Every little kid has their mind set on a fantasy of the life they wish to live when they grow up. The dreams can stretch as far as being a professional athlete to being an astronaut. When we grow up, we are forced to face reality and evaluate reasonable career choices and relevate them to the interests we have. As the time comes for me to choose which career I plan to pursue, I am drawn to the idea of physical therapy due to my growing passion to help those in need and my fascination with the anatomic structure. Physical therapists, also known as PTs, are people who train and devote their time to helping injured or ill people improve their movement and manage their pain. Also, the main job of a physical therapist is to test and measure a …show more content…
There are several steps needed to prepare one for a career in physical therapy. In fact, even the classes taken in high school are crucially beneficial to the outcome of a career. Some classes to consider include: Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Biology (“University”). Post high school, becoming a physical therapist is not an easy process. It requires multiple degrees and many years of schooling. Students must have a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy and complete an internship (“Physical” Missouri). When earning the bachelor’s degree, some classes that will need to be taken include: human anatomy, exercise science, biology, and athletic training (“Physical” Missouri). Physical therapists need these classes to ensure a full understanding of the anatomic structure of humans. Physical therapists also need to be able to evaluate effective exercises to help improve the patient’s discomfort. This can be learned in a classroom, but it would be enhanced with a hands on experience like an internship. The internship needed can be taken place at a physical therapy rehabilitation facility, medical clinic, or even with athletic trainers. During the internship, students will be helping real people with their discomforts and injuries, and experience what being a physical therapist …show more content…
Choosing which college to attend could be the deciding factor on the path to a successful career. Missouri State University is a well-known physical therapy school with reasonable tuition cost. A Missouri State official stated, “Our program is somewhat unique in that the curriculum emphasizes the importance of values and professional behaviors” (“Department”). Missouri State University has an on campus physical therapy clinic where students, faculty, and staff “learn how to study, work more safely, more comfortably, and more effectively” (“Department”). The physical therapy clinic also provides “specialty care” and “rehabilitation services” for injured patients (“Department”). Although Missouri State sounds like an excellent choice, it is crucial to weigh all of the factors of admission, especially cost.The average tuition for a “[Missouri] resident (based on thirty credit hours) is $7,008” (“Missouri”). The cost of tuition to attend Missouri State University is low compared to most colleges. Adding in the fees of boarding and supplies, the total cost to attend Missouri State sums up to $15,686 a year (“Missouri”). Scholarships [up to a full deduction] may be rewarded to reduce the tuition cost (“Missouri”). Missouri State offers a favorable physical therapy program for an outstandingly low
As a physical therapist, one is able to make a difference in the lives of the patients he or she encounters. Whether they have a minor injury, such as a broken
After receiving my high-school degree, I would like to pursue the career of becoming a physical therapist. I would like to do this career because I want to help and serve my community by helping them regain their strength. Also, I have seen multiple people, including myself, become injured without the help of physical therapy I might not have been able to participate in sports and even possibly do easy daily movements.
A Physical therapist is a highly educated, licensed health care professional that can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility. They can teach patients how to prevent or manage their condition so that they will achieve long-term health benefits. To become a physical therapist one must go through years of school and training. My goal of becoming a physical therapist has been my main goal ever since high school. Being in a swim team and helping others out as a lifeguard has motivated to into helping athletes and people with disabilities. To me, working with people would be a fantastic career field for me to pursue. Reaching this goal is harder than most career goals. I will have to go through a pool of candidates that are has motivated as me. This goal that I am trying to accomplish will need a hundred percent of my effort in school and the field itself. Finding “connections in the field of physical therapy will help you find a job faster. Many people will try to get a spot in the career that I want and for me to accomplish my goal, I must be a better candidate than the others.
In order to be successful in the profession as a physical therapist there are several prerequisites a person has to accomplish. One of the first prerequisites to become a physical therapist is you must graduate from a physical therapist educational program and obtain a master or doctoral degree. The master's degree programs for physical therapy typically are two to two and a half years in length, while doctoral degree programs usually last 3 years. In addition to classroom and laboratory instruction, students will complete supervised clinical experience to get a feel of the work environment. The coursework will include physics, biology and chemistry. Other additional coursework included during the physical therapy program is therapeutic procedures, biomechanics, examination techniques, human development, manifestations of disease, and neuroanatomy. You can specialize in one of those certain topics, which will concentrate more on a certain area. Students must also obtain a license in order to practice physical therapy. A license can be obtained by
Colleges with a medical department often have a master’s program for physical therapy. (“Physical Therapists”) Physical therapy students have a required amount of field work in order to complete a program. Each candidate must work in an accredited workplace for the field work assignments. This part of the program is extremely valuable and helpful for a new therapist entering the field. Working one on one can be difficult even with all of the educational tools. (Curtis 37)
Physical therapists are required to complete at least six years or higher of education before work begins. This means that a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree must be achieved. Only a few colleges or universities offer master’s programs, therefore a student must enter a doctoral program to attain this profession. Acquiring a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree requires three years of education only after receiving a bachelor’s degree. Most students join residency programs that can last anywhere from nine months to three years to
When considering the physical therapy career field, I concluded that my interests and skills are compatible with the career requirements in this field. My sisters friend whom I chose to interview for this paper, contributed to my interest in physical therapy. By doing this research I would like to learn the average pay for a physical therapist. Also, what are suggested classes for a physical therapist while in college? This research will help me better understand what a physical therapist does and will either help me lean towards or away from a career in this field.
A Physical Therapy Assistant involves assisting a Physical Therapist who helps with the rehabilitation of people that have different injuries past or present. They help people get back to their normal self and help them learn to live on their own with little to no assistance. The Physical Therapist Assistants job consists of mainly helping with the workouts and massages. They help with impairments, disabilities, and their mobility (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). As a physical therapy assistant, you can work in different locations like therapy, gyms, hospitals, and schools.
Physical Therapy is a very important profession. There are many people that are treated and cared for by the physical therapist and the physical therapist assistant each and every day. They have helped many patients improve their overall way of life and this profession has provided jobs to thousands of people. Physical therapy has made a big impact on the world and has changed the way patients can be treated.
Physical Therapist has extensive education training. First, in order to become a Physical Therapist, he or she will need to take many years in college studying in areas such as Kinesiology, Anatomy, Biology, and Physical Fitness. Also, the students will need to receive extensive training in patient psychology. (“Become
Like any career in healthcare, there are many steps and schooling required to become a Physical Therapist. The first step after graduating high school, the minimum is to get an associate’s degree, but a bachelor’s degree, ideally in a relevant field such as kinesiology, is recommended. Then, you must pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, after graduation from an accredited physical therapy education
In order to become a physical therapist, one must obtain a bachelor’s degree, usually related to anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, or physics. This typically takes four years to complete. After undergraduate coursework, a DPT, or Doctor of Physical Therapy, program must be pursued. These programs last three years, for a total of seven years between undergraduate and graduate work. Some programs
Physical therapists are members of a health care team, specially trained to improve movement and flinction, relieve pain, and expand movement potential. Through evaluation and individualized treatment programs, physical therapists can both treat existing problems and provide preventive health care for people with a variety of needs (Physical Therapy-Improving 1). Physical therapists are very knowledgeable and skillful concerning the human body. Physical therapy is a complex, but rewarding field to pursue as a career. Specialization, working conditions, job outlook, salaries, and education requirements need to be taken into consideration when contemplating a career as a physical therapist.
The classes I need when I go into college is biology, chemistry, physics and college-preparatory math. I'm also planning on taking anatomy to learn more about the body. There is a program at school that allows students to job shadow our PT. Another option is job shadowing. There are many physical therapist in our are that I could job shadow to gain more experience in the field. All of these looks great on college and job
Either way, physical therapy bound students are well off. Most physical therapy departments, offering a master’s degree, require students to take certain mathematics courses along with physics, biology, chemistry, and anatomy. Those who are in this four-year program often take human physiology and anatomy, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and anatomical kinesiology. These classes are taken over the course of one’s first four years of college. To obtain a master’s degree and eventually a license in physical therapy, the student must endure a couple additional years of schooling (Education-Portal.com).