STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Physical therapy internship provided new perspective on COVID-19 pandemic
Jake Bugbee
Senior, Kinesiology
Jake Bugbee, a senior majoring in Kinesiology, had started working at Mount Nittany Health Fit for Play prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is working toward a career as a physical therapist and wanted to gain as much experience in the field as possible while a student.
So when he needed to fulfill an internship requirement for his major, it was a natural choice to continue working for Fit for Play, a physical therapy provider in the State College area. During his spring semester internship, however, the pandemic changed everything.
Bugbee’s tasks quickly became taking patients’ temperatures and asking risk questions, as well as assisting at COVID-19 testing sites in State College, transporting vials and directing people through the process.
“I learned that working in the medical field is going to be more than what you expect,” said Bugbee. “You may be needed in ways that you don’t anticipate, and you may be required to adapt and take on multiple tasks and roles at any time in your career.”
But Bugbee said he felt prepared for this quick role change due to the education and experience he had at Penn State.
“Penn State provides a diverse and cultured campus that helped me become knowledgeable and diligent in my field of study. I also learned the coursework and criteria I needed to be able to keep up with the providers who had to change course so quickly during the pandemic.”
In addition to members of the Department of Kinesiology, including Lori Gravish Hurtack, assistant teaching professor and internship director, and Lynne Bechdel, administrative support assistant, Bugbee credits Craig Turner, the general manager at Fit for Play for making it possible to continue the internship during COVID-19.
“I want to thank all the providers at Fit for Play – the physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and office staff – who supported me during this experience, but who also worked so hard to support patients during the uncertainty of the pandemic.”
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The student experience in 2020 was unique in the history of Penn State. Many traditional hallmarks of student life were altered by our inability to gather in large groups. However, our students have shown resilience, tenacity, and the ability to work together. WE ARE…
