Personal Statement: A Career In Physical Therapy

Ever since I was a kid, it has been my life goal to help as many people I can. I have moved around in many different areas of the medical field, but no career had caught my eye as much as physical therapy. As an athlete, I have been in and out of the physical therapist’s office for a majority of my life. Each time I have went I could not help but be beyond grateful for what these people have done for me; they have given me the ability to play the sport I love despite all the hiccups. Physical therapy is a dynamic field within the field of medicine because as a physical therapist one can make a difference in the lives of his or her patients, enjoy job security, and enjoy a rewarding and personally satisfying career.

My first experience observing a physical therapist, commenced in the summer of 2014. At the time, I was given the opportunity to observe a physical therapist named Jennifer Moreland. Throughout my time observing her, I began to recognize she was not just a physical therapist with her patients. Many times, she took on the role of a consoler, cheerleader, friend and supporter for her patients. Reflecting back on this, I am able to see that the primary reason she has succeeded as a physical therapist; is due to her amiable, encouraging and empathetic nature. These character traits have allowed her to do more than heal patients' musculoskeletal problems. She has also been able to heal hearts, souls and minds by cheering, supporting, listening

I am the physical therapy team leader at a pediatric outpatient physical and occupational therapy clinic. This clinic evaluates and treats children between the ages of birth and 21 years with a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to: developmental delays, orthopedic and neurological conditions, brachial plexus injuries, torticollis and plagiocephaly, and autism spectrum disorders. Occasionally, the therapists will evaluate and treat an adult patient with developmental disabilities. The clinic is open five days per week with four occupational therapists, three physical therapists, one physical therapist assistant, and a Spanish-speaking interpreter. As the physical therapy team leader, I work with the occupational therapy team leader to suggest, establish, and implement new programs at the clinic, under the direction of the therapy manager.

The job I plan on pursuing with kinesiology as my major is to become a physical therapist, which is also known as PT. Their main duty is helping patients rehabilitate with disabling injuries such as fractures, arthritis and low-back pain. Their duty is to help patients their relieve pain, increase mobility, and decrease long-term physical disabilities. Physical therapists focus on the evaluation of strength, balance, range of motion, co-ordination, endurance, and posture of each individual patient. Their patients can range from different age groups from infants to grandparents. The age group would provide a variety of therapeutic exercises for each of the health issues they would have. Depending

I believe that my personal and professional growth and behavior as a physical therapist is of utmost importance. I base this firstly on my strong connection to those in society who are disadvantaged when it comes to physical therapy, and also on the movement system, movement being “the key to optimal living and quality of life for all people that extends beyond health to every person’s ability to participate in and contribute to society” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013). This perspective, I believe, is aligned perfectly with the vision statement for the physical therapy profession – to transform society through optimization of movement to improve the human experience (APTA, 2013). After reviewing the vision statement, I strongly believe it will act as my guide by strengthening compassion, reinforcing advocacy, improving quality of service, and strengthening cohesion.

We are what we do. With few exceptions, our contributions to society depend on our ability to move. Therefore, when something impairs our movement and limits those contributions, it affects our identity. Physical therapists recognize this consequence, and by working to mitigate its effects for each of their patients, they ultimately make the world a more optimally functioning place. I want to be a part of this kind of work. As a physical therapist, I will contribute to the profession's goals to transform society by coming alongside each of my patients to challenge and encourage them to see their identity clarified, goals realized, and obstacles minimized as their movement improves.

I want to help others, in any way I can. My ticket would take me to a physical therapist degree. I gained an interest in becoming a physical therapist when I started to care more about my physical fitness, and wonder all about muscles and the human bodies full potential. I know I would make an excellent physical therapist. My interest in the human body makes it very easy to learn and drives me to learn as much as I possibly can. When it comes to the human body and learning about how different activates and diets affect it, I can never learn enough. I want to be a physical therapist so I can help others feel healthy.

Having the ability to optimize the quality of life for clients is essential function of a physical therapist. In order to transform society, physical therapists need to exercise the best practical standard across all aspects of the field. To fully understand the structure and functions of the human body, one must acquire the necessary problem solving, critical thinking, and clinical decision-making skills required to successfully prevent injury and alleviate impairments. Upon acceptance into this program, I anticipate being taught the highest standards of patient care and professional excellence. I would be provided with the necessary procedures for examining, evaluating, diagnosing, and creating interventions for clients. Through obtaining

As a future physical therapist, my main goal will be to improve my patients’ overall quality of life. Being a kinesiology major, I love to study the body’s movements. One category of movement, in particular, that interests me is exercise. I have taken classes in exercise physiology and physical education. I believe I can apply this knowledge in my future physical therapy programs. This would be done by, not just treating the patients in the clinic every week, but also creating an exercise program they can incorporate into their daily lives - something they can use even after recovery. Through my experience I have also found that some patients don’t understand, or are not in tune with, their bodies to know what actions are problematic verses

Regardless, my summer was spent doing physical therapy both at home and driving three hours every week to also do physical therapy I was finally seeing improvements. After only a month of going to physical therapy at the specialty clinic I improved faster than what they originally anticipated. Of course, I give all of the credit to the therapist that spent countless hours working on my knee. He dedicated many hours and also came in on his days off just to get a session in with me every week. As a matter of fact, it only took three months of driving three hours every week for my physical therapist to clear me from him.

My intended majors I’m interested in are special education and physical therapy. Growing up as a young child I was always helping my mother with my disabled brother who has severe Autism. It wasn’t easy taking care of him but as I grew older I became more comfortable with teaching him things like how to write, pronunciation with words, and politeness. One thing I learned from doing this is you need to have a lot of patience. I’m a very calm and easy going person.

I was privileged to spend numerous hours walking alongside and observing a physical therapist at the Winona Health Center. The shadowing time spent with her was very rewarding and it validated that my decision to pursue a career in physical therapy was the right path for me to take. Professionalism is encompassed by a wide range of core values. During my time with Leah Winecke, she was able to articulate and demonstrate these values in various ways. She bestowed compassion on her patients by communicating effectively with them, both verbally and non-verbally, while also taking into consideration the individual differences was refreshing to observe. She showed excellence by taking the time to consistently update and educate her patients

The physical therapy profession is concerned with treating individuals of all ages. In the future, I plan on being able to comfort individuals undergoing physical therapy by being able to use my compassionate nature, caring, understanding, and the expertise that I will gain, while serving as their physical therapist. In doing the previously mentioned things, I hope to be considered as an important asset to society. I believe that people will be able to increase their viability by seeking my assistance.

From an early age, I knew I was different than the other kids that surrounded me on a daily basis. Not because I was really smart or that I was above them, this was different and it was because of one factor. I grew up in a Navy family, my mom and dad both served in the United States Navy for a large part of my life. From the day that I was born to about 17 years old, my parents had been active duty. My dad worked as a Chief, working and managing the supplies needed for the Navy to run smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond