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Exercise Physiologist Internship

How can I get relevant experience to be an exercise physiologist? I am in my last year of school and I am having difficulties finding internship opportunities.

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Connor’s Answer

Hi Luke! Exercise Physiologist seems like more of a niche role compared to a more generalized "Accountant" for example. When looking for an internship, it may be best to reach out to those with an independent practice. Do not be afraid to call, email, or show up in person. Something like an Exercise Physiologist may not have internship openings on common websites like Indeed.

The other thing you want to consider is what type of internship you are looking for. Do you want a paid internship? Or a "free" work-experience internship? While people may tend to favor a paid internship, some would say that knowledge is worth more than money. If you have the means to, a "free" internship may be the best route. It is enticing for the employer as it will cost them nothing out of pocket, and it is enticing for you as well because you will get real-world experience. This experience will show you if Exercise Physiologist is truly something you want to pursue or not as well.

I wish you the best of luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for taking the time to help! I really appreciate it! I didn’t really think about contacting independent practices. Luke
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Valerie’s Answer

I visited the OOH. com website to gain insight into this fast growing occupation . I learned that you can sit for your licensing exams without prior work experience which is good since many young people encounter difficulty sometimes landing that first elusive job without experience. However, since you specifically asked about how to get an internship, I focused on websites that would be helpful in landing that desired job! I saw numerous job openings for exercise physiologists on ziprecruiter and on Glassdoor. I like Glassdoor because you can learn how people feel about working at specific firms, the culture, benefits, etc. I noted that many exercise physiologists are self employed and work with athletes. You might ask yourself if you would like being an entrepreneur! Physiologists who work in the clinical realm with people who have chronic diseases involving pulmonary problems or cardiovascular disease are more likely to be employed with company in the health arena. So you need to ask yourself if you prefer to work with relatively healthy athletic types or focus on people with chronic disease instead.

Valerie recommends the following next steps:

Be sure to visit OOH.com for details about this field
Google, “where or how can I find internships in exercise physiology and this will lead you to numerous sites in addition to the two sites I mentioned here !
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Danielle’s Answer

I have my degree in ex phys from FAU and completing an internship was required to graduate. Most students contacted private practices, such as physical rehab centers, orthopedic offices, and very niche gyms (elite athlete training centers - they do a lot of VO2 Max testing — look at Olympic Training centers near you!), med spa’s. etc.

I highly recommend reaching out to your local hospitals for their cardiac rehabilitation clinics! You’ll definitely put your skills to use helping patients who are recovering from MI’s, open heart surgeries, stress testing…. And, if you preform very well during your internship - they tend to hire their past interns! I hope this helps a little!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for the advice, Danielle! Luke
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