Physical Therapy Personal Statement

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 medical field is expanding ever so rapidly in today’s society. In the field of Physical Therapy one needs to have the understanding of how the human body works and the injuries one body could sustain. I have chosen a career to help others to battle back from life-changing injuries or surgeries. I will take the first step of joining the medical field by obtaining a physical therapist associates degree. I will become a Physical Therapist Assistant.

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)

With the job outlook of the physical therapy field being expected to grow by 34 percent by 2024, faster than the average occupation, the average annual wage at a whopping $84,020, paid sick and vacation days and the flexible work environment, this seems like the perfect profession to enter. Having a career in physical therapy can be very rewarding because a physical therapist gets to watch as his or her patients improve every appointment through treatment. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in this profession. There are many disadvantages, and knowing these will help anyone interested in this field have a better understanding of how tough pursuing a career in this field can be. Being a physical therapist can be a rewarding experience and have amazing benefits. However, it is important to be aware of the disadvantages: the extreme amount of education, physical demands, emotional demands and the continuation of education requirements.

As I have almost completed my sophomore year of college, I know what my career goals are at this point. I am currently on the physical therapy track planning to declare the major of exercise science: applied kinesiology. I became interested in PT after hearing many appealing things about it such as: the rapid growth and demand of physical therapists, the purpose it serves, and financial stability that comes along with the rewarding work. I am eager to learn about the functions, progress, and healing of the human body in the most natural manner, and through exercise science my knowledge in this study will certainly grow.

Striving for excellence through determination is essentially beneficial for the student as well as classmates and patients. The end goal of a physical therapy program is to equip students with important knowledge about the field to effectively treat each patient in a safe and informative manner. A patient’s health and well-being is relied heavily upon the therapist’s knowledge while being treated. Optimizing each learning opportunity as a student is critical in becoming a professional and well-educated physical therapist upon

After high school, I’d wish to pursue a degree as a physical therapist assistant. Ever since I was younger I always knew that I wanted to become a PTA or else an athletic trainer. Sports introduced me to physical therapy and physical therapy assistants. I’ve played sports ever since I was a little girl. I also got injured many times playing sports which led my to go to physical therapy. I’ve always thought that the body was so fascinating and always want to learn more about it. I participate in Health Occupations where I am able to actually go shadow a physical therapist and see what they do.

Congratulations on making it to week eight of PTA 324 Physical Therapy Across Practice Settings! We end this course with a look at professional development of the PTA. We will be discussing ideas for lifelong learning and maintaining clinical competence. By being in this course, you have already shown a commitment to professional development and lifelong learning. As we come to the end of this class, reflect on the self-directed learning that you have achieved and how your professional development has been affected by your research and the interactions with your classmates.

The streets of my hometown have not been this flooded since the Ohio River rose over the ten-foot flood wall in 1937; only this time not by water, but by prescription pain pills. I grew up in the foothills of Appalachia, where pain clinics were widespread throughout the Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia tri-state area until 2010. Physical therapy is an option that residents of my hometown are not fully aware of. The opioid crisis that is currently being fought by the APTA is something that continues to go on in front of my own eyes. Unfortunately, the area continues to be unaware and underserved.

The DPT physical therapy program at New York Medical College presents rigorous courses with a strong problem based curriculum. Facing challenges allow for personal growth and equips one with the tools needed to overcome more complex challenges in the future. Many unforeseen obstacles will be faced in this intense program, but I am willing to take the first step in overcoming this feat.

The American Physical Therapy Association is an accredited National Organization that offers membership to students, employers, and employees in the field of physical therapy from all across the country. As a student, I could benefit from being a member through discounts, aid, insurance, employment resources, evidence and research resources, and involvement opportunities (American – Membership Benefits for Students). After completing my education and entering the job field, I could experience benefits as a physical

Considering the capacity of a physical therapist’s knowledge of the human body, completion of a PT program is required (“Physical Therapy Schools”). After I graduate with my Bachelor’s of Applied Movement Science from University of Texas at Austin in 2021, I plan to enroll in the UT Health San Antonio School of Health Professions and become a part of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at their institution with a specialization in orthopedics. In addition, my coursework for this program will incorporate studies in research, management of patients, and 100 semester credit hours, including full-time clinical affiliations that last for 30 weeks as well as a four-week specialty clinical rotation ("Doctor"). Simultaneously, most physical therapy programs train prospective physical therapists with a distribution of eighty percent of classroom based learning along with twenty percent of hands-on learning throughout the program, according to “Intriguing Physical Therapy Statistics (And Facts).” Essentially, programs that explicitly prepare a student like me for the work force with a total 1,360 hours of clinical practice have a high passing rate for state licensing exams

In today 's ever changing medical scene, the educational requirements necessary to graduate from college and receive a job are constantly changing. As science advances and more people seek out healthcare, the prerequisites needed to provide this healthcare are becoming more and more rigorous. This is especially evident in the field of physical therapy. Over the last 135 years, the entry-level education requirements have slowly changed from a simple masters degree to a new doctorate degree, the Doctor of Physical Therapy (Threlked and Paschal). While most people agree with this new requirement, others argue that the time and effort required to receive this degree result in minimal benefits. Contrary to these claims, physical therapists should be required to graduate from a Doctor of Physical Therapy program prior to becoming a licensed physical therapist because this level of education teaches them the skills necessary to be a successful physical therapist.

Being a physical therapist, to me, is someone that is able to enhance physical and functional abilities, promote optimal quality of life, and prevent onset and unwanted diagnoses for every person they evaluate. It takes a knowledgeable, patient, determined, and passionate physical therapist to complete these arduous tasks. A physical therapist’s goal should always be to improve their patients’ lives in various aspects. It is also important for the physical therapist to have a strong belief and positive outlook for the treatment they prescribe, because if the patient notices discouragement, they will not trust the healing process. I have learned through observations that physical therapy is a very adaptive field; not every patient is the same, changes occur, and alterations are often made. The main objective is to keep the person active in any way they can be, because a sedentary lifestyle can easily ruin a person’s body, abled or disabled.

According to the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE), a residency is a “post-professional program meant to train physical therapists in a specialty area” (American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education, 2017b). The ABPTRFE currently recognizes nine specialty areas within the field of physical therapy, and there have been residency programs created in each of the nine recognized specialty areas (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, 2017). Residencies are often completed directly post-graduation, after a physical therapist is licensed. Once a residency program is completed, therapists can sit for a particular specialty certification