Questions??

I just got back from my rural placement in Geraldton and other than a few minor assignments, I am DONE as a Curtin Physiotherapy student. It hasn't really sunk in yet, probably won't for awhile. I'm still getting over leaving another placement, saying goodbye to my patients. It's hard to choose a favourite placement but I think this one has brought it all together. This was and is the way a final placement should be.

I basically ran the entire outpatient physiotherapy clinic, from seeing the most patients indvidually and running all the community group classes. Most of everything that I was worried about prior to this placement was answered during this prac. From things like treating patients in a realilstic time frame to my ability to create and run a motivating group exercise class.

One big thing that I've realized is that I have to ask more questions. Some supervisors have suggested that I ask more questions but I always said that I'm not a questions person. My entire life I've always been the one in the back, just listening and absorbing everything in. I've tried to ask more questions but it's more of asking for the sake of asking and not actually having a question.

I've realized during this placement that I do need to ask more questions. It might be the way I was brought up and was taught to think but I find it difficult asking people for help. I hate depending on people but yet I get disappointed when people don't ask me for help. It was drilled in my head that you should not depend on others. Nothing will get done if you let others do it. In a sense, it's true. It's been extremely frustrating whenever I have to call other hospitals or try to call a doctor regarding a patient. Things are done extremely slow, if at all. But I need to realize that no one is expected to know everything, especially a student or new grad. Sometimes my doubts are very simple and it'll make me look incompetent if I do ask so I try to figure it out myself. It's weird because it seems as though I have an incredible about of confidence in front of my patients and sometimes so little that I can't even ask my supervisor about a simple question. I realize now that it's better to ask because it's not really about me, it's about the patients and their well being. It was almost like a lightbulb that went off during this placement.