After completing my undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy at Syracuse University, I completed my residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While training in mental health, orthopedics, and neurology, I have learned that “protocols are general guidelines.” I will be humble enough to admit that those patients whom I was not able to help both within the Army and during my subsequent private practice was due to a failure to connect with the patient. Explaining concepts in a manner that makes sense to people is a skill that takes time. Patients will not just do it because we are experts and we say so. Most colleagues and managers agree that it takes a lot more than memorizing protocols to provide excellent care. The first rule of health care or therapy is to “develop a rapport with each patient”. Each patient has a unique medical history, age, gender, cultural background, habits, responsibilities, and interests. An 80-year-old lady experiencing memory deficits may not respond to treatment the same as would a 30-year-old male warehouse worker (despite having had the same surgical procedure for a wrist fracture). Whether your goals are to feel more confident as a clinician or to develop more clinical options to assist your patient in achieving maximal function.