When Chelsea Cregreen had knee surgery as a teen, she recovered with the help of a physical therapist; that experience sparked her interest in physical therapy and helped develop a passion for helping others. Later, when Chelsea began exploring her own career options, a friend told her about the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program at 黑料不打烊 and encouraged her to apply.
鈥淢y friend was a student at Carrington, so he already knew what a great program it was鈥攈e told me to go just for it!鈥� she remembers.
Chelsea enrolled in the PTA program in March of 2019. Although COVID-19 presented some challenges during her clinical learning experience and graduation, she still found a way forward.
鈥淲hen the pandemic first happened, my clinical site couldn鈥檛 have students,鈥� she explains. 鈥淏ut I was lucky to find a new site and was able to finish there. The Carrington PTA program really helped mold me, so I was able to adapt quickly and be flexible with the changes.鈥�
She did her clinical outpatient work at two orthopedic clinics, and her inpatient clinical work at a hospital. Her responsibilities included providing effective care for her patients, ensuring their safety, and helping them achieve their functional goals for everyday life.聽Chelsea felt the program prepared her to treat patients safely and effectively鈥攁nd she learned to be flexible, because not all patients respond the same. 聽 After graduation, Chelsea found that her job search was also impacted and limited due to COVID鈥攂ut she persevered, finding her dream job at TEAM 4 Kids, a pediatric physical therapy clinic. Her favorite part of her job is being able to make physical therapy into interactive play for kids. 聽 鈥淚 love trying to make kids smile and laugh while being effective with their treatment!鈥� she says. 聽 A typical day at her job involves creating exercises that are interesting for the child, spending about 45 minutes with each individually, and educating parents so they too can help their child reach short- and long-term goals.
鈥淓ver since I had my injury as a child, I knew I wanted to help pediatric patients,鈥� Chelsea says. 鈥淚 wanted to be able to make an impact on a child鈥檚 life鈥攎aybe one day they鈥檒l say they want to do physical therapy because of me. I also just love helping children because I want to make the rest of their life functional, without any potential issues down the line.鈥�
