Personal Reflective Essay Sample

There was a young boy at the Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children; Wyndell, who made a notable impact on my continued interest in pursuing a career in the physical therapy field. I was a volunteer at Kapi’olani for 9 months and experienced shadowing patients who had a range of diagnosis including osteosarcoma, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, but one case that sparked my passion was a child with encephalitis. Wyndell was only 13 years old and had been diagnosed with encephalitis, which is acute inflammation of the brain caused either by infection or the immune system attacking brain tissue.
I met Wyndell when his spirit was down. He did not have the normal high energy level that you would expect from most teens at age 13. He felt weak and did not want to engage in conversation unless necessary information needed to be retrieved. He was also highly irritable and did not want to partake in his daily exercises. Wyndell was a special case for me to observe, because I was not familiar with children experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or loss of interest. I want to be knowledgeable in dealing with patients experiencing feelings of hopelessness. I feel like I can make a difference in patients’ lives who feel as if they have lost their joy, after I learn the proper measures to take in cases such as

He made me realize that patients are not always going to be motivated and excited to undergo rehabilitation. Sometimes patients will be at the lowest point they’ve ever been in their life, and as their therapist, it is important to be able to develop skills to be able to properly handle patients in this condition. I want to be able to develop these skills and apply them in my career as a physical therapist. I am thankful for my experience with Wyndell, because it assured me that physical therapy is something that I am passionate about and I will continue to take steps toward being