Physical Therapy Personal Statement

I have been passionate about working in the medical field since I was little and found my passion in physical therapy while in high school where I was injured multiple times playing for the varsity soccer team. I was unsure of which direction of PT I wanted to follow, until my recovery from a medical condition led me to find an interest in Neuro and my passion for children grew. My love of PT continued to grow and led me to conduct research abroad, while my passion for service steered me to volunteer abroad. All of these experiences guided me to start a Pre-PT Club at my home university.
I was diagnosed at the age of 18 with Chiari Malformation Type I and 8 months later had Chiari Decompression Surgery. After the procedure, I went through Neurological In-Patient therapy at the hospital and continued with outpatient therapy after I was discharged. It was in my outpatient therapy, where I found an interest in specializing in Neuro. This led to me to observing in an outpatient neuro clinic and I felt as if I had found my own physical therapy niche; I fell in love with it. After I recovered, I made the decision to study abroad, so I spent 7 months in Australia. I interned with the Graduate Research Team at the University of Newcastle; I aided with research in how the
So I am currently spending the summer of 2016 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where I’m volunteering as a physical therapist. I am located at Home of Hope, which is a center for physically and mentally disabled children and adults. I am under the supervision of a physical therapist but am doing full hands-on work with few resources. From this experience, I know that spending my days dedicated to improving the quality of life in others has proven to me that physical therapy is the only profession for me. This experience has also opened up my eyes to the possibility of volunteering abroad once I am a Physical