Written By Danell Burke class of 2016
Working in the UP athletic department and helping with their sports medicine, as well as shadowing physical therapist have played a role in preparing senior pre-physical therapy student, Brennan Hogan, for his future career. As he now focuses on applying to graduate school, this wide variety of experiences already places Hogan a step ahead of many of his peers.
Although Hogan initially experiences physical therapy from a patient perspective in high school after requiring therapy for an injury, Hogan became passionate later on in college by volunteering in clinics.
“There is so much to do in physical therapy. Every day is a new challenge and you are constantly trying to help people rehab to meet their goals while personally interacting with them,” says Hogan.
Having the opportunity to shadow physical therapists has provided Hogan both the chance to ask questions about a career in physical therapy and discuss different techniques. It has also allowed him to see a variety of PT settings, which has given him “an idea of the different directions [his] career could go once [he graduates from PT school.”
Recently Hogan invited the geriatric, sport therapy, and woman’s health physical therapists he shadows to come speak about their careers and specialties at UP, providing a wide range of the different options that once can take within the profession.
For now, Hogan awaits a response from a number of graduate schools, with Creighton being his top choice.
“I love their emphasis on clinical hours along with their opportunities of where the clinical rotations can be done along with their commitment to get their students employed within six months of graduation,” says Hogan.