SLU PT Student Radhika Patel had Many Opportunities at OSF HealthCare in Escanaba, Michigan

SLU PT Clinical Site Spotlight – OSF HealthCare in Escanaba, Michigan

By Radhika Patel (Class of 2023)

I have loved my experience at OSF in Escanaba, Michigan. The staff here are very inviting and engaging and I enjoy having daily conversations with them. The facility was recently updated so there is a lot of equipment available for use, including a heated pool for aquatic therapy. Given that it's a smaller town, the clinic sees a very wide variety of diagnoses. I've had the opportunity to conduct aquatic therapy sessions, observe wound therapy and pelvic floor therapy, and was given the opportunity to watch a surgery at the hospital next door. I also have had the opportunity to treat vestibular and pediatric patients under the guidance of my Clinical Instructor, Jaime McCarthy. This was the best place to have a first clinical, as I was exposed to so many different avenues of PT right off the bat. I'm thankful for this experience and the mentorship I have received from my CI. 

Jaime, thank you so much for all your guidance and mentorship through my first clinical experience. You have given me so much confidence in myself and my skills. You teach me something new every day and always provide me with opportunities to grow as a student. I will miss you so much!!

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy students featuring their clinical site and their clinical instructors. The number, quality, and diversity of clinical instruction are major assets for the SLU PT Program.