If you are thinking about having a career in the medical field be prepared for an extended amount of time in school. Students must earn at least a bachelor degree to participate in a Doctor of Physical Therapy program (DPT). That is just the minimum degree required, but in today's society a bachelor degree will not be enough for a suitable career. Seeing as you will spend plenty of time in college it is important to choose the right school. If you are thinking about going into a career in physical therapy these schools are the top in North Carolina: Duke,East carolina University, Western Carolina University, University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and Elon. DPT programs are necessary if you want to have a stable job in Physical Therapy. Most DPT programs last 3 Years. Before they are allowed to practice, …show more content…
physical therapists must have earned a graduate degree from an accredited academic program in physical therapy. “These programs typically culminate in a doctoral degree and take at least three years to complete.” (study.com).Now we will take a look at a physical therapy course that's relatively close to our area ”ECPI University’s physical therapist assistant program is designed to provide graduates with the knowledge required to work under the supervision of a Physical Therapist in the rehabilitation process. Curriculum focuses on a variety of areas including:Human anatomy,Physiology,Aging of muscles and bones as it relates to exercise and its impact on mobility, strength and coordination.Students also gain hands-on experience in the use of physical modalities such as heat, ice, ultrasound, traction, massage, and electrical stimulation to help decrease pain, increase motion, and improve function.”(ECPI) At ECPI you have the ability to learn and grow at ECPI they hope you can achieve that as well and you can see that in their degree outcome.”Prepare graduates for entry-level practice as physical therapist assistants who will work under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist in an ethical, legal, safe, and effective manner.
Prepare graduates who are competent in the implementation of comprehensive treatment plans developed by the supervising physical therapist and prepare to effectively monitor and modify the plan of care within the knowledge and limits of practice and communicate with the supervising therapist in a timely manner regarding the patient's status.
Provide a learning environment that recognizes individual differences and promotes caring behaviors in the healthcare community.
Promote critical thinking skills to effectively address patient care problems and to adapt the rapidly changing challenges in healthcare and physical therapist assistant.” (ECPI) As a physical Therapist you are able to work in a variety of different fields and environments. Where you work is determine a lot about your job and the stress and rewards it brings. Below is a short description of a few locations that one may work on.
Rehabilitation Hospital - In this setting, physical therapy is provided to individuals who are admitted to a facility or rehabilitation unit. The goal is this setting is to provide intense therapy to improve the person's ability to care for himself or herself (typically 3 hours or more per day).
Sub-Acute Rehabilitation - In this setting, physical therapy is provided to individuals who are admitted to a special hospital that provides medical and/or rehabilitation care. The rehabilitation is less intense (typically less than 3 hours per day).
Extended Care Facility /Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility - In this setting, physical therapy is provided to individuals who are admitted to a facility that typically cares for elderly patients and provides long-term nursing care, rehabilitation, and other services.
Outpatient Clinic (also known as a Private Practice) - In this common physical therapy setting, individuals visit a physical therapist in a clinic, office, or other health care facility primarily to address musculoskeletal (orthopedic) and neuromuscular injuries or impairments.
School/Preschool - In this setting, physical therapy is provided within an educational environment, including preschool, elementary, or secondary education (high school and vocational) facilities.
Wellness/Prevention/Sports/Fitness - In this setting, physical therapy is provided to individuals with a focus on wellness. This approach to health care emphasizes preventing illness and injury and promoting a healthy lifestyle, as opposed to emphasizing treatment of diseases. Settings may include, but aren't limited to fitness centers and sports training facilities.
Home Health - In this setting, physical therapy is provided in the patient's place of residence. While the majority of patients are senior citizens, there also are pediatric patients with developmental disabilities and other conditions, and individuals of all ages who need rehabilitation because of injury or other causes. Home care may actually be provided in the patient's residence, the caregiver's home, a hospital emergency room, skilled nursing facility, residential facility, group home, hospice, or elsewhere in the community.
Hospice - In this setting, physical therapy is provided to patients in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may maintain functional abilities for as long as possible and manage pain.
Industrial, Workplace, or Other Occupational Environments - In these settings, physical therapy is provided to individuals primarily to help them return to work or for the purpose of enhancing employee health, improving safety, and increasing productivity in the workplace.
Local, State, and Federal Government - In these settings, physical therapy is provided to civilians and military personnel. PTs are employed by federal agencies, including the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA), Department of Defense, and Indian Health Service (IHS).
Research Center - In this setting, physical therapists and other professionals conduct research to improve patient/client care outcomes and support the body of knowledge in the field physical therapy.” (APTA) As one can see there are plenty of options one may choose when deciding where they would continue to practice Physical therapy. One's duties as a Physical Therapist may be the most stressful part of the job.Physical Therapist must diagnose patients’ functions and movements by observing them stand or walk and by listening to their concerns, among other methods. In some cases it is hard to pinpoint what is wrong so it may take extensive work to find the true issue at hand.Review patient's’ medical history and any referrals or notes from doctors, surgeons, or other healthcare workers. In some states patients are allowed to come straight to the PT before visiting a doctor so finding medical information may become difficult if the patient does not have a file on hand.PT have to educate the patient and the family on the condition.This is a very emotional time if one is going through a serious injury, it is hard to tell the patient about how serious the problem.Educate patients and their families about what to expect from the recovery process and how best to cope with challenges throughout the process Use exercises, stretching maneuvers, hands-on therapy, and equipment to ease patients’ pain, help them increase their mobility, prevent further pain or injury, and facilitate health and wellness.As a PT you must develop a plan to help the patient, this may cause you to stay past your normal schedule and this can cause a lot of stress. .Evaluate and record a patient’s progress. modifying a plan of care and trying new treatments as needed. The duties of a PT is tough and time consuming, but the salary to obtain is something to work for.
The payoff of being a PT is worth the hassle, but it is based off of your education, location,and the time you put in.
PT can make a range of different salaries.The median annual wage for physical therapists was $84,020 in May 2015.The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $57,060, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $119,790. Even the type of PT can affect your pay. Home health care services earned $91,400 while Nursing and residential care facilities made 91,140. Hospitals; state, local, and private PT made 85,360 while Offices of physicians earned 83,240 and finally Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists earned
$80,000.
.Physical Therapy is so flexible many people don’t even know they are seeing a Physical therapist. They can work in a variety of fields so it is important to understand a wide variety of techniques. You will spend a large quantity of time in school the pay off at the end makes it worth it. The payoff isn't just the salary that one can earn but the satisfaction of helping those that need.