So my first clinical, what to expect?

Last semester of the program! We are going 6 weeks of school then our 1st clinical of 4 weeks then return to finish 6 weeks of school followed by 2 five week clinicals in the summer. Ideally they will place us in a SNF, acute, and outpaient. Being in Hawaii I'm not sure I'll get all 3 but I at least requested a SNF for my first one.

I've got all this info floating in my head and I'm a little nervous naturally. I'm expecting embarrassing moments and brain farts but any tips or advice/expectations (or words of encouragement lol) are welcome!
Thank you

Clarification: this program used to be 2 years but they changed it to a 1 year program of 2 17hour semesters plus 9hours in the summer. Pretty intense but worth it. So last semester we had pro bono patients that we were able to work with at our school so we could get a tad experience but no CI was involved besides our PT & PTA instructors. So this is my first actual clinical.

Why is it that I enter the 3 numbers in the box like 6 times before a post?... sorry if it ends up showing a lot of posts.

You are going to have a great experience! I had my 1st rotation last semester in acute care and it was intensely hard but thoroughly enjoyable! Your CI will understand that this is a learning experience and will hopefully pass along their good skills and habits. A word of caution, grow a thick skin to criticism and realize that it is not a personal attack but an opportunity for you to learn from! My 1st CI was kinda tough as nails at first but because the setting demanded a lot, but ultimately our CI's take on this position to give back to their profession and want to see us succeed! The best of luck, relax and allow all the knowledge you have learned integrate into the experience!

mr.SPTA in Ewa Beach, Hawaii said: Why is it that I enter the 3 numbers in the box like 6 times before a post?... sorry if it ends up showing a lot of posts.

Almostthere in Austin, Texas said: You are going to have a great experience! I had my 1st rotation last semester in acute care and it was intensely hard but thoroughly enjoyable! Your CI will understand that this is a learning experience and will hopefully pass along their good skills and habits. A word of caution, grow a thick skin to criticism and realize that it is not a personal attack but an opportunity for you to learn from! My 1st CI was kinda tough as nails at first but because the setting demanded a lot, but ultimately our CI's take on this position to give back to their profession and want to see us succeed! The best of luck, relax and allow all the knowledge you have learned integrate into the experience!

Hey thanks! I like to hear about other people's experiences. It kind of relaxes me a little. I appreciate your post, thanks!

mr.SPTA in Ewa Beach, Hawaii said: Last semester of the program! We are going 6 weeks of school then our 1st clinical of 4 weeks then return to finish 6 weeks of school followed by 2 five week clinicals in the summer. Ideally they will place us in a SNF, acute, and outpaient. Being in Hawaii I'm not sure I'll get all 3 but I at least requested a SNF for my first one.

I've got all this info floating in my head and I'm a little nervous naturally. I'm expecting embarrassing moments and brain farts but any tips or advice/expectations (or words of encouragement lol) are welcome!
Thank you

I am a current student as well and just completed my second rotation. The first experience was really rewarding and I looked forward to being there each day. My second rotation was with a hand specialist and he had very high expectations and kept me on my toes. I dreaded showing up each day because he was so scary! But after I was done the text material that I had previously used to study had become too general in its information—for the hands anyway. I was shocked at how much I had learned all the while thinking that I was not doing very well.
All this to say, don't worry, not matter what your Clinical Instructor is like, or how many brain farts (lol) you experience you will come away with so much more knowledge and will grow as a student and practitioner.
Good Luck!!

By the way, I entered this going on 5 times now :)

spta in Chandler, Arizona said: I am a current student as well and just completed my second rotation. The first experience was really rewarding and I looked forward to being there each day. My second rotation was with a hand specialist and he had very high expectations and kept me on my toes. I dreaded showing up each day because he was so scary! But after I was done the text material that I had previously used to study had become too general in its information—for the hands anyway. I was shocked at how much I had learned all the while thinking that I was not doing very well.
All this to say, don't worry, not matter what your Clinical Instructor is like, or how many brain farts (lol) you experience you will come away with so much more knowledge and will grow as a student and practitioner.
Good Luck!!

By the way, I entered this going on 5 times now :)

LOL at how many times you entered it! Small world too! I used to be a Harley Davidson mechanic at Chandler Harley Davidson and Hacienda Harley in Scottsdale before that. (and to Almostthere I'm originally from Dallas, TX.) Kinda crazy... Anyhow, I thank you for your post. Again, it is posts like yours that calms me a bit. I think I'll have many brain farts but I'm sure I'll be okay. As far as skills that I have learned I'm cool with. But finding the questions to ask the patient by the 2nd week has me nervous...(apparently we are to be taking a patient independently x1 an hr by the 2nd week). Ugh. I suppose focus on the GOT and go from there but at this stage it's easy to have thoughts flooding your brain.