Why I Want To Be A Physical Therapist

Becoming a productive member of society is crucial role as an American citizen. The possible careers one can take on to help America grow are infinite. However, it is important to be cautious of selecting a career due to the decline of multiple jobs that do not serve a purpose anymore. Moreover, the demand for physical therapists is increasing, making it one of the fastest growing occupations (“Physical Therapists”). This paper will provide a comprehensive overview of the role of a physical therapist including responsibilities, education requirements, and pay.
A physical therapist’s primary responsibility is to meet the health care needs of a patient in the rehabilitation process to prevent disability after surgery (Furze 950). Furthermore,
a physical therapist must embody a set of qualities for the sake of success: professionalism, clinical reasoning, interpersonal and communication, inquiry skills, etc. (Furze 955). For instance, interpersonal skill is a crucial characteristic a physical therapist needs to exemplify due to the vulnerability of many patients. For example, a therapist may motivate their patient during rehabilitation so they are able to regain movement of their body; in a situation where the patient may not have hope for their recovery, the therapist maintains a positive attitude and utilize it for the benefit of the patient (Plack 275). Although emotional qualities are very significant regarding a profession in therapy, physical traits are crucial as well. Every patient a physical therapist encounters goes through meticulous exercises to regain body movement. Therefore, physical capabilities are essential to this occupation since the therapists are on their feet for a long period of time. During therapeutic sessions, a physical therapist provides a numerous amount of exercises the patient is required to complete while helping them simultaneously. Overall, supervising the patient’s exercises is the main responsibility of the physical therapist, which makes physical stamina one of the most valuable traits. More importantly, the physical therapist primarily interacts with the patient and their caretaker, making communication a key element at excelling in a challenging job such as this. For example, many physical therapists utilize the Teach-Back Method to ensure the patient or caretaker understands the required exercises that need to be done at home (Plack 290). Thus, a physical therapist should have notable communication skills that will facilitate a patient’s rehabilitation. Overall, the occupation of a physical therapist requires ingenious clinical knowledge and skills (Furze 950). Therefore, a prospective physical therapist must graduate with a doctorate’s degree in order to obtain a license to practice. The process a student experiences to become a licensed physical therapist certainly is strenuous due to the competitive 3.6 GPA an individual should acquire to be accepted into a physical therapist program. Before a student sets up an application for a program, s/he is required to receive a bachelor’s degree that pertains to any basic science course such as anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, or physics (“Physical Therapists”). Although a bachelor’s degree may be earned, specific classes need to be taken by a student to enroll in any physical therapist program; these courses include, but not limited to, psychology, statistics, physics, and chemistry. The abundance of science based courses ensures the prospective student comprehends the basic functions of the human body that will support their success in a doctoral program.
Once a student earns a bachelor’s degree and graduates with a qualifying GPA from an accredited physical therapist program, the student must continue their education by enrolling in a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program.
In addition, the coursework for most doctoral programs incorporate studies in research, patient management, and full-time clinical affiliations. For this reason, a prospective physical therapist must have an extensive knowledge of the human body and the proper procedures to properly care for their patients. Once a prospective therapist successfully completes a physical therapist program, the student is not required to have prior work experience or on-the-job before they take the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) to obtain a state licensure to practice in the United States (“Physical Therapists”). Fortunately, the NPTE is structured like the SAT and AP exams, the only notable difference is that the exam is on a computer; further, the exam is composed of five sections that total up to 800 points, only requiring 600 to pass the exam (Neil).
By the course of progression of today’s technology, survival rates will increase among victims of trauma related accidents and infants with birth defects (“Physical Therapists”). Therefore, a career as a physical therapist ensures job security. Considering the need for physical therapists in the near future, the occupation is predicted to grow about 28 percent between 2016 and 2026, which is notably faster than any
other career resulting in over 67,000 new jobs by 2025 (“Physical Therapists”).
After a license to practice is obtained and a starting job is acquired, the entry-level salary for a physical therapist is an estimate of $50,000; additionally, salary is dependent on geographical location, varying from state to state (“Physical Therapists”). Nationally, the annual wage for physical therapists as of April 2018 ranges from an estimate of $58,000 to over $122,000 with a median salary of $86,850 ("Physical Therapists”). Moreover, salary is heavily contingent on the type of industry, location of the work setting, and experience. For example, home health care service positions average an annual salary of $92,320 as opposed to therapy clinics that average around $82,620 per year (“Physical Therapists”).
As for work environments, physical therapists work in a variety of settings that correspond to clinics, hospitals, home health care, residential care, and physician offices. The different work settings of a physical therapist may also be dependent on their specialty, but more than one specialty can work alongside each other in the same work environment. Accordingly, there are eight specialties: orthopedic, electrophysiology, sports physical therapy, women’s health, geriatric, neurological, cardiopulmonary, and pediatric (Neil).
Each setting requires a physical therapist to perform different tasks that pertain to their patient’s needs. For instance, in a hospital setting, a physical therapist exercises certain limbs for the patient so the muscles do not atrophy during a period of bed rest. As for a physician setting, the physical therapists work closely with the surgeons who conducted the patient’s surgery, whether it is cardiovascular, orthopedic, geriatric, etc. The physical therapists that are employed by physicians typically maintain the specializations that fit within the field of the physician. Moreover, physical therapists employed within nursing/residential care regularly specialize in geriatrics or neurology. As for a career in home health care, physical therapists become intimate with their patients for the reason that the therapy sessions taking place at the patient’s home. The recovery procedure for a patient in home health care is essentially the same as a therapy clinic, but the supplies for rehabilitation are regularly owned by the therapist themselves. However, a therapy clinic setting is specified for therapy only, whether it is occupational or physical. Moreover, the sports portion of work settings harbors unique characteristics that are not as popular due to their exclusiveness regarding occupations in collegiate or professional sporting leagues.
As an American citizen, it is important to be financially stable and serve a purpose in society.
As a result, physical therapy is an ideal career due to the promise it provides in the job market. In response to the exigency for physical therapists, they must complete a litany of educational requirements before they are allowed to practice in the United States. Moreover, the vast amount of settings therapists are employed ensures job security for the next ten years (“Physical Therapists”). Although the qualifications are strenuous for a career in physical therapy, the benefits are surely worth
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Works Cited
Furze, Jennifer A., et al. "Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education:
Reflections on the Past, Present, and Future." Physical Therapy, vol. 96, no. 7, July 2016, pp. 949-960. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2522/ptj.20150473.
Neil. “Physical Therapist (PT) Education Overview.” APTA, American Physical Therapy
Association, 20 Apr. 2018, www.apta.org/PTEducation/Overview/. Accessed 8 June 2018
“Physical Therapists.” Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13
Apr. 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm. Accessed 8 June 2018
Plack, Margaret M., and Maryanne Driscoll. “Patient Education: Facilitating Behavior Change.”
Teaching and Learning in Physical Therapy: from Classroom to Clinic, 2nd ed., SLACK
Incorporated, 2017, pp. 275, 290.