Cirque du Soleil
WOW!! I have just experienced a truly awesome opportunity: The chair of the PT department at Marquette University, Dr. Lawrence Pan, worked his networking magic and was offered to attend the Cirque du Soleil (CDS) show in Milwaukee-and was able to bring two students along! I, along with another student, saw the show on Friday night and was then taken backstage for a personal tour with the PT for CDS.
He showed us all of the weights and gym equipment CDS tours with, as well as the PT "room" he works from while on tour. (We also saw a glimpse of the masks and costuming for CDS.) It was exciting to hear how he uses PT in the context of an acrobatic show. We heard of some of the injuries he has seen (imagine an acrobatic athlete falling from the trapeze bar!) and what his typical day is like. He sees anything from fractures to dislocations, from ligamentous injuries to skin care. He literally sees it all!
Although exciting, one drawback of being on the CDS tour is exactly that-living as a tour. Every 12 weeks or so the PT is able to fly home and visit his family, but otherwise CDS tours one city per week, often working 12+ hours a day. I'm not sure I could handle that kind of lifestyle, but I'm sure it would be a great fit for the right person.
The nice thing about the event was it makes you wonder about the limitless opportunities PTs have. And on a non-PT note, I highly recommend Cirque du Soleil to any and all-it was a very entertaining show!