Mentor for a Day

Before choosing your career were you able to see what it was really like? Well I was able to visit the office of Dr. Elna Johnson, where I got to see what its like to be a Musculoskeletal and sports injury specialist. This project was designed so we could learn from others’ careers and use that information to get an idea of what we wanted to do. In this project I did research on a career I wanted to do, set up a job shadow, did an interview, and ultimately created an audio reflection of our experience.

The first thing I did was think about what I wanted to do for a career. I used what I gathered in out previous project, Marketing Me to help me to decide what career I wanted to explore. During the winter exhibition I talked to a family friend who told me she would be able to connect me with someone who works with athletes in sports. Immediately after seeing this project I knew I wanted to reach out to see if she could connect me with someone. Within a week I had found someone to shadow, Dr. Elna Jhonson. I learned how to send professional emails and use connections to find oppritunities. 

Once I knew I would be shadowing Elna I did some research on her career. I then created a smart brevity note. This smart brevity note prepared me for the interview I would have with her. I learned so much about her career and what she does and it was interesting to compare what I found online vs. what she told me.  

Then I was able to go into her workplace and shadow her for a day. One thing that I took away  was the difference between her job and a sports medicine physician. I am interested in a career in sports medicine and I always assumed that they were similar and that a sports medicine physician would work hands on with patients. What I learned from Elna is that sports medicine doctors see patients, diagnose, then refer them somewhere to be treated. Whereas a sports chiropractor is able to diagnose, treat, and rehab on their own. This was interesting to me and really made me think about what aspects of treating athletes I want in my career.

In terms of the actual shadow, it was amazing. Elna was so kind for fitting me into her busy schedule and allowing me to spend the morning with her. Her first patient cancelled which meant I was able to have extra time talking with her to understand her career and her journey. I conducted an interview while there which helped me when creating my atudio reflection.  The last part of the project was reflecting on my experience with Elna. I created a thoughtful reflection which showcased the lessons I learned from her. I used the interview clips to help me pull out the most important things I learned from her. 

Listen to my audio reflection here:

This project really helped me get a feel for the career/field I want to go into. It allowed me to see what a day in sports chiropractics looks like. It is so benificail to be hands on and witness the career you want to do. This project really helped me think about what I want in a career. Wether that is to work with patients hands on, or help them from afar i am excited to continue exploring a carrer in the sports industry. 

Syddy giddy out!