. It’s hard to believe I have already spent so long in this incredible place, at a job that makes me excited to wake up every morning. It also scares me that in a few short months I’ll be heading back to freezing cold Boston in the middle of January! At least I’ll have a nice tan… I am so thankful for this experience and can not wait to use all I learned and all I will learn at Fukuji & Lum as a physical therapist one day! [/two_third]

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Happy at Work

September 27, 2016 By Mark Yanai

Introducing Colby

Every six months I interview and hire new Co-op students from Northeastern University to work with our organization as physical therapy students. From their first Skype interview to their last day in clinic, I feel the need to take care of these kids, making sure they are learning about the PT profession and experiencing life here in Hawaii. I always feel a sense of closeness to them and often wonder what it is that draws me so much to these students.

Last week I dropped my son off to college at the University of Washington for his freshman year. The feelings I had as a dad seeing my son leave home and off to a new school was of both elation and sadness. I felt so proud of him that he was taking on a new adventure and yet I was sad that from now on, I wouldn’t get to be a part of it, as I have been. I hope that the new people who become a part of this new chapter will take care of him.

And with those thoughts I realized what draws me so deeply to our Co-op students. While they are not my sons or daughters, the F&L family treats them as such. I feel like a parent watching them grow as students and prosper as employees, while guiding them along the way. I am grateful to be a part of their short stay with us and am happy to say that I had a hand in their learning process so they are able to get the most of out of their experience, whether it be in or outside of the clinical setting.

With that, I am happy to introduce our new student Co-ops this fall semester, starting with Colby.
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In a haiku, what school did you attend in high school and what’s your current college?

First, Lynnfield High School.

Next, I go to Northeastern

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What drew you to PT?
I originally was in school for Mechanical Engineering (at Northeastern University); but after shadowing some engineers the summer before my freshman year of college, I realized I didn’t see myself as an engineer in 20 years. My mom and dad have been in and out of Physical Therapy for as long as I can remember. Seeing their progress through and through has inspired me to become a part of this field that can positively affect a patient’s life.

Why did you want to do your coop in Hawaii?
I grew up in a small town right outside of Boston. If I didn’t experience living in another state outside of New England then I would be doomed to live there for the rest of my life. Hawaii is a great opportunity to see and learn about a whole new culture. Now that I’m here I can’t wait to move back.

What is the strangest thing you have eaten since arriving?
Lychee Seeds brah, dey broke da mout’!

What are your outside interests?

I really enjoy hiking, body surfing, being at the beach, photography, pick-up games of basketball, football and soccer, and playing music. I’m also involved with the musical theatre company back at school.

What is on your to do list while here?
See the other islands. Try as many foods as I can. Take lots of pictures. Get better at surfing. Take a Hula Class. Honestly, the list keeps getting longer every week just by talking to the patients and coworkers.

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What is your spirit animal?
The majestic sea cucumber.

What kind of therapist do you hope to be?
I hope that I can be a therapist that not only provides care and therapy to the patient. But can be a friend if they need it. I want to foster a relationship with my patients and coworkers that makes choosing to go to work in the morning a very easy decision. As far as what setting I’d like to work in… honestly I have no idea yet; I would love to have a chance to work at as many different settings as I can.

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Who is your greatest influence in your life?
I have many influences in my life, all equally important to me. I can’t say one is greater than the rest because I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of them. An important influence has been my parents though. Being able to go home one day and fix them would be one of the most rewarding experiences. Another influence is seeing a patient’s path to recovery from start to finish. I’m glad and hope that I will always be able to relish and share the joy of getting a patient back to their “old selves”.

Happy at Work

September 12, 2016 By Mark Yanai

The Awesome Experience of Finding Yourself

One of the rewards of working with physical therapy students is being able to witness their amazing growth during their time with us. At the end of their internship, students normally see the success they accomplished with their work and have the realization of a learned skill. But with the Northeastern Co-Op students, it’s often a lot more than what happens in the clinical setting. They end up discovering their identity of who they really are and want to be in life.

While the experience of being in Hawaii for six months seems like an extended vacation, it is often much more than that. There’s a saying “You never leave a place you love, you take a part of it with you, leaving a part of you behind.” I find this is true for many of the Co-Ops, but much more so with Kara, one of our 5 Co-ops this past semester. When I first posted a blog introducing her back in Febuary, she wrote about her hopes to finding out what kind of therapist she could be. Six months went by fast and I could describe her tremendous growth in my words, but it’s more clear when you hear it from her.

My Co-Op Experience: Kara

So I guess now that I’m done with my first semester back I have no more excuses to not write this blog. It’s a big undertaking, however, because I am not particularly adept at putting my feelings and experiences into coherent thoughts. My usual encounter with anyone asking me how my 6-month co-op was in Hawaii might be something like this:

“So how was Hawaii?” Internal dialogue: ‘Ohmygosh it was so great I had so much fun I learned so much Fukuji and Lum is awesome they actually care so much about the co-ops and that we are having a good/educational time and the islands were great/magical/more than I ever imagined and I made friends and swam in the ocean with cute sea creatures and almost fell off a few mountains and ohmygosh I got so fit biking to work every day but it was scary in the rain and everyone was always so concerned and supportive of everything that we did and looked out for us like family wait what was I saying? What I actually say: “uhhhh…. Awesome?!?!”

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I’m pretty sure no one wants to hear me babble on like that, but that’s pretty much still all I can do. I cannot describe what a great experience working for Fukuji & Lum was, or how much all of my amazing coworkers mean to me. It wasn’t just 6 months of sun and fun in a tropical paradise, although there was plenty of that, I was welcomed into the F&L family as a long-lost relative. The Hawaiian concept of Ohana is now engrained in me, not by being told the definition over and over, but by being shown over and over in the kindness and love of everyone I encountered.

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The experience I gained in the different clinics will shape the type of therapist I become. Up till now, being a physical therapist was a VERY distant dream. Being back from Fukuji and Lum and taking classes this summer, this is the first time I have actually felt this dream was attainable. Working as a therapist was something I wanted to do, but honestly up till now it was something I never actually felt I was capable of doing. I continued semester after semester with the growing feeling that I wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t smart enough. The people at Fukuji and Lum have been great mentors, and the confidence they have shown in me has in turn made me more confident. Since returning from Hawaii I find I have been able to accept the fact that no, I don’t know everything, but that’s ok, that’s what the rest of my education is for.

I am grateful for everything I came away from Hawaii having learnt and seen. In those magical 6 months I made lifelong friends, ate strange and delicious foods (does anyone want to send me some haupia?? no??), collected a hodgepodge of the culture and language, explored, learned much about myself, and fell in love…. with the Islands! So from the bottom of my heart, Mahalo Nui Loa!

Happy at Work

August 29, 2016 By Mark Yanai

More Than Teamwork

Earlier this year, F&L was fortunate to have five Co-Op students join us from Northeastern University as an education requirement of their physical therapy graduate program. Our relationship with the university is now going on nine years as we’ve hosted more than 20 students for their six-month stay at our clinics. Most of the students are placed at our Windward clinics, but since we had five of them this semester, one lucky Co-op was set to join our newest clinic in Honolulu, the Kuakini Physicians Tower in the Kuakini Medical Center.

When conducting interviews for the Co-Op Program, I look for candidates who will fit in well with our value-based organization. I knew that the student selected for our Honolulu clinic would have to be someone who could handle new and different challenges than previous co-ops. It didn’t take long for me to select Amelia, a fourth year student, to be the one to join our Honolulu team and be a part of the opening of our newest clinic. I was impressed by her maturity and work ethic and knew she would fit right in. It’s not surprising that the name Amelia is derived from the Latin words for “industrious” and “striving” as she fits the bill of what we look for in each of our employees.

Amelia is now back to her studies in Boston, but took the time to be a guest blogger for us and reflect on her experience working at the Honolulu clinic.

Guest Blogger: Amelia and the Meaning of “Team-work”

When I initially heard a week before coming to Hawaii that I would be the Co-Op joining the Honolulu clinic, I’ll admit I had a few reservations. My worries about being the only Co-Op at the clinic and the commute without a car were soon washed away and I couldn’t be more grateful to have been a part of the Kuakini family. As cheesy as it sounds, I never fathomed how inspiring and life-changing my experience at the Honolulu clinic would be. On my first day at Fukuji & Lum, a little silver Pontiac Vibe pulled into my driveway just after noon and drove me to see Lanikai beach. This would be the first of many car rides over the Pali Highway full of conversations with Art Lum, from which I have learned a great deal and truly cherish. During that first car ride Art explained to me the values based-culture of F&L, to which I could do little more than nod my head politely in reply.

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[one_half_last]However, after reflecting on my experience it is something I more deeply understand and hope to take with me as a clinician for the rest of my life. I’ve heard many peers and friends talk about the great “team” attitude they share with their coworkers and I’ve experienced it myself at other jobs, but there is something really unique about the F & L culture that makes it so special. I’m not quite sure I can put that into words, but I do know that each person I had the pleasure of working with in Honolulu for has influenced who I will become as a clinician and as a person. [/one_half_last]

[one_half]Art, Shaw, Brittany, Mike, Michelle, Lynn, Julie, and Terrence all went out of their way to make me feel at home; from feeding me endless Hawaiian snacks to teaching me new exercises to giving me weekend tips. They were continuously patient, kind, and supportive of me, of one another, and most importantly of our patients. Each of them brought something special to the table and our bond extended beyond the doors of the clinic to weekend hikes, Filipino restaurants, and Karaoke sessions. They showed me just what the F&L culture is all about and I hope to carry that with me wherever I go. [/one_half]

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Mauka a Makai

After cruising past Lanikai beach on that first day in Honolulu, Art and I headed over the mountains. He explained to me the first Hawaiian words I learned on the island, mauka and makai, to describe the mountains and the ocean. These words stuck with me and have come to mean a lot to me. Art marveled at how lovely the mountains looked that afternoon, and I can remember admiring that after many years in Hawaii he still found a new appreciation for the beauty of his surroundings every day. The beauty of the island was everywhere in Hawaii, filling my heart with joy day after day.

In the 6 months I spent in having some of the most beautiful experiences of my life I came to an understanding that I have taken with me back to Boston. We often think tropical islands are the most beautiful places in the world, yearning for them in daydreams and ending up unsatisfied or unhappy by our own current surroundings. But the simple realization that it is much more about attitude than it is about surroundings has made me more gracious and appreciative, and ultimately more happy. Hawaii has taught me to find beauty and happiness wherever I stand, mauka a makai. Joy can be found under streetlights and in sunsets if I open my eyes to it.

Happy at Work

August 18, 2016 By Mark Yanai

2016 Volunteer Recognition Dinner

The Start of the Next Generation

A profession is defined as “a type of job that requires special education, expertise or skill.” When working in the physical therapy profession, it is more than just a job. It is as most therapists say, “their true calling”, with a strong desire to spend the rest of their lives committed to this profession. At F&L, we are so passionate and engrossed in physical therapy, that we feel the need to share our enthusiasm with PT hopefuls to strengthen and promote physical, occupational and massage therapy.

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Each year, we accept 20-30 volunteers ranging from high school to college graduate students. The program is overseen by Brad Kaya, P.T., M.S., O.C.S., who coordinates the supervision and scheduling of the applicants. Accepted students of the program will receive first hand experience at one of our four outpatient orthopedic clinics. They are trained as regular staff members and become ambassadors of the organization. Students are encouraged to foster relationships with experienced therapists so that they gain valuable knowledge in preparation for applying into a graduate PT program.

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F&L recognizes the efforts and contributions of our volunteers by hosting a special Volunteer Appreciation Dinner every summer at one of our clinics. This year’s dinner was held at our Kokokahi facility and attended by 17 students. The event included staff speakers who shared their personal journeys about how they got into the PT profession and gave helpful advice to the students interested in applying for PT school. I never tire of listening to my co-workers and their experiences about getting into physical therapy school. We often have a great turnout and I always leave the dinner with admiration for our staff members as they themselves volunteer their time to come and talk to students interested in applying for PT school.

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As therapists, we all recall volunteering somewhere to find our calling and remember the day that we realized it was to work in the physical therapy field. It feels rewarding to give back to this profession, knowing we were able to give these volunteers the opportunity to discover their true calling. We look forward to seeing this next generation of therapists in the future, possibly working with us soon.

If you have any questions regarding the Volunteer Program, feel free to email me at [email protected].

Happy at Work

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Tag: physical therapy student

Introducing Ashley

Introducing Colby

The Awesome Experience of Finding Yourself

More Than Teamwork

2016 Volunteer Recognition Dinner