Meet Daniel Ng, one of the awesome physical therapists at REHAB’s outpatient clinic in Aiea! While Daniel has been an official staff member at REHAB for over a year now, his REHAB experience originally started as a student intern back in 2022–and he’s loved being a part of Team REHAB ever since. After finding physical therapy during his studies at Creighton University, Daniel dreamt of a future that made a difference in peoples’ lives every single day. “I was always interested in fitness,” he shared, “So when I realized I could help people use exercise as a means of medicine, it made me really excited to pursue physical therapy.”
As a student intern at REHAB, Daniel received hands-on experience in his newfound field. He said, “When I started as an intern, my previous experience had only been in an outpatient setting. But at REHAB, I was placed with the inpatients on floor A2. This ended up being a fantastic learning experience for me because I was able to see how much the care and training an individual receives as an inpatient carries over into their time as an outpatient.” Daniel’s experience on A2 was illuminating not only for helping him understand the connection between different stages of rehabilitative care, but also for shaping his own professional philosophies as well. “The inpatient staff at REHAB Nuuanu was incredibly positive and caring, and I saw firsthand how that energy can uplift patients who are coming to REHAB at one of the lowest points in their life,” Daniel shared. “As a student, I absorbed that and knew that an uplifting and positive approach was something I wanted to perpetuate in my own practice.”
Though Daniel’s time as an intern came to an end as he returned to school to finish his studies, he left with his future sights set on REHAB. “I knew that I wanted to rejoin this community, I wanted to be part of a staff that builds people up, helps patients get to where they want to be and become themselves again.” And he did! Not only did Daniel join Team REHAB as a full-time physical therapist at REHAB at Aiea in 2023, but he’s fulfilling his goal of uplifting others along the way. Daniel shared:
I had a patient who wasn’t able to get into a squat position for almost 20 years because of pain in her knees. She wasn’t even able to pick things up from the ground without pain which made everyday life incredibly difficult for her. So we started very gradually with lots of encouragement and made modifications to her therapy throughout the sessions. The day that she was able to squat for the first time was incredible for the both of us! She said, ‘did that just happen? I haven’t been able to do this in so long’ and I said, ‘well, now you can.’
Moments like this keep Daniel excited for what each day at REHAB will bring for him and his patients. As he looks back on his journey with REHAB, he is reminded of just how far he’s come since he interned as a student on A2. It’s been a rewarding and meaningful path, and each day he feels he’s right where he’s meant to be. For new students interested in pursuing physical therapy he said, “If you’re struggling to find your footing in the field, don’t worry, it will click later. You have the opportunity to be the catalyst for people getting better–your words and actions can have an impact that is far more than you know, and it will all be worth it.”
For more information on student internship and volunteer opportunities, visit our website rehabhospital.org or call 808.566.3741.