Name of Professional: Rachel de los Santos
Profession/Title: Physical Therapist
Business/Company Name: The Carrell Clinic
Date of Interview: October 2, 2020
Assessment:
On October 2nd, I conducted my second research interview with Rachel de los Santos from the Carrell Clinic. I was very much looking forward to this interview because Mrs. de los Santos is one of the physical therapists who helped me along my own recovery journey. She is very intelligent, funny, and gave me very insightful and well-thought out answers to my questions as well as advice that will no doubt help me with my research and exploration of the field.
First and foremost, the most interesting thing I learned during my interview with Mrs. de los Santos is that she, herself has never had an injury that required any formal physical therapy in the recovery. I found this to be a bit curious, seeing as every other person I have asked, professionals and students alike, have had an experience of some form as a patient in the field of physical therapy. But not Mrs. de los Santos! She told me that, while she has had very many injuries in her lifetime, she has never actually had to go in for extensive physical therapy for one. When I asked her how she got interested in physical therapy, she responded by saying that she always wanted to be a doctor - she just never knew what kind. She discovered her love for physical therapy by volunteering and interning, where she found it to be a great blend of quality time with the patient, science, healthcare, biomechanics, exercise, and the sports that she loved. I am very glad I asked this question and got the response she gave me because, prior to this interview, I had never thought about how someone might get interested in physical therapy without having been a patient themselves. It forced me to open my eyes a little bit and I am grateful for that new perspective from Mrs. de los Santos.
I also asked Mrs. de los Santos about physical therapy school and residency. She said that, while it was admittedly very crazy, she loved physical therapy school and had the time of her life. Mrs. de los Santos got her Bachelor’s in Science of Kinesiology and had a blast with all of the kinetic sciences that were involved. She went to a small school with only 38 people in her cohort, so they became very tight knit and she made many lasting friendships. She claims that was her greatest benefit and advised me to go to any school where there are too many students and not enough faculty because the better you know your faculty, the better your experience is. When I asked her about her experience with the NPTE (National Physical Therapy Exam), she informed me that, while she did very well, she had to work very hard for it, seeing as she studied by reading the NPTE book… three whole times over. I was very impressed by Mrs. de los Santos’ love of her profession and diligence towards it.
I I concluded the interview by asking Mrs. de los Santos what her favorite part of being a physical therapist was, and her response did not disappoint. She loves the challenge it brings and is always striving to better herself at whatever she can in order to be a great physical therapist. She also loves being a part of healthcare in a positive way because it’s very rewarding to her. But most of all, Mrs. de los Santos’ favorite part of being a physical therapist is the constant interaction with people from diverse backgrounds. It makes her heart happy to meet and help new people and make new friends every day.
My interview with Rachel de los Santos was - simply put - wonderful. I like her as not only a person but as a physical therapist, too. She is kind, smart, and great at what she does. I am very grateful for our interview and the time I got to spend learning from her.