Monday, 8th September: World Physiothearpy Day
The school of physiotherapy organised for students to give 10min massages to the public as a part of world physiotherapy day. Massages were given for a gold coin donation with proceeds going to the campaign to save the community physio pool. This was a very popular event! People seemed to want to get a massage - some people waited for up to 45min... that's how popular this event was! I began massaging around 4pm for an hour and encountered a wide population sample including a 91 year old male! This is the oldest person I've massaged yet! I wonder if I'll ever be able to match or beat that age (for giving a massage to) in my professional career as a physio!
Our PHTY255 lecture had us appreciating disability and attempting to shift our global appraisal of what it means to be disabled. We looked at the medical model and conflicting (but also very agreeable) psychosocial paradigms of disability. Obviously all the paradigms have consequences, assumptions, merits and constraints. It's a field of study in itself and so we just had an introduction lecture to it this week. We were told about Tainafi Lenfono 'Nafi' - he is a 4th year student at Otago University's brother physiotherapy undergraduate institute - AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand. Nafi is passionate about sport performance and himself currently plays at an elite level in New Zealand. Furthermore, he has a determined and optimistic outlook, having overcome many lifestyle challenges most of us, New Zealanders, would fall short of achieving in such good spirits. Nafi become a tetraplegic having received an injury playing rugby in 2007. Since then he has overcome many challenges, begun studying physiotherapy at AUT University (which has, in itself, many physical challenges) and is looking to graduate as one of the first (if not, the very first) tetraplegic physiotherapist in the world. This is an inspirational feat.
Our PHTY255 lecture had us appreciating disability and attempting to shift our global appraisal of what it means to be disabled. We looked at the medical model and conflicting (but also very agreeable) psychosocial paradigms of disability. Obviously all the paradigms have consequences, assumptions, merits and constraints. It's a field of study in itself and so we just had an introduction lecture to it this week. We were told about Tainafi Lenfono 'Nafi' - he is a 4th year student at Otago University's brother physiotherapy undergraduate institute - AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand. Nafi is passionate about sport performance and himself currently plays at an elite level in New Zealand. Furthermore, he has a determined and optimistic outlook, having overcome many lifestyle challenges most of us, New Zealanders, would fall short of achieving in such good spirits. Nafi become a tetraplegic having received an injury playing rugby in 2007. Since then he has overcome many challenges, begun studying physiotherapy at AUT University (which has, in itself, many physical challenges) and is looking to graduate as one of the first (if not, the very first) tetraplegic physiotherapist in the world. This is an inspirational feat.
Disability is NOT a defining feature of any person, rather we all have internal constraints with medical and social consequences. We should focus on "ability" and how each individual defines themselves.... how would you like others to know you?
Dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge: the 5D's of Dodgeball. Physiotherapy has it's own five D's: dysarthria, double vision, dysphagia, dizziness and drop attacks. But often, it feels like we, as physio students, are playing dodgeball. In physio we're dodging red-flagged conditions and referring them to their doctor; we're dipping on one leg to demonstrate exercises for knee rehabilitation; we're diving into text books for self-directed learning tasks which seem to have almost completely permeated PHTY254 neuro and MSK; and many students are dodging health care staff, equipment and patients on our placements as they busily rush around the hospital. Thankfully nobody is throwing syringes, patient folders or needles at us if we do get in the way! Dodgeball (the actual game) is pretty fun - it's a shame we haven't played it yet in our labs! Some students might have had to dodge, dip, duck and dive from golf balls and clubs on Friday! ...
This week played host to the annual student physio golf tournament!
My last day of placement for 2014 was on the 8th floor of Dunedin public hospital. Time to organise and hand in my placement portfolio for the year! The placement started with rushing around trying to find our supervisor and ended with getting out of the lift on the wrong floor! This was very amusing for us! Between this, we had another great placement and was allowed to help with transfers, discuss and contribute to SOTAP notes and even sit in on a 'rounds' meeting. This was very comical - the staff are simply full of life and making the most of treating ill patients - hopefully they pass on all that positive energy. Although this was my favourite placement to date; the highlight of my week was having some fun away from class, i.e. giving back to the community (massage on Monday) and enjoying the outdoors. In particular, a group of us had a go at 'steel wool photography' at Sullivan's Dam. You soon get to know the class mates with similar interests and the ones who just like to light things on fire!
One of my favourite places in Dunedin is up Flagstaff walking track. I walked up here on Sunday last week - it was truly a day of sunshine! You could actually run up here from university if you were fit and had a few hours to spare (and then a few hours back). If you value your outdoors or country landscapes, then Dunedin is the city for you!!
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