All About James Swift
Hello! This is a web page dedicated to introducing myself. Here you can learn about what I've learned through my experiences, internships, and schoolwork, along with skills and values that make me who I am!
My Portfolio
Hello! My name is James Swift but most people call me Jim. I am a senior at Rutgers University studying kinesiology with an expected graduation date of January 2026. I am interested in the fields of exercise science, physiology, personal health, and medical sciences. I am a hardworking individual who takes pride in doing well and seeing a job through to the end. In my free time I like to row, weight lift, hike, ski, practice photography and cook delicious and nutritious food for my family and friends. My personal goals include finishing my bachelor's degree in kinesiology, pursuing a master's in biomedical sciences, enrolling in medical school, and ultimately practicing as a family physician.
This portfolio will be organized into an introduction, resume, linkedin and contact information, experiences that shaped me, the values that lifeguarding instilled in me, followed by: 4 Learned outcomes, Leadership, Skills, 5 and 10 year plans.
My Resume
My LinkedIn Profile
& Contact Information
www.linkedin.com/in/james-s-3a69b435a
Email: jimswift4@comcast.net
Phone: (609)442-1418
James' Experiences
Here is a section dedicated to a few experiences that have shaped who I am today.
Margate City Beach Patrol
The MCBP has honed my skills as a leader, and solidified my work ethic.
Physical Therapy Aide
My experience as a PT aide has been crucial to my understanding of patient care.
Varsity Athlete
Rowing has shaped me into a had working individual, and inspired me to explore the field of Phsysical Therapy.
Values Lifeguarding Instilled in me
Pictured above is me and my brother competing in a lifeguard race.
Pictured to the right is a rocky start to a practice run for a rescue.
1.
Jumping into action
Lifeguarding for years has instilled in me an instinct for jumping to do what must be done. Whether it is a rescue or race, I have learned to give it my all at a moment's notice.
3.
Leadership
My role as a head guard on one of the busiest sectors of the beach has given me priceless leadership skills and experience.
2.
Responsibility
As I have had the role of a head lifeguard for years, I understand what it means to take on a load of responsibility.
4.
Collaboration
I am nothing without my team. For years I have learned to work, collaborate, and persevere with other like minded people.
Learned Outcomes
Throughout all of my experiences and internships, I have deduced 4 learned outcomes that best represent what I believe is important to my field of study.
1st Outcome: Be the best at your profession, whatever profession that may be. I understand that this is a basic and broad point that applies to anyone in any position. My father used to tell me to be the best at what I am, and I apply that to all situations, whether I am a physical therapist, medical doctor, or lifeguard. This is a goal I consistently work towards. This point was reiterated from the head Physical Therapist at ProCare Rehabilitation, who gave me pointers for success in the field of Physical Therapy.
2nd Outcome: Contribute to the financial success of the business you are working for. Again this outcome feeds into the first outcome, as being the best in your position would naturally bring in more clients and more business for the company. This point is crucial to being a valuable asset to any company, as your presence ensures success in both your position and for the company.
3rd Outcome: Be respected and thought of well in your community. This outcome relates to the 1st and 2nd outcome nicely, as this would naturally come about if the other outcomes are followed thoroughly. As any productive member of society would agree, being respected is of great importance. Respect is to be earned, and this is only earned through being a compassionate, professional, and hardworking individual.
4th Outcome: Continuously seek personal and professional growth. As a great man once said, "the greatest room in the world is the room for improvement." There are always new peaks to reach, new things to learn, new strategies to implement, and areas of yourself to improve. I believe in this ideal, and believe it is imperative to any professional's continued success to continue to learn as much as they can about their profession, no matter how far they've come.
Leadership
As a result of my internships, volunteering, and working with others, I have learned about the importance of leadership. I have had the honor of multiple leadership roles in my life, most recently as a head lifeguard with the Margate City Beach Patrol with 60 other guards. The community attracts summer residents and visitors from all over the country, and we are responsible for ensuring their safety. While on the beach or in the ocean. As head lifeguard, I was able to improve my ability to communicate and collaborate with others, respond professionally and compassionately as a first responder, and handle employment responsibilities required in many professional environments.
As a head lifeguard, I am tasked with maintaining the safety of those in the water, ensuring that my colleagues are upholding their responsibilities, and teaching younger guards important skills, such as how to properly recognize danger or risky situations, and how to properly engage in and coordinate rescues. Every year there are dozens of new, young lifeguards that are employed by the beach patrol, and I have the responsibility of teaching them the proper methods of maintaining safety and professionalism while guarding the ocean. We are lucky to have many of these guards ready to learn and work; however, some are not as experienced in the working world, or might have some difficulties assuming the many responsibilities of the job. For those young guards struggling with the job, I found that the best way to connect with them is to remember how I was when I first started as a lifeguard. By being empathetic, I am able to more effectively communicate with them and improve their performance in a way that resonates with them. Moreover, by showing kindness and understanding while helping them learn how to be effective lifeguards, the newer guards show their respect. This directly relates to my 3rd learned outcome from my experiences, to be well thought of in the community. Connecting with these newer guards is important to their experience in a new and important job, which I feel is one of the most important points of leadership.
Another important aspect of leadership is knowledge and understanding of the field you are in. A great example of this is the head Physical Therapist in ProCare Rehabilitation. He is an effective, knowledgeable and charismatic leader who knows how to handle the field of Physical Therapy, and I have learned a lot from him. He has taught me much of what I currently know about the field of Physical Therapy, and it is thanks to his leadership that I am as experienced as I am now.
My personal favorite sunset shot from the shore!
Skills
I have acquired a set of skills through my various work experiences that will apply to most other fields, especially the fields of medicine and health.
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Soft Skills:
Handling Stress.
Over the years I have been placed in unfamiliar situations dealing with unfamiliar topics and circumstances and have gained the ability to properly handle these stressful situations. Whether it is working 4th of July weekend with hundreds of people on the beach and in the ocean, handling and ensuring the safety of multiple patients in the clinic at once by myself or handling 4 upper-level exams in one week, I have discovered ways to properly and efficiently handle this stress in a way that works for me.
Managing multiple things at once.
I am no stranger to time management. In one semester I can find myself dealing with class work and exams, working eight-hour shifts, assisting with club activities, and exercising regularly. I take pride in my work, which entails being able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Effective communication.
One of the most important skills when it comes to working with others is the ability to properly and effectively communicate your ideas with others. This is a skill that I have been honing for years, especially as a result of my various work and internship experiences, which I continue to use every day. Communication is not just relaying information; It includes asking questions. My internships in physical therapy have given me plenty of opportunities to ask the Physical Therapist questions so that I clearly understand how to help treat patients.
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Hard skills:
Patient care.
With my experiences as a Physical Therapy Aide, patient care is of the utmost importance to me. Ensuring that patients are properly executing their rehabilitation program, ensuring they have everything they need, and assisting them with any questions or concerns they may have, are skills that I have developed while working as a Physical Therapy Aide.
Technical Proficiency.
Throughout my experiences with patient care and safety, I have gained experience and proficiency with multiple different healthcare related specialized equipment and software. I have become very familiar with electronic health record systems, which are vital for patient data management in a clinical setting. This knowledge is crucial for the smooth operation of clinics and other organizations.
CPR & AED Certified.
Through lifeguard training I am both CPR and AED certified. These skills are crucial to first responders, as they are the first line of defense when it comes to patients who are in critical condition. Along with being CPR & AED Certified, I understand how to properly assess dangerous situations and prevent as many casualties on site as possible.
5 and 10 Year Plan
Within 5 years I plan to have enrolled in medical school. As for my plans in the near future, I plan to graduate Rutgers University with a degree in exercise science with honors. This is something that I have put a lot of time and effort into, so it will be nice to finally see it through and graduate from an established university like Rutgers. Looking past graduation, I also plan to enroll in the biomedical sciences masters program at Rutgers to further my education and understanding of the medical field. With this degree, I hope to enroll in physiological research with local companies, or work with professors in my field as I have already worked with them for independent research projects. After working for some time and preparing for medical school I will apply to a number of schools in the surrounding area. My top pick would have to be the Perelman School of Medicine by the University of Pennsylvania. This school appeals to me because of the prestige and incredible standing it has within the region and around the country. As for my plan for the next 10 years, I would have certainly graduated medical school in this time, and may even be finished with my clinical rotations. Long term I would love to be a family physician, as I feel like this would be my best option for helping people. Now I recognize that all of these ambitions are quite, well, ambitious. As I would like to say that I am a practical individual, I have come up with a plan B just to ensure that I have a place somewhere in the world where I am helping people. My plan B would be to apply for Physical Therapy school. From what I have researched and discussed with superiors, I am already in a good position to be accepted into most Doctorate of Physical Therapy programs, which is reassuring. I would say that I have the most familiarity with the field of Physical Therapy with my work, volunteering, and internship experiences, so I feel as though this would be a good fit for me if I do not end up enrolling in medical school. Both of these goals I feel are attainable and realistic for myself; I have the grades, experiences, values, skills, and connections to ensure that I could apply to either program with enough time to solidify my resume and certifications.
Thank you for reading!
If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact me from any link available on this page!