My Pelvic Floor Journey

When I first got interested in physical therapy I was not aware of all the different avenues a person could go in the field; all I knew was outpatient orthopedics and I was content in that area. I began working as a tech at 16 years old for a clinic in Chicago and I loved every second of it. I made the assumption that once I was a physical therapist I would end up working in orthopedics. However, my professors at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have done a wondrous job of exposing me and my classmates to the many different areas of physical therapy (PT). MUSC has hosted guest lecturers who specialize in a variety of different areas including but not limited to facial PT, oncology, early interventions, inpatient pediatrics, and vestibular therapy. The guest lecturer who stuck with me the most was a pelvic health specialist. She provided an introductory lecture on pelvic health physical therapy and by the end of it I was asking if I could shadow her for a day. She graciously agreed and I got to spend a whole day with her and her patients observing the different aspects of the job. In addition, we talked about the journey that led her to being a pelvic health physical therapist. I was more than intrigued and right away looked into how I could continue my learning. A classmate who was also interested in pelvic health guided me to the APTA Pelvic Health website which was rich with information on pelvic health physical therapy and also included opportunities to obtain webinar course scholarships. I worked with my clinic coordinator at MUSC so that one of my clinicals in the next year will focus on pelvic health. I am excited to continue my education on this topic and even get the chance to practice it. I thank APTA Pelvic Health for giving me the opportunity to learn more about this important field.

Author: Isabel Lteif, SPT
2023 Scholarship Recipient 

Author Bio: I am a 3rd year physical therapy student at the Medical University of South Carolina. I am originally from Chicago and in my free time I enjoy going for walks, reading, and going to the beach.