'I learn the ropes and shadow the physical therapists.'

Nichole Taylor

Major: Kinesiology, Pre-Physical Therapy specialization

Internship Aiding physical therapists at Olympic Physical Therapy on Mercer Island.

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What are you doing on your internship?

I turn over patient rooms, print out and go over exercises for patients recommended by the therapists, learn the ropes behind the desk and shadow the physical therapists while they perform and give exercises to patients.

How did you find your internship?

In high school, I was taking physical therapy at this clinic and saw interns working there. That was when I decided that I wanted to become a Physical Therapist.

Why did you want this internship?

My kinesiology program at Western requires a 15 credit, 360 hour internship in order to graduate from the major. Another reason is that all Physical Therapy graduate programs and schools require a minimum of 200 hours in a clinical setting. Lastly, I wanted the internship to get a deepened experience and idea of what my future career entails. I was very excited to get to intern with my future peers and learn what it is like to work in this field.

How can students get the most out of an internship experience?

I feel that students need to completely dedicate themselves to their internship. They should be asking questions constantly to fully engage and learn all they can about the area. The people that you are interning along with know their stuff and have chosen you to intern for a reason, utilize it.

Do you have any advice for families of students?

My advice is to push your student to work towards what they really love and actually let them do what they love. Others around them will benefit more from someone who passionately loves their work.

How has Western prepared you for your internship?

The classes that I have taken at Western through my major have benefited me the most. The knowledge that I gained from my core Kinesiology classes helped me tremendously during my internship; I was able to grasp what was going on at the clinic on a more in-depth anatomical level rather than just observing.