I was 13 when I was first introduced to the world of physiotherapy. I had no idea what it would entail, but my parents insisted I volunteer at a local hospital to avoid going through another summer “without doing anything productive.” I came home after the first day and asked them why anybody would want to be a physiotherapist!
Fast-forward 12 years: I had graduated from physiotherapy school and had started my career. I was working the typical 40-hour week but was encouraged to see way too many patients a day. I’d treat briefly, prescribe a few exercises, slap on a machine, then have my assistant end my patient’s treatment. I absolutely loved my profession but after doing the same thing over and over again for a few years, first in Chicago and then in Toronto, I was completely burnt out. Physically exhausted, mentally drained, I just couldn’t see doing this for the rest of my career.
One day in 2012, I had coffee with my colleague Nicole Sullivan. Like me, she was burnt out and exhausted, spreading herself thin working two jobs. Neither of us knew the change we were looking for, least of all starting our own clinic. We had only ever joked about the idea. But somehow that conversation led to us signing a lease, and before we knew it, [mend]physio was born!
One of my very first patients at [mend]physio, Olivia (her name has been changed), came to me after she was hit by a car. She broke several bones in her body, including multiple vertebrae. Doctors said she was lucky to be alive. We worked together for months, initially working on things as basic as her lifting her leg. Two years after her accident, she completed her first-ever Ironman competition. To this day, she is still one of the most memorable and impactful patients of my career.
I questioned myself several times in the early days if going against the grain was the right thing to do. It felt foreign. But patients like Olivia made me hold true to doing what we thought would set us apart, not just for our patients but for our staff. No factory lines. No assistants. No machines. People do better when they feel truly supported. Our goal was to deliver a patient-first experience, to listen to them and to empower them to get back to what they loved doing. We created a space where our clinicians came together to work collaboratively, grow as a team and have a life outside of work. I take great satisfaction in knowing that I was a part of this.
Currently, I love being able to treat patients three days a week. I would never give up that part of my job. Developing relationships with my patients, seeing them progress, helping them get back to things they didn’t think they could ever do again—that is the reason I got into this profession. But through this journey, my patients and the pandemic have also taught me one of my most valuable life lessons—that work will always be there. There will always be people in need of help. There will always be more that can be done behind the scenes at the clinic. And so I feel fortunate to find myself in a place now, post-pandemic and with a toddler, where I feel as though I have achieved a good work-life balance
Candice Wong’s [mend]physio clinic is located in Leslieville, Toronto.
