Becoming A Physical Therapist

My shadowing experience this summer has taught me so many new things about physical therapy. It has allowed me to observe the practice and make sense of the new information I have learned. Although therapy has not changed, the lenses through which I view it have. I no longer see a patient performing arbitrary exercises, I see muscles moving in specific patterns. I no longer see a passive stretch being performed, I see soft tissues, ligaments, and capsules being mobilized. I no longer see a diagnosis that receives that same treatment, I see a person that is struggling with an issue and passionate people willing to help through genuine care. I Had my first observation at The Medical Arts Research Center(MARC), an outpatient physical therapy facility in San Antonio. There, I observed 9 patients with musculoskeletal conditions. These included 8 adults and 1 pediatric. The second clinic was Peak Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy clinic in Wylie, Texas. There I saw 8 patients with musculoskeletal conditions including 6 adults and 2 pediatric. During these observations, I saw many components of physical therapy practice. The last place I shadowed was Warm Springs Rehab Hospital of San Antonio. I observed in the post-acute medical facility in which we saw 7 patients with neuromuscular conditions, including 5 adults and 2 pediatric.

The duties for a PTA are in charge of the treatment area , making sure the area it’s clean and ready for the patients. The job skills that a Physical Therapist should have are the following reading comprehension , active listening ,writing, speaking , science and critical thinking.

With a little fear in her eyes, Briana looked afraid of the first ball she would ever catch. Briana was a student of mine that I worked with through an Adapted Physical Education program taught by UNT’s Kinesiology Majors. Briana was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after birth and was hit by a drunk driver at the age of 5. Due to her previous condition and the accident, she obtained speech impairment and partially paralyzed right arm, and poor motor control. Although she enjoyed being active, she was very limited on what she could do physically, mentally, and financially. After a few weeks into the program, she proved to me that she had potential to progress physically and cognitively, but she lacked the resources and help she needed to continue. It was the hope and excitement Briana had when she learned to throw, catch, and kick a ball that made me eager to teach her everything I could in the span of 10 weeks. Throughout my time with Briana, I realized the passion I have for bringing hope, possibility, and opportunity into one’s life. In fact, three months later I was able to use that same passion and apply it to my job as a PT Technician. Becoming a technician gave me an insight to the field of Physical Therapy and a drive to further educate and succeed academically for my patient’s success. Being able to see the connection between my education and my clinical experience has helped me further understand the treatment my patients undergo and has increased my want to give more

While I recognize that this vision may alter once I begin school, I currently feel that this would be a suitable place for me since I thrive in busy environments, and delight in working with patients of all ages. I have a strong passion for improving quality of life for individuals and preventing injury. Weak supporting muscles in addition to improper form cause countless injuries in sports as well as everyday life. Throughout my education, I intend to learn the best techniques for strengthening these muscles so I will be able to provide patients with thorough programs that encourage them to thrive.

As a college student it is very important to find your dream job or career after college. In order to proceed you career you need to have the skills and qualities in this career. When I graduate college, I would like to become a physical therapist. I chose this career because I want to help people with injuries. Being a college student is tough and have many weaknesses in the physical therapy field, but as I overcome them in my college career I will turn those weaknesses into strengths.

Physical Therapy has become an extremely desirable career within the past ten years, growing steadily each year. The interest generally sparks in students that are athletes and who are interested in the body. However, most prospective students don’t comprehend the time, effort and enormous dedication required to pursue a career in physical therapy. In addition to the ignorance, they also are unaware of the actual description and roles of being a physical therapist. While many believe it just consists of showing people exercises and helping them work out, there is so much more to being a

Physical Therapist helps maintain and restore a patients mobility or function and limit their physical disabilities of patients with disease or injuries. They work in many environments like hospitals, outpatient, clinics or sports and fitness facilities. A full time PT works forty hours a week their jobs can be labor intensive with moving equipment or patients or help them move or bend for their exercises. Physical therapist usually go to school for six to seven years. Physical Therapist is an effective career goal to help patients restore there mobility and function back to their daily activates (ExploreHealthCareers).

When I become older and much more qualified, I will a Physical Therapist. Being a Physical Therapist is my absolute career goal. I will provide the best care for my patents, and help them to get back to their way of life much easier. In order to get to this goal I will have to earn a degree, have over 80 hours of an internship, and then go on to graduate school to get my doctrine.

Physical therapy evolved from “two major historical events: the poliomyelitis epidemics within the United States in the 1890s and the effects of World War I upon US citizens, creating a need for rehabilitation (Moffat, M.).” Physical therapists are health care professionals who treat individuals of all ages with medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. Physical therapists go through rigorous training, work in a variety of settings, and follow an important vision. With all the important work physical therapists do for patients it is not surprising that the demand for physical therapists continues climb. Even for the country's younger sect,

In my navigation through life, I have narrowed down my career paths to two choices. The first choice being becoming a physical therapist, and the second choice being becoming a veterinarian. I would like to be a physical therapist because I am familiar with the type of work they do and enjoy helping people get back on the feet achieve their goal of recovery. I would like to specialize in helping athletes to recover as I myself know how important it is for athletes to recover quickly, and, more importantly, to receive the correct treatment to prevent a single injury that can be rehabilitated from becoming a life long issue. My overall goal would be to one day own my own practice. I also can see myself becoming a veterinarian to study and learn

When I was in my junior year of high school, I had the invaluable opportunity to shadow a physical therapist in a hospital environment. I learned many things during my time there, including that, while physical therapy is often extremely beneficial for the elderly or infirm, many people don’t realize that it can, in fact, be quite helpful for the average person as well.

My educational and career goals are to eventually become a physical therapist. I am currently a waitress and I absolutely love working with and helping people. Becoming a physical therapist is my dream because I am able to help people and hopefully make a change for the better in a lot of people’s lives. I would love to help people and make a difference in someone’s life. Being a physical therapist would be a good way to do just that: make a difference.

In the past, I have explored becoming a physical therapist, via shadowing, or pursuing a career in medical research. I decided not to pursue physical therapy because I became more interested in parts of medicine that are not the focus of physical therapy (specifically diseases of the cardiopulmonary system). Additionally, I also became interested in surgery and this is not a component of physical therapy. The reason I decided against a career strictly focused on medical research is because part of my passion for medicine is for interacting directly with patients. I am committed to working with patients and their families and diagnosing and treating individual patients and that is not something I would be able to do during medical

Although not a physical therapist, I consulted Dr. Judy A. Hunter, MD to discuss her work and experiences within the healthcare field. Dr. Hunter, a Pediatrician at Healthcare Partners Medical Group and Providence Little Company of Mary has been medicine for 31 years. Graduated in 1983 with her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Dr. Hunter also graduated from University of Michigan in Ann

In my profession, I want to make a monumental difference in someone’s lives. I did further research and realized that in order to make a monumental difference in the field of physical therapy, it takes time. In some cases, it takes years for progress to be made and in other cases, if progress cannot be made, regression can be slowed down. Due to my grandfather’s age, his body is already starting to deteriorate so progress will be a long and hard journey for him. I assumed that physical therapy did not make much of a difference for grandfather, but he recently told me that physical therapy has helped his ability to move and lessened his pain. Ultimately, my grandfather’s journey is the reason I decided to attend the University of Scranton, major in biology, and after graduating, pursue a career as a pediatric physical therapist. I want to help children with similar conditions rather than adults and elders so I that I can prevent more adults and elders from developing the