Get to Know: Renee Jones

Story by Abigail Castro

Renee Jones is a second-year physical therapy student at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Renee was first introduced to physical therapy after experiencing numerous injuries as a dancer. Renee recalls, “If it wasn’t for physical therapy, I don’t think I would be where I am today.” Moreover, it was Renee’s grandpa that helped her decide to pursue a career in physical therapy. Renee was able to see the physical therapists provide quality and effective care for her grandpa in the VA, despite him having Alzheimer’s disease. Renee became fascinated with the physical therapy profession due to the patient-focused care and the variety of settings and specialties.

Renee appreciates that CU Physical Therapy Program has opened so many doors for their students to pursue their goals and explore their professional identity. For example, the Physical Therapy Program provides opportunities to participate in community outreach, special interest groups, and education from Physical Therapists in the Denver community. Renee shares, “With one of my goals being pelvic floor PT, they have supported that by trying to get more pelvic health clinical sites. Even outside of school, the program has supported my goal of taking my dance career to the professional level and they have cheered me on every step of the way.” Moreover, Renee’s motivation to succeed is to show herself that she is capable of graduating from a distinguished physical therapy program in order to set up a great foundation for herself. Renee shares, “I want to be able to take the foundational skills and knowledge I’ve learned, grow and flourish in the field, and provide the best care I possibly can to those I treat.”

When asked to reflect on what Women’s History Month means to Renee, she says, “during my first clinical rotation, I got the opportunity to shadow a pelvic floor PT and I found it to be extremely empowering. Growing up a dancer, I was always told to suck in my stomach, use my core, and I wore tights and leotards every day of the week. 20+ years later and I find myself not being able to relax my pelvic floor muscles. I think this specialty is needed for a number of reasons and I want to be able to treat the whole body and that includes the pelvic floor. I hope to contribute to the PT profession in the future by treating those with pelvic floor impairments, talking about topics that are often deemed 'taboo,' and advocating for the importance of women’s health.”

Renee provides words of encouragement to students as they pursue a career in healthcare that focuses on women’s health, “it never hurts to explore and try new things, especially as a student! If you’re curious about women’s health, go to a class and see what it’s about. Join student interest groups, volunteer, and just get involved.”