Tatum Wilson, DPT ’21 believes that “physical therapy is more than just helping. It’s changing a person’s life so they can maintain their independence while getting stronger.”
As a competitive gymnast during her growing up years, she sustained multiple injuries that landed her in a physical therapy clinic for rehabilitation. She recalls that the physical therapist who treated her developed an individualized program “so that I could get stronger and return to the competition floor healthy.”
Wilson knew early on that she wanted to become a physical therapist. This desire was confirmed while in college when she experienced a physical therapist caring for her grandmother following a severe fall.
She said, “Physical therapy is more than just getting athletes back on the field. It includes helping a grandmother regain her strength after a fall to maintain her independence. Physical therapy is working with a child that might have some motor delays and watching him/her take their first steps.”
Wilson hails from Tifton, Georgia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education: Exercise and Sports Science in 2017 from the University of Georgia, Athens. While researching physical therapy programs, she discovered that a program was being developed at PCOM Georgia.
“The ‘whole person’ approach really caught my attention,” she said, “because in physical therapy you must see more than just the diagnosis/injury. The physical therapy program at PCOM Georgia emphasized treating the person as a human first and not just the diagnosis or injury they have.”
She added, “After starting the program, I quickly learned how knowledgeable each of the professors are, and how much care and passion they have for the field of physical therapy and teaching future physical therapists.”
Wilson plans to pursue a career in the orthopedic section of physical therapy with an emphasis on the specialty area of pelvic health. She plans to stay in Northeast Georgia and serve patients who live in rural areas.
She said, “I always knew I wanted a career in which I could help people. A career in health care meant I would be able to help those that need it most, sometimes in their most vulnerable state. I would be able to provide them with quality care to help them heal and return to life again.”
She advises future students to “study hard, but allow yourself ‘me time.’”
“It is so important to refuel your tank. PT school is no easy task and it’s a marathon, not a sprint so take your time.” She added, “The three years may seem like they are dragging by, but when looking back my time at PCOM Georgia flew by!”
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