Reflecting on my Summer Internship Experience
January 17th, 2020 — Growing up in the Northern Virginia region, I was very excited to have found such a great opportunity at the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research near home. For about the next three months before beginning my Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) program at Northern Virginia Community College, I would learn, first-hand, about the importance of funding physical therapy research.
Not knowing what to anticipate, I began my first day with a tour around the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the Foundation offices. I learned more about the affiliations of both organizations. For the first couple of weeks, I was assigned with tasks related to the upcoming NEXT conference, such as creating PowerPoints and slides for the Awards Luncheon, as well as the famous PT Party. Working with staff on various tasks in preparing for the annual event gave me insight into the details of event-planning. It was amazing to see how our preparations played out at the NEXT Conference in Chicago.
I also worked with various departments within the Foundation and saw how they operated. I was tasked with updating researcher profiles for their new website. In learning more about the application process and the vigorous funding selection methods, helped me see the value Foundation staff was contributing to the Physical Therapy profession.
One of the biggest accomplishments during my time interning, was updating the database of donors. By clearing out invalid addresses, both resources and overall staff time updating the database were substantially cut.
Towards the end of my internship, I visited the DPT program at Virginia Commonwealth University. The program had just moved into a brand new facility, so not only did we tour one of the top DPT programs in the nation, but also got a glimpse of the new facility, even before some of their students. Meeting past Foundation-funded recipients and seeing their research first-hand was a memorable experience. This experience allowed me to witness funding from the Foundation come to fruition.
It seems like the summer has quickly flown by. I can’t thank the staff enough for the hospitality and the learning experience they provided. As I prepare to go back to school for the PTA Program, I feel I am equipped with more insight and knowledge about the PT world. I am eager to apply this new found knowledge as I move forward with my career path in this profession.
Natalie Kwon is a graduate of James Madison University with a degree in Health Sciences and will be starting her associates program in Physical Therapy Assistant. She begins her PTA program at Northern Virginia Community College in August.
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