Physical Therapy Program Analysis

Before becoming registered physical therapists, aspiring physical therapists must undergo a rigorous academic program. This process of preparation begins with applications to physical therapy programs. In recent years, it has become expected for prospective physical therapists to get a doctorate degree prior to being employed in clinical practices (Threlkeld and Paschal, 2007). Over the last 135 years, the entry-level education for physical therapists has changed from a masters degree to a doctorate, the Doctor of Physical Therapy (Threlked and Paschal, 2007). Schools that offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy program look for applicants who meet both educational and character criteria. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
(2014), the most important characteristics for a physical therapist are compassion, detail orientation, dexterity, interpersonal skills, physical stamina, and resourcefulness. If the applicant meets these personality requirements, they are then screened for academic requirements. For example, in order to qualify for the University of Washington physical therapy program, applicants must have taken courses in chemistry, biology, behavioral science, statistics, physics, anatomy, and physiology (University of Washington, 2015). The selection criteria that are used to choose prospective physical therapists for Doctor of Physical Therapy programs ensures that the best qualified applicants are selected, which in turn helps to guarantee that only competent, well-prepared physical therapists provide health care. While there are many different types of Doctor of Physical Therapy programs available, all of these programs are monitored and approved by higher organizations, assuring that people who graduate from them are well-equipped for future work. When authorizing different programs, these organizations, such as the American Physical Therapy Association, place great emphasis on the formality and structure of the programs. People cannot become accredited physical therapists unless they go through a program that has met the requirements for formality and structure (Pechak and Black, 2014). Students accepted into a Doctor of Physical Therapy program, which typically lasts 3 years, must complete additional science courses, as well as about a year of clinical residency (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Just as the requirement to obtain a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree has emerged in the last few years, the necessity for time spent doing clinical practice has recently been stressed (Threlkeld and Paschal, 2007). These new guidelines help ensure the competency and quality of physical therapists throughout America so people can be sure that when they visit a physical therapist, they are receiving expert care. In addition to these basic requirements, programs also place emphasis on palliative care, which is the branch of healthcare providing comfort and care for people who are terminally ill (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2015). Studies have shown that students who undergo education in palliative care later feel more prepared to provide this type of care to patients (Chiarelli, Johnston, and Osmotherly, 2014). Since comfort and rehabilitation practices form the foundation of the field of physical therapy, knowledge of palliative care is essential to becoming a successful physical therapist. After physical therapy students have gone through this formally monitored and selected education, they are extremely well prepared to care for their future patients. After these basic educational requirements have been met, physical therapy students may also be required to attend courses designed to prepare them for the shifting medical scene of the modern day.
These specialized courses are focused on the health issues that are prevalent in America today, and thus equip future physical therapists for challenges that they are likely to face. For example, tobacco cessation counseling is becoming a mandatory component of physical therapist education (Pignataro, Gurka, Jones, Kershner, Ohtake, Stauber, and Swisher, 2014). Because the smoking of tobacco is becoming increasingly popular in the United States and its adverse affects interfere with physical therapy treatments, incoming physical therapists must be instructed on how to help their patients quit smoking (Pignataro et al., 2014). In addition to adapting to new medical issues, the education of physical therapists is changing to best be able to work within local and national culture. The University of Texas at El Paso demonstrates this adaptability by requiring Doctor of Physical Therapy students to be trained in the Spanish language (Pechak, Diaz, and Dillon, 2014). “As the Hispanic population continues to expand in the United States, health professionals increasingly may encounter people who speak Spanish and have limited English proficiency.” (Pechak et al., 2014, p. 1) Universities are responding to this cultural change by requiring healthcare students to learn Spanish. These
changes in the physical therapy curricula adapting to the changing needs in America’s medical and cultural situations train physical therapists to best care for a variety of patients. Once physical therapists have completed the academic accreditation necessary to earn their degree, they are very likely to receive a job.
Unemployment is a struggle for many Americans today, but this is not the case for future physical therapists. According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapist employment is projected to increase by 31.2% by 2022, while at the same time unemployment numbers continue to decrease (American Physical Therapy Association, 2014). This increase in jobs for physical therapists is due to many circumstances that place them in higher demand (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). First, people in the baby boomers generation are starting to grow old, which increases their likelihood of needing physical therapists to help them recover from the health issues characteristic of this season of life. Second, more physical therapists are needed to keep up with the increase of chronic illnesses. Third, as the frequency of outpatient surgery increases, so does the need for physical therapists to treat patients post-surgery. Finally, the federal health insurance reform is making physical therapy affordable for more people, which increases the amount of people looking to employ a physical therapist (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). In addition to these general expansions in the field of physical therapy, specializations within the field are making more jobs available, as people wish to see a specialist for their condition. The more
physical therapists of different specializations there are, the more people can be referred to specialists to treat their cases (Daley and Miller, 2013). Individually, any of these developments could contribute to an increased hiring in physical therapists. However, the fact that they are all occurring at once leads to a projected job growth at is over three times larger than the national average (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). All of these changes in today’s medical scene are attributing to an increasing need for physical therapists, which in turn increases the likelihood of a physical therapist getting hired after graduating college. Although physical therapists must go through much rigorous education before they can be hired, their life after being employed is marked by further educational opportunities. Some of this continued education is the inevitable result of experience. The more time people spend in action, the more they will learn about the area in which they are acting. In a study published by Manns, Norton, and Darrah (2015), it was found that while recently graduated physical therapists remembered more of their in-class education than did therapists further removed from this formal education, both groups more frequently relied on clinical experience when making decisions in the workplace. There are certain lessons that cannot be learned in a classroom. Experience is the best teacher. However, if education programs incorporated more clinical experience and scenarios, physical therapists may be more prone to relying on their evidence-based education to make decisions (Manns et al., 2015). Other continuations of education are optional. For example, after a considerable amount of time in clinical practice, physical therapists may choose to become a licensed specialist (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties). Therapists who wish to become certified in a specific specialization must have a least 2,000 hours of clinical experience in this specialization and pass a comprehensive written exam (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties). While physical therapists who choose to take the specialization track do have to go through extensive extra education, this education is not mandatory for all physical therapists and can be added on to the education already received only if the therapist chooses to do so. Thus, through both inevitable experience and optional programs, physical therapists continue to learn throughout their careers after college. Despite the rigorous and demanding nature of physical therapy, physical therapists report to be very satisfied with their jobs and think that it helped prepare them from later life. Satisfying people’s desire to help others while simultaneously providing personal benefits, physical therapy promotes high job satisfaction amongst employees. In a survey by Teresa Bortolameolli (1993), it was found that physical therapists were satisfied with their jobs because of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, as well as job mobility. Job challenge, schedule flexibility, insurance, research opportunities, and colleagues all contributed to the level of satisfaction that physical therapists felt with their job (Bortolameolli, 1993). Other studies have found that physical therapy appeals to a large amount of people because it allows for a variety of specialties, work locations, and work hours, so most people can find a fit that brings them pleasure (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). For example, Faith Goldman (2015) found that physical therapy both satisfied her desires and prepared her for later life circumstances. After overcoming physical disabilities, Goldman sought a profession that would enable her to help others the same way that she had been helped (Goldman, 2015). Physical therapy was the perfect fit. In addition to fulfilling this desire, Goldman’s professional training in this field enabled her to care for her aging parents and grandparents. It also prepared her to expedite her recovery after several surgeries later in life (Goldman, 2015). Due to physical therapy’s focus on helping others and its applicability to personal life, it brings great satisfaction to most physical therapists.