Welcome back to Season 2 of Simply Robust! We kick off this season reflecting on a whirlwind of student clinical rotations and the wild, wonderful chaos of mentoring the next generation of physical therapists. In this unfiltered conversation, the Elevate PT crew dives into the biggest takeaways from working with students during their first clinical rotation.

We unpack why “being human” is more important than having the perfect eval flow, how qualitative objective measures may mean more, and why building rapport isn’t just small talk—it's a clinical skill. From patients afraid fear to therapists obsessing over strength tests that don’t matter, we cover it all. You’ll hear about managing patient expectations, calling out sloppy language, building treatment intent, and why your CI or mentor shouldn't want a mini version of themselves.

Whether you're a seasoned PT, new grad, or student about to enter your first clinical, this episode is packed with hard truths, plenty of laughs, and a relentless call to stay human, stay skeptical, and stay humble.

Sources:

Think Aloud, Pinnock et al. 2015 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4597940/

Chaos in S&C, Waller et al. 2023 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367436739_Chaos_in_Strength_and_Conditioning_Terminology