Justine's Blog

Just in case you didn’t get the pun, the tibia is the larger, weight bearing bone of the two long bones found in your leg/shank region. I really hope you enjoyed that as much as my mom did when I showed her. 

As I am finishing up the remainder of my courses this Fall to earn my degree in Kinesiology Emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy, I am finding relief that I am taking this course at what seems to be the perfect time for me. You see, I have a friend who has graduated in 2018 with a degree in Biology from SDSU and still currently works as a server in some ramen shop in Kearny Mesa. I love him, but I would rather not see myself in the same boat when that time comes for me. Luckily, this class is one that is making me prioritize setting aside time to strategize. I will be getting that piece of paper soon. Then what? 

The job I will be preparing to seek for after graduation would be a Physical Therapy Technician. It is a very easy job to go after as it only asks for at least a high school diploma or GED and you are trained on the job. You are required to do 100-200 observation hours in a physical therapy setting in order to qualify for applications to the Doctorate in Physical Therapy Program (DPT). The requirement varies from each university. Although I have already completed more than enough hours, possessing such a job would allow me to further gain valuable hands-on experience as I continue to work towards my DPT. 

A Physical Therapy Technician, also called Physical Therapy Aide, is one who assists PT’s and PTA’s in running evaluations and treatment plans. Techs are able to mobilize patients, set up and break down equipment, maintain the cleanliness of treatment areas, and record patient progress. Typically work settings are hospitals and clinics. As misleading as that may sound, this does not actually mean that the position is confined to the category of being an inside job. It is not. There are opportunities to work outside as some variations in environment are needed in some people’s rehab plan. Being an intern at the moment in a military hospital, we had a guy who was ejected from an aircraft pretty high up there, landed in the ocean feet first, broke both legs. Months after the tragedy, he was with us in outpatient physical therapy, outside our office where we have a set up of multiple stairs and ramps of different heights and inclinations.

It is common to confuse PT technicians/aides with PT assistants. Though they may seem to have some overlap, training, schooling, responsibilities and pay all our big differences between the two.  

There are a lot of facilities out there from institutions to more focused clinics. Come December I will be on a mission to look for ones specializing in spinal cord injuries or orthopedics. These can easily be found with the support of our good friend Google, by seeking out locations yourself and contacting the appropriate person, or simply by asking the PT staff who you already know. I currently work unpaid, but will be looking for a paid one once I am relieved by the burden of having homework and classes to look forward to attending. Either way, there is nothing that can take the place of the exposure and experience that I have gained so far. I have learned that this job demands for people with compassion for others. There is a lot of patients and dedication aimed for the betterment of the people you receive. Healthcare has no room for values that deviate from selflessness. With such a drive, one is able to work on keenness, optimism, attention to detail, flexibility, effective communication and everything else that a super awesome PT could possibly be.

More details on job outlook can be found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

In 2016, I found myself in a class for Microbiology which was surprisingly the loudest and most clique-y classroom experience I have ever been a part of. Perhaps it was due to its course’s difficulty in nature. To play along with that, it was an 8-week summer course. With the setting for everything, it made sense that students found themselves ready to work with the peers they found easy to assimilate with as survival was a serious subject matter. I easily found my group of bio friends. However, I believe I am an independent learner. Though I enjoy group work, I am very capable and confident in my abilities to overcome classroom obstacles on my own. You can say that I was not as desperately attached to my little group as demonstrated by some people in the class. Though I like my me time when it comes to studying, I am not completely dedicated to my isolation and would tag along whenever invited to group study sessions. Some way somehow I stumbled upon a probably the least productive group I have ever worked with. Luckily, they didn’t invite me until week 6 in preparation for the final. Here is how our “study session” looked like:

Each student had their own “successful” method of cheating the system to get away from actual studying. How? Every OG member of the group chipped in to pay for a Course Hero account and almost everybody had copies of the questions corresponding to the topic that we needed to study for in micro. The session basically consisted of this pointless game of attempting to memorize all the questions and their answers. 

I did not know what to say. The whole thing was such a joke. I don’t think I have ever regretted being a part of a study group until this one magically found its way to me. I have heard about people who decide to meet at old faithful Starbucks to work on things together, but this. THIS. It’s ridiculous! I had an A in the class. And so did they. But I actually knew the material. What. Is. Going. On???

I still think about those people. It is amazing how they have persevered through the toughest of classes with that kind of strategy and mindset. The question is, how long can they keep that up? Going to class and not learning is comparable to eating a rich meal without tasting its delicacy or receiving even an ounce of its nutrients. Education is the same way. Why live through a course and not learn a single thing? Even if the class is nowhere close to your major does not depreciate its relevance. True, it may not be as applicable as much as your other major classes, but it is nonetheless a segment of your learning experience. As a Pre-PT major, I enjoyed both my sociology classes and environmental ethics as much as I did for my list of Kinesiology courses. I am a pre-PT with a wealth in knowledge and enthusiasm in sustainability and social stratification and there is nothing wrong with that. If you need to survive a “boring” course and keep that up for 6 or 8 or 16 weeks or so, you might as well enjoy. Keep in mind, the same rule applies to the people around you. Surround yourself with people who also wish to indulge in the college experience and motivate you to be a stronger student. Make friends beyond the boundaries of your classrooms. Join a club that would help improve you academically. These suggested solutions does not seem related to original problem, but they could be. Involvement stimulates learning. Be responsible, but also enjoy the experience. There is more to college than just having the highest GPA. 

In virtually any writing activity throughout our college career, speaking from an objective perspective is the usual requirement. It is a concept that was strongly instilled in our brains especially with some professors threatening grade reduction for every single first person pronoun caught. For years we were trained to be incredibly careful not to be tempted to step on the landmines that will utterly lead to our scholarly doom. I believe that it is a fairly reasonable practice. There is a clear list of reasons as to why the convention of writing in objectivity is the preferred theme over subjectivity. It would be a bit odd if lab reports sounded too personal. “I was able to inoculate the sample onto my blood agar plate. I believe it to be the bacteria S. aureus.” That sounds very unprofessional and a bit too casual. Imagine the same lingo found in your research papers. Subjectivity suggests opinion. With opinion, hints a slight lack of reliance on evidence and facts due to the incorporation of emotions, preferences and beliefs. In addition to the seemingly lack of formality, oftentimes subjective language can be potentially depicted as holding judgement. In formal academic settings especially involving scientific research papers and studies, objectivity wins. Although objective writing could display a plethora of uses, it is undeniable that subjective work could be just as relevant. The importance of each is relative to the situation they are being used in. 

Subjectivity grants writers the power of establishing an emotional bridge to allow them to become more personal with the audience. Such a connection can invoke a stronger bond that captivates the reader. Because humans are emotional beings, subjective writing can definitely impact readers to a degree and in areas of one’s being that is not attainable by academia. When one is presenting factual information, barriers in thinking can seek to disprove what was already said to be true. Factors such as expectations and experiences could only be strongly validated through what emotions were stirred after the fact and how it truly left the individual at a personal stand point. For an example, in speaking about the big topic of sexuality, one can derive plenty of different feelings after being educated of the statistics and important historical milestones that led to the present LGBTQ movement. Take that information, and translate into it an individual story of how a pediatrician did not expect that her son was actually a daughter, a problem that medical school nor years of experience in her field did not prepare her for, and that the child was battling against depression. The op-ed talked about the battles that she and her now daughter endured through and how all of that eventually let to both of their happiness. Most readers would say the the second text brought about feelings of pain then hopefulness as they were guided to an empathic pedestal upon which to watch the rest of the story unfold.

Subjectivity can give us stories rather than the mere presentation of information. When given the opportunity, one must not waste having the ability to speak for one’s self to truly exercise our freedom of expression without the chains of rules in writing. Problems can be addressed with either option. It is up to the writer’s discretion to decide what method is appropriate for the situation. 

I honestly just wanted to travel.

When I was little, I have always been awed by the stories told by my relatives who travel to other countries. I did my best to use their words to construct the destinations in my imagination. I wanted to see the world myself with my own eyes.

The call was clear. I was meant to be a flight attendant. It made perfect sense. I loved to be outside. I yearned to explore. I spent vacations traveling to Hawaii, Washington, New York, Chicago and other beautiful places around the country.

Fast forward to years later, in the reality that is college, where I am pursuing an education that does not at all teach me the basics of anything in the long list of aviation careers. I am 24 and still do not know the in’s and out’s of working inside an actual aircraft. I guess it is because I am occupied studying Kinesiology-related subjects. I began attending SDSU as a Pre-Physical Therapy student, an aftermath of volunteer work in a hospital and witnessing treatment sessions firsthand. I love to help people and coming from a family of doctors and nurses led me to finding my passion in healthcare.

The longing to go on adventures to random countries was still there. A thought to keep on the back burner until I had the time and energy which sounded impossible with school, 2 jobs, my internship and other extracurricular activities. I always gave myself the assurance of having the freedom of doing everything that I wanted after I am finally relieved of my educational commitments. Until then, all there is to stay focused on was to succeed while keeping my sanity as I dragged myself to get through busy weeks. My days went by smoothly, but others were definitely a challenge. After 3 years of believing in my capabilities, at some point everything just shifted and there were more stressful days than there were just good ones. Fortunately, I did not go crazy. Unfortunately, I did almost lose myself.

I clocked out of one job at 1 am and needed to report to my other job at 7 am. Somewhere in between the two I fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed my car. No pun intended, but it was a hard wake up call for me and good reminder to take care of myself better. However, things didn’t get any easier after the fact. I was easily fatigued physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and everything else that ends with -ly. At some point I was not enjoying life and needed a break. It took a lot for my workaholic self to ask for time off, and when I did, I asked for a whole month.

For the first time in a while I listened to my heart and did what I wanted. Soon, I was getting ready for a trip that was different from all the others that I have went on in the past. I packed up my bags and spent 4 weeks in the Philippines, in a village I have never been to, surrounded by people I have never met, and although several times we did not have water and electricity, the camp runs out of food, and two snakes came in our room a couple of times, it was one of the best experiences in my life.

I signed up for a volunteer education project. It was not easy at all to temporarily be living in an area that is engulfed by darkness after the sun sets due to the lack of lighting in the community, or just two toilets in a campsite house of 16 girls, or with the only way to shower was with a cold bucket of water, or to be at risk of being a buffet for mosquitos each day. Every day was a blessing with so much to gain. I am incredibly thankful for the international friends I made and the hospitality and love of the village I have left a part of my heart with. It gave my perspective of travel a whole new meaning. For years, I have looked at going to foreign countries as a fun way to take things with me: culture, food, sights, knowledge, souvenirs and all that stuff. Now, the goal of the travel is to visit new places with the intention of leaving something behind. The experience made me look forward to the medical missions I am looking to be a part of after earning my Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

I do not have my doctorate yet, but I will. Right now I just have myself, and being an able-bodied individual is enough of a reason to do more for myself and the people around me.

I honestly just wanted to travel. I still do, but with a better purpose.

My name is Justine Buenaventura and I am a proud student at San Diego State University. I LOVE shoes, hiking, traveling, ice cream and being a part of the community by actively volunteering.

I am graduating in December of this year with a B.S. in Kinesiology Emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy. My ultimate educational goals are to attain my Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) and PhD in Biomechanics. I hope to embark on numerous medical missions and create a meaningful difference in the lives of many.