The first and final issue!!
Miguel Castillo's E-PORTFOLIO
Health Promotion
A self-proclaimed "Sowft Boi", Lechon-addict & part-time house masseuse currently study- "struggling" with their 3rd Year of Physical Therapy 7x/week, 25 hrs a day. However, if and when the opportunity arises, he also enjoys playing video games, chatting with friends and watching fun Netflix series. Now, after 21 years of life- he's hoping to use the skills he's garnered in these courses to become a Physical Therapist who can pay forward all the kindness he's received throughout his life.
Before this course concludes, I'm hoping to better familiarize myself with the state of health and well-being in the country and the role Physical Therapists are to play in it. I also hope that we may learn more about being a Physical Therapist beyond the clinical sense- such as in policy-making, advocacy, & health promotion for the general populace.
Inside This Issue
In a time wherein we have never felt more isolated one another, this activity helped open my eyes to just how important it is to rebuild these connections of trust and cooperation not just with the members of your team, but with that of the society at large as well.
Because as Physical Therapists, our work should not conclude with just being able to work/treat one case at a time. We should also be able to take in the state of society around us- to the ends that we may then prevent critical problems & grave diseases before they occur. All of which can start with just making the most of what this course has to offer.
To do this however as just one individual is a gargantuan task, almost nigh impossible. But when you are able to rely on others, such as for "Food-on-the-go", and get to really know them, even through "2 Truths and a Lie" even gargantuan tasks feel a lot smaller when you can distribute the work to the right people. Something I plan to make the most of in my own group. Most importantly of all though, I realized that learning these important lessons can also be quite FUN and even funny!
The Group Dynamic Activity
As we began to plan for this project, there were two significant experiences that stood out to me. The first was in finding a common struggle or dilemma among my fellow classmates and second was planning a program not "just" for PT college students but "by" PT college student's as well.
During the initial assessment, it really made me feel that I wasn't alone in my emotional endeavors. That, for all of the challenges that we face, some may not necessarily be attributed to just personal shortcomings alone. Hence why this project has slowly become more and more meaningful for me. Because I and the rest of our group want to create an activity that acknowledges where we are coming from, who we are now and what we hope to attain as individuals and as a class moving forward.
It's here during these very experiences that I also learned why getting a situational analysis or preliminary survey is so important. It's not enough to just "know" the problem in order to offer an effective and viable solution, you also need to know "who" are affected by said problem. In order to foster coherence between what can be done and what ought to be done.
PLANNING PHASE
Emotional Drain & Strain
Overview
Though actively participating in the different projects held by the other groups was something I was reluctant to do at first; considering, the extra effort as well as its lack of any direct impact to me at least academic-wise. At the end of that 5-week journey, I'd somehow grown fond of those little moments I dedicated to the different aspects of my health, and even now I try to keep it up and maintain some of those habits whenever I can. The following are two of the more challenging roles I had to uphold...
Helping Others to Help Myself
Egg-static Connoisseur
The journey towards becoming a breakfast connoisseur was not an easy one. Primarily, the biggest struggle that I had faced was maintaining consistency. Often times I would forget to take a selfie or even forget to take breakfast entirely. And although my selfie taking skills did not get much better, getting that extra motivation to have breakfast everyday- gives me, that extra bit of energy to make it through even the most tiring of days.
IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
Munggo plantito
There's definitely no green thumbs on this guy! Though, I was indeed unable to even take care of a munggo plant, what I can say is that during that first week, I had felt quite attached to "Junior". I had even felt a little guilty for not looking after him enough. Thus, even though I was unable to watch him grow this time, I hope he'll be looking down and watching over his brothers and sisters- if I ever get the chance to do this again.
Implementation phase
Let the Heart Lead
As a PT student, a participant in the projects of 5 other groups and a project manager myself- there was a big challenge on our part, to find and implement a creative tie-up that will encourage active engagement from our classmates without overly burdening them. For as much as we may advocate for the importance of valuing emotional health in students, it won't amount to much if our fellow classmates are unable or unwilling to make the time to change and better care for this aspect of themselves.
That's why we ended up going with an asychronous, weekly sent and delivered, virtual care package. As the FB site is always open, it's easy to reach out to the team whenever you need it, or browse for techniques to reduce stress or increase productivity. The weekly tracker also does not take long to accomplish, and after a bit of reflection, would often need just about 15 minutes a week to fill out and submit.
However, even then it was still a constant battle of forming engaging posts and follow-up messages. But as someone in a similar position, I know that we all just need that little push, so that we may try and perhaps eventually appreciate some of these emotional regulation strategies and our overall health.
Course takeaways
As The Curtains Fall..
Throughout the entirety of the course, there were a few concepts that I believe were essential in forming the foundation of a good PT. The Dimensions or Health and the Theories behind Health Promotion strategies are some of those, but the most relevant ones in my opinion were the topics on project planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation. Because there can indeed be many "Good ideas" in the world, but no matter how passionate or altruistic you may be- that idea will just remain as just an idea without the right tools to ensure its feasibility and effectiveness with your target audience.
That's not to say that only the course itself provided me with valuable insight. My group mates have shown me the value of building a deep and strong rapport with others, that way we are better able to understand each others struggles and look after one another when the going gets tough. While my classmates taught me how to value and take care of myself beyond just the mental or physical domains.
All in all, this course, and the people who are apart of it, has helped me to appreciate PT beyond the clinical sense, giving me a new perspective on how to treat others, including myself.
Thanks for Reading!!
Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed reflecting, writing and sharing it with all of you :DD
E-Potfolio by Miguel Castillo (3PTB)
