Physical Therapy Personal Statement

Participating in sports has led me to the career of physical therapy. I have been an athlete all of my life. I have played every sport from tackle football to softball and every sport the community of Sitka offered. Being involved in several sports at one time helped me realize how easy it is to get injured and how crucial it is to have a physician that is supportive and understands an athletes injuries. By going to McKendree University I will be able to become a physical therapist and help injured athletes recover.

The American Physical Therapy Associations (APTA) vision statement sets a standard of quality care that should apply to every health care facility where physical therapy is practiced. In my opinion, when the APTA mentions improving the human experience, it is an attempt to encompass an enhancement in people’s ability to freely participate in the activities of their choice. Ultimately, the decisions that a person choose determines his career growth and relationship between him and the clients (Porter and Teisberg, 2006). From personal experience, losing the ability to take part in these activities can have a detrimental effect on one’s overall quality of life. In March of 2014, I was diagnosed with osteochritis dissecans on my left knee and

1. This observation was between the Physical Therapist (PT), Katie a 15-month-old girl, and her mother. Katie does not have a specific diagnosis but she has significant motor delays for her age. According to the PT and Katie’s mother she has just started walking by holding on to things. This observation took place in the gym, the benches were set up like a bridge and toys were put on top for her to play with. The PT sat behind Katie on one side of the bridge and Katie’s mom on the other side. Katie pulled herself up to reach the toys. The PT would move toys along the bridge to motivate her to move sideways. During this time the PT and Katie’s mother were taking about the progress she has made since she first started. Katie’s mother stated that at home Katie will stand by herself for a few seconds but then realizes it and she falls down. Katie’s mom also stated that she believed Katie does not have the confidence in herself to stand and walk on her own. The mother also reported that she always encourages her to stand and walk when they are at home. The rest of the session consisted of Katie practicing walking side-to-side and transitioning from the floor up to the bridge.

“Your optimism is killing me,” a patient replied after my attempt to encourage her to try to stand up, so she could attend a physical therapy session. Though I took her comment with a grain of salt, it was the cornerstone for the reputation I would build during my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant. Most clinicians shy away from challenging personalities; not me, I strive to be different. It’s been three years since that patient discharged home against medical advice. which ignited fuel to the fire of continuing to pursue my undergraduate degree.

Let’s start off by saying I knew it. I have learned, I am meant to be in the health field. I scored very high in the health area of the career questionnaire. I made a choice in my high school years, to pursue a career in the medical field. In 2013 I became a Certified Nursing Assistant, then in 2015 I started to work at Pocola Health and Rehab, and I love every moment that I am there. Nonetheless, I want to become a Registered Nurse. During my questionnaire, I learned that it is a very well paying career. That’s important, but in my heart, it is very awarding to help people. I strive to do better, for me and my family and that is my goal.

My grades are very important, and I work diligently towards maintaining academic success. I am passionate about learning new information that I can use in real life. I never give up, and if I do not understand something completely, I will seek help and study until I have a proper understanding. I also enjoy learning from the actions of physical therapist assistants. I have completed over 350 hours of observation, and I have learned so much about the profession from the therapists.

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.

As a collegiate woman, I aspire to have an opportunity to work within the school system, continue to participate in after school programs, and develop a scholarship fund. My physical therapy degree would allow me to work in different environments, one in which can be in a school setting. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law that supports free and appropriate public education to children regardless of their disability. As long as the school has an individualized education plan on file for each disabled student, related services, including physical therapy, are covered under the IDEA. As a vital part of the special education team, I would be able to influence students by promoting motor development skills and participation

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

Physical Therapist Physical Therapy (PT) is the highest paying of all therapeutic jobs.(bls.gov) The main job of a Physical Therapist is to help people to regain mobility and relieve pain so that they may be reentered into the community as fast as possible.(Encyclopedia) Although PTs get paid well they have to go through a lot of schooling and training, and will have lots of student loans to pay off. Jobs that are available in physical therapy will increase within the next five years due to the amount of people entering the prime age for heart conditions. (bls.gov)

Everyone feels good about themselves when they help someone accomplish something. I feel overwhelmed with joy when I help people. Becoming a physical therapist assistant (pta) will allow me to feel that kind of happiness. Whereas I want to become a physical therapist assistant so I can help people, a physical therapist assistant is the perfect career for me given that physical therapy will always be needed. This career will allow me to interact with patients and learn about them. I will help patients regain their movement and manage pain whether it was from surgery or a type of illness. The schooling will be tough, but the end will be worth it.

I want to pursue my health care career in Nursing. I always dreamed of being a nurse, because I enjoy working and caring for people. Ever since I was a little girl I carried a toy stethoscope around and havin my family be my patients. I was not like any other kid, who played with barbies and kenn. My mom even knew I was going to fall in the great path of the health care. My potential is to have the greatest affect on others who are in need of my help. Also, I chose nursing to be my health career, because I have seen the real path of nursing in the real world. Attending a vocational high school, has given me a chance to enter the health assisting program. A four year high school program has put an outrageous affect on me. I learned how to practice

Reflecting from mistakes and practice are major key components of the learning process. This history taking experience with a patient has been truly effective for my future as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. This experience has helped me a lot on improving my communication and interpersonal skills with patients both verbally and non-verbally. Feedback and review were also truly beneficial aspects in the learning part of this experience.

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

As a young child, I was always drawn towards the field of health care. I remember reading about the many options that are held within it and wondering what path it would lead me on. Neonatal nursing was something that always came into my mind, but it was often pushed to the side by people and teachers who thought I should become a pediatrician instead. This became a real struggle for me, but as I grew up and began researching and exploring the health care field I came to a decision for myself. I came to the realization that everyone was wrong. I didn’t want to be a doctor at all. This sudden burst of independence from what everyone else wanted was the first step to reaching my end goal. Along with this, an accelerated education, volunteer