Health Care

Health Career Blog

Trusting the "Clicks" in Life

By Jennifer Andrews '88

February 10, 2023

Tags Health Care

This is the story of how a creative writing major from Hamilton with a minor in mathematics became a physical therapist through a series of “clicks.”

I was out of school for about six or seven years when I started thinking about what was next for my future. At the time, I was working for The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, a prestigious orthopedics journal, as a copy editor. I enjoyed my job and was good at it, but it didn’t seem like anyone above me was going anywhere soon, so my chances of advancement weren’t good. Also, I was thinking if I ever had to relocate, trying to find a similar position would limit my options of where to live.

One day, I was reading an article in Woman’s Day about jobs for women returning to the workforce. The article mentioned physical therapy and something in my head “clicked.” I realized that any time someone mentioned they had been to PT, I said, “Really? Tell me more.” And a lot of the people I talked to said, “My physical therapist saved my life. I had terrible back/shoulder/neck pain and now I can [insert favorite activity here] again.” I thought, “What a cool profession. You have the chance to make a huge difference in someone’s life.” The fact that PTs can work in so many different settings – rehab, outpatient, neuro, pediatrics – and so many different work schedules – full time, part time, per diem – appealed to me as well. There seemed to be little chance for career burnout.

When I was at Hamilton, physical therapy was nowhere on my radar. I was a DJ on WHCL. I was in the Alexander Hamilton Players. I was a writing tutor. I took Stagecraft and Theater Lighting. I was thinking of a career in advertising or radio or theater. As a result, I took zero science classes during my four years of undergrad. The daunting list of science prerequisites needed to apply to master’s programs nearly put me off my journey.

Then along came another “click” – or rather, two. A woman I worked with was taking night classes at Northeastern to get prerequisites for med school. “Click.” Maybe I could do this. And then “click” – a coupon in the mail for money off a night class at Northeastern. OK, I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

For the next three years, I took night classes – biology, anatomy and physiology, an entire year of chemistry over one summer (whee!), statistics, abnormal psychology, physics – to get the prerequisites I needed to apply to a program. During this time, I also did observation hours in several physical therapy settings.

Finally, I was prepared to apply to Simmons College Graduate School of Health Sciences. And, I got wait-listed. And I started doubting the “clicks.” Until a few months later when they called to offer me a spot in their upcoming class.

The road to my master’s degree in physical therapy was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. I failed my final clinical and withdrew halfway through my next attempt at it. I began to again doubt my “clicks.” When I finally got through my final clinical with flying colors, I was incredibly proud – and exhausted.

I’ve been working as a physical therapist for nearly 21 years now and it has been everything I thought it would be – flexible, frustrating, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. When a patient tells me they are able to function without pain or they feel “normal” again, it makes all the hard work worth it.