The Path to Physical Therapy

October is National Physical Therapy Month

Western Oregon University PT student Alex Recker is on his second clinical placement, and already he says the difference between for-profit clinics and non-profit health care organizations like Cascade Health is “eye-opening.” Compared to the for-profit therapy clinic where he spent his last rotation, Cascade Health offers more time with patients as well as more time to write notes and create treatment plans. “Money isn’t the main thing – it's patient-centered,” he says.

Working with the different therapists at Cascade Health’s Physical & Hand Therapy Clinic has offered knowledge and confidence: “They’re all great teachers,” he says, and “it’s nice to see how different people do things.” Alex sees patients under the supervision of PT Brittany Reeves, who is “always there if I have questions.”

Alex isn’t sure where he wants to end up after he earns his degree, but he finds the nonprofit setting “more sustainable” and is gravitating toward a similar outpatient orthopedic path to Brittany and fellow Cascade Health PT Kade Billeaudeaux. Many physical therapy students, he reflects, tend to have the same origin story: an injury led them to PT, where a lifelong interest was sparked. Alex describes his path as less direct; after graduating high school, he served in the military and was eventually drawn to physical therapy because he enjoyed athletics and seeing how the body functions and recovers.

At Cascade Health, we’re proud to play a role in helping students find a path in the physical therapy field – and we can’t think of anyone better to learn from than the extraordinary folks at the Physical & Hand Therapy clinic.