RehabCare

Thanks to Dave, We Have Another Tool to Share!

We posted a link last week to a site called myptpro.com. While our sentiments haven't changed toward this site, a lot of their services do come at a premium. Thanks to our reader, Dave, we have found a new site that I'd really like to recommend. It's a brand new site, but it has alot of resources useful to students in particular. Check out rehabstudents.com today. With areas on the site such as "In the News", "Professor Says", and "Tips and Advice" it looks like it may become an exhaustive resource containing everything rehab and best of all...IT'S FREE! Looking for a job? rehabstudents.com also has job postings! (or you could always go to www.rehabcare.com to see what jobs they have open....hint, hint!) We like it! It definitely gets the RehabCare stamp of approval!

Oh, and thanks Dave! Keep the recommendations coming! Do you like rehabstudents.com site? Are sites like these helpful? Let us know! Do you, like Dave, have sites or tools that you like to use? Leave the link or info below in a comment so we can highlight them and get the word out to your fellow practitioners and students!

Why did you choose RehabCare?

Over the course of the next few weeks we will be featuring short clips of our Alumni Ambassadors telling you a little bit about why they chose RehabCare. They are all great stories! This one from Ryan Edwards, Occupational Therapist in Park Rapids, MN and alumnus of the University of North Dakota is one of my personal favorites. Take a look at Ryan's video as he talks about one of his favorite patients!

New Therapy Programs Get Green Light

             The Continuing Board for Higher Education has approved new PTA (physical therapist assistant) and OTA (occupational therapy assistant) degree programs being developed in mid-Missouri through a consortium of five community colleges and the University of Missouri School of Health Professions.  Earlier this year, RehabCare pledged $1.3 million toward the creation of these programs.  The first OTA graduates are slated for program completion in December 2010, with annual graduation rates close to 50 within the next four years.  A PTA program will be added in the next two to three years.   The Bureau of Labor Statistics predict that by 2014 there will be a shortage of over 100,000 physical, occupational and speech therapists in the U.S.

PTAs - Need a Refresher?

Are you re-entering the professional world as a Physical Therapist Assistant? Are you getting ready to begin your career as a PTA? What better way to jump start things than with a refresher course offered online through Lake Superior College. Not only will this class give you the basic knowledge needed as a PTA but you will also be able to communicate with teachers and other students via email. Need something flexible? Check out what Lake Superior has to offer at http://blog.lsc.edu/ptarefresher. Next class starts in January 2009 so make sure you sign up soon!

I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up!

Do you remember the first time you heard that tag line?  "I've fallen and I can't get up" was the popular commercial tag line for Life Call a medical alarm and protection company.  Now this line is a highly recognized punchline embedded in pop culture history.  Even though this line has provided comedic relief to many, it is a serious situation that happens to many seniors. The article posted on Therapy Times.com by Amy Storer, Brightening The Golden Years- New trends in treating the geriatric patient, talks about these seniors and just how they can prevent having to use the phrase "I've fallen and I can't get up."

"Currently, close to half of the population is expected to live 80 years or longer. But there’s a downside: The added years of life may involve declining health, loss of physical and mental capabilities as well as increased social stress. These problems contribute to loss of productivity, increased dependence and reduction in quality of life."

"In response to this challenge, experts are striving to better understand the biological processes involved in aging and age-associated diseases and discover effective methods of therapy, technology adaptations and prevention."

Buckeye Country

In my many travels, I recently made a quick but pleasant trip to Columbus, Ohio, also referred to as Buckeye Country when I was growing up. This is the second year that I have attended the Allied Health Job Fair and was impressed by both the students and faculty. I was delighted to meet the faculty at The Ohio State University  and discuss the opportunities RehabCare has to offer the student throughout his/her education and clinical experiences. I also must commend the students for their professionalism and quality of questions and interests they shared with me at the job fair. Thank you to The Ohio State  University Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy departments for making this a wonderful experience. I look forward to my next visit. GO Bucks!

What Do You Want To Be?

What do you want to be? That is a question that we all have asked ourselves at one point in our lives. At the young age of 17, I decided I wanted to be a physical therapist. Like many others in the this profession, I  encountered an injury and participated in physical therapy. I thought the world of my physical therapist and never once questioned my decision to become one. As I watch the video "You Can Be Me"  from the APTA, it reminds me of why I became a physical therapist and believe in this profession. As the video states, the physical therapist "teaches....invents...cares...motivates...enables....heals....encourages." Take a moment and watch this video, it may just be what you are looking for in a career. And remember, "You Can Be Me"