20- FOXcast PT: Being A New Grad With FOX Rehabilitation

Jimmy: Welcome to FOXcast, a podcast for clinicians made by clinicians. It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Find out more at foxrehab.org.

Welcome to FOXcast. I’m your host physical therapist Dr. Jimmy McKay. In this episode we get to talk to three sets of FOX colleagues all coming to FOX for different reasons and from different directions. First up we get to talk to a set of sisters who were just a little bit giggly now that we’ve handed the microphones.

Introduce yourselves ladies.

Karis: I’m Karis Coad, I’m a physical therapist.

Kayla: And I’m Kayla Coad, I’m a physical therapist, too.

Jimmy: And sisters.

Karis: Yes 15 months apart.

Jimmy: That’s close. Did you guys go to the same school PT school?

Karis: Yes we did. She’s followed me everywhere.

Kayla: No, Actually not really.

Karis: We’re Best friends.

Jimmy: So what made you decide to be a physical therapist will start with older sister.

Karis: We actually have a cousin who’s also a physical therapist. So it’s in the family. She encouraged me to volunteer at a nursing home one summer when I was in high school and I just loved working with the geriatric population and I loved helping people. So I wanted to pursue physical therapy and then I encouraged my sister.

Kayla: I didn’t know what I went to do in college. Karis was like try a physical therapy internship and I turned out I really liked.

Jimmy: So now you graduate a year apart or same year?

Karis: Same year same year.

Kayla: People thought we were twins in school so we went with that for a little while.

Jimmy: How was that going to school with a sibling in the same room?

Karis: It was great. Cried together.

Jimmy: So when did we graduate?

Karis: September of 2017.

Jimmy: So really new grads and then you guys have started here with FOX you’re really really fresh. What made you guys decide to go work together?

Karis: Well I was a student with FOX. I really enjoyed my experience. I loved the population and you know I shared it with my sister and so she of course had to.

Kayla: I talked to many people that worked with FOX and it was just energy here. Everyone really loved it so I wanted my first job at a place that everyone is this happy.

Jimmy: So you saw that energy from your sister and you said I want to go there too.

Kayla: Yes.

Jimmy: So how’s your experience been so far?

Karis: It’s been great. Yeah of course it’s an adjustment being a new grad just trying to figure out your place. Figure out everything and be a clinician and FOX is a different setting so your trying to you know manage your schedule as well as figure out your place in the world as a new grad physical therapist.

Jimmy: So how are you able to do that? How has FOX helped you in not feeling so alone?

Karis: I tell my mentor quite a lot. I can always call her.

Jimmy: First of all you get a mentor.

Karis: Yes, and then there’s like a slow ramp up process so you don’t just have all your clients all at once. That was helpful.

Jimmy: We Want to make sure you’re happy here because we know happy well trained clinicians make great health care. Mentorship program as well, do you guys want to give a nod to your mentors who they are?

Karis: Shana, we have the same mentor. She is awesome.

Karis: You guys are making my job too easy, you have the same mentor. Have you guys swapped clients yet?

Kayla: Yeah we have. And of course they have a difficult time telling us apart.

Karis: They didn’t realize that we switched. We told them but they still thought we were the same person.

Jimmy: What are some things you’d give as a hint to some new grads starting because the boards were just a little while ago, so new grads coming out at graduation. What’s one thing each of you, they can’t be the same thing. We’ll go to younger sister first. One thing you tell a new grad just come out of school who might be starting it in a practice like FOX.

Kayla: Just be organized. Plan out your day and just try to continue to learn because they are going to be a lot of questions that come up.

Jimmy: That phrase life longer learner is not a cliche.OK older sister gets to go next.

Karis: She’s stole what I was going to say, definitely tell them to constantly strive for excellence and success doesn’t come easy. I think just being comfortable with the fact that you’re going to you constantly have to work hard.

Jimmy: We call this a clinically excellent podcast because FOX that’s one thinge we like to hammer home. We would like to be clinically Excellent. That is what we want to do and how we want to do it. So like the fact that you brought that up.

Karis: Well there’s a lot of support here. I don’t think there wasn’t a moment where I ever felt like I was just alone. My RD Teresa she’s awesome. I’ve always felt supported here we just are constantly provided with evidence to support what we do.

Jimmy: We’ve got a tradition here on the show did they tell you about this?

Kayla: No.

Jimmy: It’s called Your FOXtale. Why did you choose to work with older adults?

Karis: Growing up my sister and I were also homeschooled together, when you’re home schooled you know sometimes you take school with you. And we always went out with my older family members. Like my grandmother my aunts and I just love being with them and interacting with them that I knew that’s who I love to work with. I just feel at home with that population.

Jimmy: It’s about people for you. Yeah, try to follow up, but you’re used to following big sister.

Kayla: They try their hardest because physical therapy is very important for them. I have a lot of clients that aren’t able to get off the floor. I had a client whose biggest goal was to learn how to get off the floor. And in our last few days together. He was able to do it on our own without queuing from me. I just feel like they value me every maybe a little bit more than other populations because it is life changing.

Jimmy: Couldn’t have said it better ourselves ladies. Life changing work done one sister at a time. Next up we got a chance to talk to two more FOX new graduate colleagues. But they’re not related, but they sure are close.

Cassandra: My name is Cassandra Hill. I’m a physical therapist in the Maryland region.

Mike: Mike Ukoha also a physical therapist in the Maryland region.

Jimmy: And you guys knew each other before working here at FOX now that you’re colleagues. What was that connection there?

Jimmy: We went to school PT together at the University of Maryland Baltimore. He’s been like my little brother all throughout PT schools. Family forever.

Jimmy: And now so I’ve got to ask with a comment like that, who brought who in?

Cassandra: It was actually kind of a little bit of an interesting story because, we were both just happened to go to a FOX meet and greet and neither one of us knew that we were going to go.

Jimmy: So let me ask you this since you bring that up FOX does those sort of things we’re looking for a fit for FOX. What did you find about FOX that brought you to the meet and greet and what did you find while you were there, that said yeah I think I’m a fit for FOX?

Cassandra: For me the culture everything where it was really about the clinician and the autonomy and the flexibility. From you creating your own schedule to you having some ownership and say over how the flow of your day was going to look like as opposed to a secretary telling you what was being done or being dictated to. Making you feel like you were your own clinician also providing a really sound level of clinical support. I think that was what was most important to me. Especially as a new grad was looking for mentorship and FOX had a very sound structured clinical mentorship program for new grads. After a while I was really a no brainer for me.

Mike: Mike same question. For me I think it was just the excellence you know my first interaction with FOX really was in Anaheim California at CSM. Once I was able to touch base with them I learned so much about the practice and I continued to research and continue to see what other companies had to offer and I didn’t really see the same excellence that FOX offered.

Jimmy: So you were doing your homework. Be a really really educated consumer and go into it and ask a lot of questions. What are some of the things that since you’ve started here at FOX you’re like yeah this is why I’m here?

Mike: I mean I just get excited about you know the number of people that are pursuing their geriatric certified specialty. I get excited about their presence at national conferences. I get excited about PTs that are doing great work every day with all the different success stories that we hear.

Jimmy: What’s the stories and you can work working here at FOX and said Yeah that’s why I’m here?

Cassandra: One that particularly stands out to me I have a… I’m trying not to get emotional. A client right now who I’ve been working with for a couple months now. Her husband recently passed away. Sixty eight years she was married to this partiular individual and it was very devastating for her. She is very motivated to move well and function well. But she told me one day a couple weeks ago. I’m really working really hard because when I see him again I want to make sure I look good. And she followed that up with saying I pray for you because you helped me and I hope that maybe that can help you. So that’s why, that’s why I do what I do.

Jimmy: I’m getting a little emotional here.

Cassandra: I’m sorry.

Jimmy: I Don’t apologize for that.

Cassandra: I feel like I’m in a very fortunate position to be able to help people in that way or to be able to facilitate some sort of help in that way. That’s why I do what I do it’s why motivated to continue to do what I do and I want to be able to do it well. And I want to be able to do it at the highest level that I can. And I’m saying this person that I’m talking about is 93 years old and she’s not stopping. There’s no quit at all. So that’s why I do what I do.

Jimmy: I’m glad you’re here. Thank you for telling us that. That was really personal and I’m glad you got a chance to share that. You know my goal with this show and just sharing this stuff is someone else hears that and says Yes I’m going to go out and do one thing today that’s similar to that and then someone else sees that or hears about that and it spreads. So thank you for telling that story. Good luck following that Mike.

Mike: I’m sure there is no following that to be honest with you. But one of my patients was 98. He is one of the best patients I could ever ask for the most motivated the most ready to do anything. And he really challenged me to challenge him. He’s looking to make it to 110. He told me that every day.

Cassandra: Trying to break the record I know exactly you’re talking about.

Mike: And he made me excited about work every single day and you know for someone that 98 that had so much life and so much energy. It really makes me excited to continue to do what I do every day.

Jimmy: Pretty cool to get out of bed on a Monday morning when you got that to go to. Right? When you see that person in your schedule you’re like OK today’s going to be an all right day. What’s some advice you’d get for somebody who’s maybe just go to school because the boards were just not long ago. So congratulations on passing the boards and here comes here comes the next part. What’s some advice you’d give that you wish you knew a year ago?

Jimmy: Have that full balance have the full understanding of what you want your work life balance to be and make it your terms on what you want it to be. Don’t accept someone telling you what and dictating what you want your lifestyle to be you. You get to choose that because you worked hard for three years. You deserve to have what you want.

Cassandra: Find something that makes it come alive and then go after it. I feel like so you have to really sit down and evaluate what is it that you’re you’re looking for.

Jimmy: We had to do those reflections in school. Did you like reflections in school.

Cassandra: No!

Jimmy: I hated them but you were just saying, Self reflect. I’ll be honest since I graduated. I’ve actually been doing it and it actually helps damn professors were right. It does. But ask yourself what do you want. If the answer is a job you can find a job anywhere anywhere. If you’re looking for some to truly make change, find what really makes change for you it really inspires you. Go get it. That’s some great advice for both you guys. I’m glad you guys my colleagues here at FOX get a little emotional appreciate you guys taking time out and letting us know why you guys are fit for fun. Thank you.

Cassandra: Thanks for having us. Thank you.

Jimmy: Be honest. You got a little emotional too hearing Cassandra tell that story about her client. All the feels. Finally we got a chance to talk to two more FOX colleagues. They’re not sisters or former classmates but they’re about to get a little bit closer. They’re getting married in how many days?

Jeff: 18 days from the wedding!

Jimmy: 18 days well congratulations. The question is were your colleagues that got engaged, how’d it work?

Kelly: Jeff was working for FOX about a year and a half and I was working for someone else, and he just talked so highly about FOX kind of ringed me in.

Jimmy: Roped you on over to FOX I like that. Jeff how long you’ve been here?

Jeff: A year and a half.

Jimmy: All right. So we’re talking to mainly new grads. Question is why FOX why’d you come here.

Kelly: I mean the culture. Really that’s probably why I kind of brought me into as you know Jeff just talked so highly about him he really loved what the values were and you know he kept talking about it and I heard about it for about a year and a half.

Jimmy: You mentioned the word culture right. What does that mean? It’s so hard to share what that culture is.

Kelly: Yeah I think something I was always looking for is someone to support me and respect me and treat me like an antonymous clinician and that’s a really what Jeff said that FOX does for people that really kind of brought me in.

Jimmy: So you didn’t get roped in by your fiance Jeff. So how did you get brought in. What did you get exposed to? What brought you in so we can say hey how do we find more people like you guys?

Jeff: I happened to hear about FOX about a year or two before I started working for them. Actually one of Kelly’s friends who works for FOX told me about him went to the web site and just did my own research on them. I met Maureen and then once I went through that process she really just made everything so comfortable. It felt right. The culture of what they were talking about and that’s what brought me.

Jimmy: I want to go back on something you just said it just felt right. Now I’ll say this to new grads too people ask me for advice sometimes. And I say if it doesn’t feel right you have options as a PT you put a lot of time and effort and money and tears I cried a lot during school to get his degree and to be able to have the honor and the privilege to work with with anybody you want. If it doesn’t feel right. Keep looking because it’s out there. If it doesn’t feel right don’t do it. All right I know your FOXtale. Why did you choose to work with older adults? This population this very deserving group of people. Why for you Jeff. What drew to these people.

Jeff: I think he goes back to thinking about my parents and also my grandmother. Going to my mom first like helping her out the first couple of her rehab stings that she needed while she was at home. But then as time went on and my grandmother got older there was nothing like this around I know she was in her apartment alot and you know helping her out on a daily basis and being able to just help her with just getting her up and moving. You know that’s really what steered me into physical therapy and then also into this population.

Jimmy: I love that it’s a person story it’s about who. What about you got to fall that you’ve got to follow grandma.

Kelly: I mean I mean kind of on the same page my grandmother yeah she’s 82 right now she’s very high functioning. She’s out dancing. She has a better social life than I do. Just seeing the quality of life you know aging is inevitable but getting that quality of life that’s your choice. And there’s things you can do to promote that and if I can help somebody you know have a better day and an easier life than empowering position.

Jimmy: Love that love that answer. Jeff you brought up that there wasn’t something like this around before maybe your grandmother. Tim FOX is somewhere the room the founder, the PT who started this practice that’s now in 16 states. He says eventually he’d like to one day be treated by a FOX clinician because he wants to make sure his practice is around for what you just said. Ageing is inevitable. That’s fine. We understand that but we want you functioning and dancing and having a social life like your grandmother. Congratulations where is the honeymoon?

Kelly: Hawaii, as long as the volcano’s will be good.

Jimmy: Rub it on and we appreciate it guys. Good luck and glad you guys are here at FOX It really is a family affair we hear that a lot with these FOX tours is colleagues. But you’re literally making it a family affair. Absolutely. One big FOX family. Thanks for listening in on her colleagues talk about their journeys here at FOX. They all came from different directions and for different reasons but we’re glad that they’re here working with our amazing older adult clients. Now they found their home here at FOX. If you think you could be a fit for FOX or just want some more information about the practice. Head to foxrehab.org. Thanks for listening to FOXcast. I’m your host physical therapist Dr. Jimmy McKay.