What Are The Pros And Cons Of Physical Therapy

The medical field will always continue to grow and so will the demand for those types of careers. According to AOL Jobs, a highly researched source for advice on careers, “Driven primarily by aging baby boomers and technology advances that improve survival rates for trauma victims and children with birth defects, the demand for physical therapy is forecast to continue to grow” (Schepp). AOL Jobs also listed physical therapy as the third most secure career choice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the demand for physical therapists is expected to spike upward by an astonishing 30% between 2008 and 2018—a much quicker rate than average… there are approximately 185,500 licensed physical therapists in the United States, and that number is expected to jump to 241,700 over the next 10 years” (qtd. In Benefits of a Physical Therapist Career). Physical therapy will continue to grow exponentially as the population continues to age. Figure 1: Projected employment and growth of physical therapy and its related

Physical therapists also can consult and practice with other professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists to help them with their treatment to a patient. Conducting research or teaching is another job option for physical therapists.

In 2008 physical therapy assistants and aides held about 109,000 jobs (U.S. Department of Labor). With the escalating demand for physical therapy services, job projection for physical therapy assistants are expected to be really nice in skilled nursing, orthopedic settings, and hospitals where the elderly are most often treated.

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.

I chose occupational therapy because it helps people with special needs or rehab stuff to help them get better and get through school or work days. What do occupational therapists do and who do they work with? “Occupational therapy services typically include: an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals, customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan (ACTA).” Occupational therapist often work with younger kids with special needs to help them make it through school but sometimes they work with

In fact, as suspected over the next 10 year span (2008-2018) the demand and popularity will continue to grow by at least 35%. In the past there have been more jobs than graduates (“PTA Career”). According to Dawn Parker, a Physical Therapist Assistant and one of the MCC PTA professors, this is partially because insurance companies are finding it cheaper to rehabilitate patients as opposed to paying for surgery (“Dawn Parker”). There are already over 65,000 licensed and practicing Physical Therapist Assistants in the United States. The median income for the Physical Therapist Assistant depends on many different factors which include but are not limited to: educational background (certifications, trainings, other degrees), geographic location and the setting (clinic, hospital, extended care facility, etc.) (“PTA Career Overview”). The average income of a Physical Therapist Assistant in a clinical or hospital setting in eastern North Carolina is around $18.00 an hour. Nursing homes do tend offer more incentive being there is a much greater need of Physical Therapist Assistants. According to research Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistants are among some of the happiest professionals

The outlook for a Physical Therapist would be that it is going to to increase but by very little. The average increase is 2.00% each year. So if there is a 2.00% increase each year there is a 2.00% chance that someone will get a career as a Physical Therapist. People need to think of the location when finding a career. Which is the geographic location of where a person would like to live to be able to commute back and forth from work. Working as a physical therapist means working with all kinds of people so various amounts of people might not be every ones type.Working as a Physical Therapist gives the option of working in an office with patients, working at a high school with injured athletes or working with major sports team. Last is how far someone wants to travel. What that means is if someone is living in a small town like Knox Pennsylvania and they want to work with the Pittsburgh Steelers that would mean traveling 2 hours to work everyday. Not everybody wants to travel that far so keep that in

Accountability can be described as demonstrating the ability to undertake all the responsibilities, challenges, and commitments that come with acceptance into a doctor of physical therapy program. As a student, one will have numerous responsibilities that he or she must be able to manage effectively and efficiently. Determining a balance between coursework and other duties is essential. Challenges will arise throughout the program that will be very trying and sometimes failure inevitably happens, but failure is an opportunity to learn and grow from mistakes. Being committed is also a very valuable aspect of professionalism. Students must stay committed to their duties in the program and not fade in any aspects. As well as accountability, a student must show compassion for other

To become a physical therapist assistant you need to earn an associate’s degree and graduate from a program that is accredited by CAPTE. Being a Physical therapy assistant takes a lot of hard work and dedication just like any other job. Patients are treated in many different locations from hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics and at the patient’s own home. While treating patients you need to smile, be kind, patient, and understanding. The patient wants to feel like you care and want to see them get better. In order to do that you must do whatever you can to fulfill their needs and listen to their thoughts and concerns. Patients come from many different backgrounds, whether they are from another country, don’t speak English, young, or old, so you have to learn how to accommodate to each individual and treat them with respect. While treating the patients you have to remember to follow all standards given to you, to ensure you aren’t breaking any rules or laws that can affect you and your place of business. As a PTA you are expected to know how to treat a patient, work in a team, document patients, and properly communicate with others. Additional elements that you need to know is how to perform a skin assessment, take a patient’s blood pressure, and perform balance tests. There are many responsibilities when working in this field, but in the end it is all worth

In today’s world, people need more assistance, or aid, to better their health. Physical therapy seems to be the ideal career path for someone like myself, who likes hands-on activities. Hopefully after two years, I will be able to call myself a physical therapy assistant (PTA). A PTA plays an important role in the rehabilitation to help a patient, who was injured return back to proper level of physical functioning. The profession of physical therapy will show my drive and dedication to help people in need. Becoming a PTA will show my excellent communication skills and ability to work well with other individuals in hopes of helping people regain their physical function, so they can take on everyday life. This career path has job security,

Physical therapists jobs are educated health care professionals who help people recover from pain and help them gain back their abilities prior to the injuries they are suffering. I've always wanted to be a Physical Therapist because I enjoy making people happy and making them feel better. The annual pay in US dollars is around $84,020 and the median pay is around $40,400 US dollars. The entry level of education to become a physical therapist is a doctorate degree.

The employment outlook for a physical therapist is 36% growth by 2022 which is fast than the average career. There is a 4% expected growth photography careers, which is slower than the average occupation. The job growth for an occupational therapist is 29% by 2022, faster than the average. Childcare worker growth is expected to be 14% by 2022, about as fast as the average (United States Department of Labor, 2014).

The working conditions for physical therapists are fairly attractive, mainly because of the wide range of choices. Physical therapists can choose the setting they want to work in. Though a large number of physical therapists work in hospitals, now more than 70 percent of them can be found in private physical therapy offices, community health centers, corporate or industrial health centers, sports facilities, research institutions, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, schools, pediatric centers, colleges, and universities ("A Future" 9). Most physical

A physical therapist works with many different people to reduce pain and improve flexibility. PT’s first evaluate a patient based on what happened to them. Later, they create a personalized treatment for the patient based on what happened to them. They work in clinics, hospitals, sports facilities and many more locations. The average pay of a physical therapist is $80,000 dollars a year which depends on experience and location. To become a physical therapist, you must get a four year undergraduate degree. Then you must get a graduate degree from a physical therapy program. Finally a PT must pass a national licensure exam to be able to practice. This career relates to sports medicine because many PT’s work with athletes that have gotten injured

Physical Therapy is the one of the most important thing a person may need when recovering from an injury or disease. P.T.’s are highly educated professionals that teach their applicants how to recover and build their strength up the right way such as exercise, manual therapy, hydrotherapy, electrical therapy and ultrasound therapy. Physical Therapy has been a top chosen profession since World War 1 when Physical therapists were originally called Reconstruction Aids. Physical Therapy first started off as a predominately female career, but as the years progressed more and more males started to enter this chosen profession. During WW1 there were many cases of musculoskeletal injuries that involved soldiers whom were treated by Physical