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June Gehman-Deane
Program : Master of Science in Physical Therapy
Hometown : Lancaster, PA
Undergraduate Degree : Bachelor of Arts, Behavioral Science,
Messiah College
"I want to be a Physical therapist," June Gehman-Deane
says with passion. "I've had a very rich life and lots of valuable
and different experiences, but I think I want to work with kids
in pediatric physical therapy." As a Neumann College Master's
of Physical Therapy graduate student, she's in the homestretch now
of achieving that goal.
Currently a homemaker attending Neumann's weekend PT program, June's
interest in PT was sparked by her exposure to it in her previous
career as a service coordinator with the Early Intervention Program
of Lancaster County Office of Mental Health and Retardation. In
this role, her job was to link families of children with developmental
delays or therapy needs to resources like physical and occupational
therapists and special needs educators.
"The PTs always looked like they were having so much fun seeing
children and getting to know them and their families," she
says. "Although I found satisfaction in helping the families
get needed services, I wanted to be more hands-on than I was. I
wanted more personal contact."
The desire to become a PT led her to investigate the educational
requirements and colleges with PT programs. During her search, someone
mentioned the weekend program at Neumann College. "I had never
heard of it before, and didn't even know there were any weekend
programs." The weekend format is the number one reason she
chose Neumann. "At this point in my life with two young kids,
I get to experience the best of both worlds with Neumann's program.
I can be a mom during the week, a weekend student, and fit my studies
in when it's convenient."
June thoroughly enjoys her Neumann experience. "This program
has been great for a person like me who is a motivated and independent
learner. I don't need someone to hold my hand. It maximizes the
time I spend in school and allows me to manage my study time on
my own." Although she found the program difficult at first
with no medical background or anatomical knowledge to lean on, she
has the support and assistance of professors and fellow students
who are always ready to help. Dr. Robert Post, a Neumann physical
therapy professor, has always recognized her anxiety and put her
at ease with his comment, "This is a supportive learning environment.
We're going to make sure you know what you need to know. We're not
here to trick you." She continues to be amazed at the length
Neumann's professors are willing to go to help students succeed.
What impresses her most about Neumann is the structure of the PT
program. According to June, the PT program compresses a tremendous
amount of information into short but meaningful class time. She
feels Neumann will definitely prepare her well for her PT licensing
exam. "And, I'm going to pass it!" she exclaims with conviction. |
