The
patient had recently had an accident followed by arthroscopic
surgery, and I watched as the physical therapist worked on his
knee. He spoke in English to his patient and explained what the
referring surgeon had asked him to do. Then he spoke in Thai to
the student who was listening and observing intently,
instructing her on the technique he was using to reduce swelling
at the surgical site.
Prapas Pothongsunun holds both masters and
doctoral degrees in physical therapy from New York University,
earned ten years apart while he gained valuable university and
hospital experience at home in Thailand. A professor at Chiang
Mai University, he also practices at the Mae Ping Physical
Therapy Clinic, which is tucked down in a little shopping and
office area, but all you have to do is ask any of the
neighboring business people and they can point it out. The
doctor is well known in his neighborhood.
Dr. Prapas practices hands-on healing, and
it’s easy to see that he likes people. While he spends many
hours teaching his students the fundamentals of his profession,
he says that what he really enjoys is working with the patients
and instructing the students in a clinical setting. He expresses
great appreciation for the independence of an 84 year old
patient who insists on driving herself to his clinic for
treatment. He patiently instructs a young man injured while
playing rugby on techniques to prevent further injury to his
clavicle. He says that physical therapists have to learn to do
each exercise that they teach so that they can demonstrate the
movements to their patients. He discusses treatment options with
the knee patient, while massaging his knee with a lotion of aloe
and herbs. He gently examines a youngster’s spine; her worried
mother sits by. They talk about the child’s medical needs, and
he writes down information for the mother.
Prapas always wanted to be a physical
therapist, even though the profession was not well known in
Thailand when he first entered training at Mahidol University.
His father wanted him to study medicine, but Prapas continued
with his studies in physical therapy. It was important to his
father that he help a lot of people, and Prapas knew that he was
doing just that. His aunt, a medical technologist, encouraged
him. She understood the developing sciences that would
eventually be critical in the care of many people. A year and a
half of basics, then he was off every day on a Chao Phraya
riverboat to Siriraj Hospital for practical, hands-on clinical
training. The knowledge base for physical therapy came from a
Thai physician who had studied in the United States. Prapas
spent two and a half years commuting by boat to the hospital,
graduated and began practice there. He read the professional
journals, and he knew there was still a lot to learn. His
colleagues discouraged him. They knew all they needed to know,
they claimed, but Prapas kept reading.
After only a year of practice, he decided
that he wanted to go to the United States for graduate studies.
Information was not easy to obtain. This was before there was an
internet caf้ on every corner with an ADSL connection.
Research was cumbersome, and often by hand. Getting information
from abroad took weeks. Prapas found a wealth of information at
the AUA library, and began writing to America for further
information. Most universities would not accept him because of
his limited practical experience, but a small school on Long
Island was willing to take a chance. Prapas went to his father,
and asked for help. And his father understood and helped him to
go abroad.
After a year at Long Island University, the
prestigious New York University accepted him into its master’s
program. He completed both his academic studies and his clinical
work, and did his research on the effects of superficial heat
and deep heat (ultrasound), on tissue healing. A new graduate
degree in hand, he returned home to practice.
But the need to learn always called, and ten
years later Prapas was again making his way to New York
University to enter a doctoral program. Again successful, this
time completing his research on the neck flexor muscles, he
returned to Chiang Mai to clinical work. It is obvious as we
talk that he loves working directly with patients.
But Dr. Prapas is also a researcher with a
strong appreciation for the latest technology. A post-surgical
patient has brought him a DVD of his entire surgical procedure.
The instruments used are state-of-the-art, and the surgeon’s
technique is flawless. The advances in technology and the
opportunity to share this information with colleagues and
students alike are exciting. His colleague in his clinic watches
the DVD and asks questions while Dr. Prapas works with a
patient.
Does he choose only the best and brightest
students to work with him in his clinic? Well, no. They are too
likely to be solely focused on the academics of the profession,
and Dr. Prapas seeks students who are flexible, consistently
motivated to learn, and who have the skills and compassion to
interact with people who are in distress. His students are
bright, of course, but he seeks humanitarians rather than
technicians. Then he teaches the techniques.
Prapas Pothongsunun is a man at peace with himself, someone
who advises his students to exercise at least twice a week
rather than sit in front of the television. He says he has
learned to be completely with his patients when he is working
with them, but to leave it all behind when he leaves his
practice. He swims a full kilometer several days a week,
alternating swimming and sauna until he is relaxed. His stress
management techniques are enviable. He is someone who annually
tests his own fitness by walking up the steps at Wat Doi Suthep
without pausing to rest, a man who retreats to the forest at
Songkran to replenish his energy and restore his soul. Each of
us can learn from him.
