Senior Grady Mueller leaves school every day and heads to Southern Rehab, not because he’s injured. It’s because he’s interning with the physical therapists there as part of an internship in Health Science.

“I feel prepared and Ms. Bridges has helped us out a lot, so we know a lot of things.” Grady said. “We just kind of shadow the physical therapist and learn how to do therapy.”

Grady is planning to study something related to physical therapy in college, so the internship will help him get a head start.
The students in Health Science are not only helping out with different sports but they are also interning as part of the class. They are assisting with physical therapy at Southern Rehab as part of their internships.

Health Science teacher Stephanie Bridges set up the internship and mentors the students.
“They get to help with rehab supplies, bring patients back from the waiting area and assist with proper techniques for rehab,” she said. “These activities help students get a sense of what the job of a physical therapist is like. They are also learning how to stretch and evaluate injury progression, and assist with aquatic therapy.”

Senior Zach May is also one of the students volunteering in the internship who feels that Mrs. Bridges has prepared them well.
“I volunteer and help them with anything they need,” he said. “We [are] like a second pair of hands.”

Zach didn’t find anything difficult about the internship, but Grady said it is hard “just comprehending all the information that we’re given.”
The internship also provides great information and experience for the students who participate. Dawson Palmer recognizes that this is a benefit for his future.
“It will give me a little work experience doing physical therapy on people,” Dawson said.