Advice for future Hawken Projects

 After the first handful of days of my project, I wasn’t sure I made the right choice working with Cardinal. It didn’t feel like the right fit because I felt very out of place. As mentioned in previous blog posts, I was uncomfortable with many of the people in the clinic, to begin with, but as a few days passed, I slowly became more comfortable with my surroundings. I openly talked with the patients about my life and interests. They did the same. I have begun to make genuine connections with some of the patients. If I have a piece of advice for all of the students who go on to do Hawken projects next year, it would be to fully devote yourself to what you are doing. It would be easy for me to do the bare minimum at Cardinal. I would clean the equipment, fold the laundry, and get the patients their water and equipment. But instead, I have fully dived into this field and process. If I see something interesting that one of the therapists is doing to a patient, I ask what they are working on and how that helps the patient in their recovery process. When I see a new device, I wonder what it helps with, so I ask. The therapists have even been kind enough to let me try some of these devices when there are few patients in the clinic. Perhaps my favorite part is walking through the room and seeing someone who looks a little lonely. I have learned a lot of new things through my conversations with these patients. My experience with Cardinal has been eye-opening, but I think the biggest thing I can attribute this experience to is the fact that I have dove into this process and everything it holds.

Comments

  1. BrandtMay 26, 2023 at 7:54 AM

    Excellent reflection, Dom. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone has helped you develop a new skill, as well as a realization of the complete process of working with patients. It is not just the physical therapy but the whole picture of setting the right tone for a patients visit, putting them in the right mindset to be able to achieve their goals in therapy. Good advice for future projects.

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