Statement of Purpose

At an entertainment program a few months ago, I watched with pride as a young girl performed a dance with great concentration, enthusiasm and verve, and most importantly, without any help. She had ataxia, a condition where the patient has difficulty maintaining her balance. Her successful completion of the dance was an achievement for both of us, the culmination of a year’s therapy. This incident reinforced my belief that the field of physiotherapy and rehabilitation was the right one for me, through which I could help individuals cope with any disability. For this purpose, I wish to do an MHS in physical therapy at the University of Indianapolis with a concentration in Neuro-Rehabilitation.

I developed an interest in the health sciences quite early in life, seeing my father, a medical practitioner, treating patients. I realized though, that many patients required more than just medicines for a complete cure. Especially in certain cases, where doctors gave life, the therapist made that life worth living. This got me interested in physical therapy, an inseparable part of health sciences.

During the four and a half years of my Bachelor’s degree at Sancheti Institute of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Pune (India), we were exposed to all the aspects of physiotherapy. It was towards the end of the course that I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Mrs. Priya Bhide, a leading therapist of Pune (India). Handling patients with Cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome, Autism, Hemiplegia, Learning disabilities, Stroke et al helped me gain an overall perspective of the patient’s problems as regards the rehabilitation. To enhance my interest in these fields, I attended cources on Neuro-developmental treatment (NDT), NDT facilitation, Problems in Sensory Intergration, and Motor Control with Dr. Asha Chitnis, one of the foremost practitioners in the field of physical therapy, in Mumbai (India). It was here that she motivated me and fired my enthusiasm to learn further. Moreover, working while studying helped me correlate theory and practice.

My teachers inculcated in me a sense of responsibility, purposefulness, and the ability to make my work enjoyable. These experiences and our education were of utmost importance to me, enabling me to focus on the task at hand, while helping to set up the department of paediatrics and neurology at Sancheti Institute, Pune (India). Initially, managing a variety of cases with limited resources helped develop creativity in treatment strategies. Treating patients from all strata of society allowed me to take a holistic view of the patient and his family as a part of the team effort. A part of my duties includes supervising senior students and interns in their clinical work, something I find very fulfilling and satisfying. I believe that teamwork is an essential ingredient in the process of rehabilitation. It also requires inherent patience, a compassionate yet professional attitude, and willingness to share. I feel I am able to blend these qualities towards achieving the required goals in treatment and function.

To this end, a few of us colleagues founded an NGO names “Prayaas”, meaning an attempt, in May 2001, with a view to normalizing the outlook towards special children. Towards achieving this goal our maiden effort was a two-day camp with recreational activities for the 24 physically handicapped children with normal mental capacity, and counseling for their parents. The second project was more of an educational and field experience at an overnight camp in a village. In the future, I would definitely like to continue working for such organizations.

I believe that for a keener insight into any subject, it is important to research into both theoretically and clinically. Where theory being an abstract idea or a collection of ideas used to explain a phenomenon serves as a basis for experimenting, the clinical correlation helps to establish the veraciousness of that theory. Hislop said, “Specializing in the techniques of physical therapy will not be enough…we will have to specialize in the problems of our patients…” So, to have a holistic approach, further study into a topic is necessary, even to plan and achieve realistic goals. I wish to do an MHS for the purpose of achieving my goals of helping patients get into the mainstream of society as far as possible.

I feel I shall be able to pursue my interest successfully at the University of Indianapolis, which is one of the foremost universities in the field of Rehabilitation and Neurology, and offers a comprehensive program for the same, with a distinguished faculty. I am confident of meeting the high standards of hard work and commitment required for further studies. I hope to gain admission and make a positive contribution to my department as well as the university.