Reflections on balancing being a clinician and educator as a physical therapist
With the spring semester in full swing at USC, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the juggling act that we often find ourselves in when we, as clinicians, take on multiple roles: clinician, faculty member, clinical instructor, researcher, etc. What are the benefits? What are the struggles? Is it possible to be proficient at all of them (especially at the same time)? Teaching in the classroom allows me to challenge myself not only by making sure I know what the best practice is for my patients, but also by holding me accountable to be able to teach it to other soon-to-be physical therapists. I end up asking myself many questions…Is this the best technique? Is that assessment considered best practice? Are there other ways for us to reach the same outcome? What’s the most important piece of information here and was it conveyed to the students? These teaching moments are great opportunities to demonstrate, improve and share my knowledge. However, appreciating and knowing the