My Journey to Physical Therapy

When I was in second grade, I dreamed of becoming a pediatrician. I adored my own pediatrician and had a natural love for babies. Among my family, I was the one who could miraculously soothe any crying baby and lull them to sleep when no one else could. As soon as I turned 12, I eagerly took a babysitting course and began caring for other people’s children.

I was also a dedicated figure skater. From the age of four, I could be found on the ice multiple times a week—it was the only sport I ever wanted to pursue. As soon as I was eligible, I started teaching Learn to Skate classes. When I was 14, my coach asked me to assist a young skater, around 10 years old, who had a mild form of cerebral palsy and required additional one-on-one support during class. Her grandfather brought her every Saturday. While I don’t remember every detail of our time together, I will never forget the day she landed her first waltz jump. Her grandfather stood there with silent tears streaming down his face, overwhelmed with joy at her success.

When I went to college, I was still set on attending medical school. However, freshman chemistry proved to be a challenge, leading me to switch my major to psychology. As I neared the end of my bachelor’s degree, I had a realization—what can you actually do with a psychology degree at the undergraduate level? The answer: not much. So, I decided to pursue a master’s degree and fell in love with a Child Development program. Through this program, I was introduced to the world of Early Intervention.  Early Intervention is a state and federally funded program that provides developmental care to children from birth to 3 years old in their natural environment.

I began my career as a Developmental Specialist, a generalist role focusing on early cognitive skills, play skills, behavior, and language development. I loved my work and dedicated myself fully to it. However, over time, I experienced burnout, as I had not yet established a healthy work-life balance. Through a great deal of self-reflection, I explored the different specialists I had collaborated with—speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. It was then that I realized I could combine my athletic background in figure skating with my passion for working with children. This revelation led me to pursue a career in Physical Therapy.

On the first day of PT school, we went around the room introducing ourselves and sharing our areas of interest. I was the only one who expressed a desire to work in pediatrics. My journey ultimately led me to Boston Children’s Hospital, where I spent three years—starting with an internship in the Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Clinic, followed by a year in outpatient care and another in inpatient care. Eventually, I found my way back to Early Intervention. It became clear that this setting, with its home-care model and close collaboration with families, was where my heart truly belonged. And while I may not have become a pediatrician, being a pediatric physical therapist is pretty darn close.

Dr. Rebecca Turkel is a Licensed Physical Therapist, Craniosacral Fascial Therapist, Certified Early Intervention Specialist, Certified Educator of Infant Massage, Certified in Neonatal Behavior Observation, and Integrative Breastfeeding Educator. 

Dr. Turkel has over 18 years’ experience working with families in an Early Intervention setting as a Developmental Specialist and Physical Therapist as well as 14 years’ experience working at Boston Children's Hospital as a Physical Therapist.