February Recap – – Semester 1
2 months down, 14 months to go! With midterms right around the corner, my classmates and I have really started to crack down on our studying. We are all definitely feeling the pressure to do well, being that these exams will be our first big tests of the semester; The first big tests at IIOP in general actually. With that being said, we all are just longing to do well to prove our worth at school and feel that first big success leading us into our futures.
This past month has been a lot like the first. Learning, learning, and more learning. It has been exciting though because now that we have a small grasp on the basics, we can start weening our way into more hands-on work. For example, I would say we all have a pretty good grasp on lower extremities at this point in the semester. So, in lab, we were able to palpate and test those muscles on one another while learning about pathologies and abnormalities we may come across in the field. Fortunately, my classmates and I are all pretty average, so we just palpated and tested muscle function with one another. Dr.O has been an amazing help with all of this, as well, with her past experience and special talent to make us all feel at ease and comfortable. Because if we are being honest, as great as friends we have all become to be, it can be a little weird basically throwing your classmates leg over your shoulder to test that ROM of the hip ya know.
Another exercise we have all really been enjoying on top of lecture is practicing taking patient history. We have been doing this more in a group setting to help bounce ideas off of one another and give helpful criticism on what we did well verses what we could improve on. It also gives a bit of free range to loosen up and take on a role as a fifty-year-old with adhesive capsulitis or an eight-year-old with osteomyelitis. (Not to name any names, but some people are definitely better actors than others lol – – although I think my classmates all know that)
On top of lecture and lab though, we did get a really special treat this past month. Being that IIOP has P&O clinic within its facility, we were allowed to sit in and observe a patient receiving a brand-new leg for a recent amputation. For me especially, it brought me back to my happy place. Seeing someone so thankful and overjoyed takes you to a state of what I can only describe as “pure.” I had been feeling so stressed with school and the worries of not preforming well on my upcoming exams, and this one patient visit was the perfect reminder of why I am here and that this stress is worth it in the end. This is something I will forever be thankful for with IIOP because I do not believe we would have been graced with this little moment anywhere else.
If I can leave you with anything from this quick blog, let it be remembered that “Every good thing you do creates ripples that you may not see. Do them anyway.” – Unknown
Enjoy!
Savanna Stumpf
