meet Howard, DPT Student
I fell in love with the profession as I did more research into what physical therapy entails and how vast and fulfilling this career can be. Dealing with injuries of my own, it allows me to empathize with those who are doing the same and helping them get through these obstacles to get their life back is very empowering for me, as well as the patients.
Why did you decide to enter the field of Physical Therapy?
Originally, I came into college as an intended computer engineering major however I realized that did not work out by the end of the first semester. I discovered physical therapy through a casual conversation with an old friend back in 2013 and I realized how similar it was to my hobby of weightlifting. I fell in love with the profession as I did more research into what physical therapy entails and how vast and fulfilling this career can be. Dealing with injuries of my own, it allows me to empathize with those who are doing the same and helping them get through these obstacles to get their life back is very empowering for me, as well as the patients. I want to be able to spend a longer duration of time with each patient and be a guide on each individual back on track to regain control and live a healthier, pain-free life.
What is your background?
I am currently in my final one of two clinical rotations as a 3rd year DPT student. I graduated with my BS in Exercise Science from the University at Buffalo in 2017. I was born in China and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. In my free time, I am an avid weightlifter and continue to use that hobby as a supplement to improve how I practice PT. I enjoy eating many things, the tastier the better especially a good steak and Korean BBQ.
What is your specialty/niche when it comes to being a future physical therapist?
I hope to become an orthopedic specialist as I develop my career as a physical therapist. Becoming proficient in strength and conditioning and driving the narrative of “rehab is training” with the way I practice is very important to me. Finding ways to deal with injuries without regressing has always been something I have been looking for as someone who deals with his own injuries. Similar to the APTA vision statement for our profession, I want to be able to transform society by optimizing movement to improve quality of life.
What are you most looking forward to joining the Rehab 2 Perform team?
The mentorship I have seen via social media and R2P’s emphasis on that model to empower future physical therapist is something I most look forward to. I think this was one of the most important decisions on choosing my internship and I believe R2P provides that benefit for me to become a better clinician. The educational opportunities R2P has for their interns seem to exceed my expectations already and I hope to take advantage of all of them.
What are your plans on trying to engage and connect with the community?
I want to utilize the ability to reach a worldwide audience via social media to spread the word of the physical therapy profession and what we can provide for the world and how we can improve people’s movement quality to better their life. In addition, hosting tabling events to provide informational pamphlets and social engagement to local communities will be beneficial to positively influence how people view physical therapy and to educate what we can provide to them.