Why I Want To Become A Physical Therapist

I chose occupational therapy as a career for many reasons. I feel fulfilled when I help others. I want to enjoy my job and not work for money. Moreover, I want to help patients reach their goals because the outcomes make me feel proud. When my brother was little, he had a hard time grasping the pen to write. An Occupational Therapist used to come to our house a few times a week. I would see the therapist try to help my brother write. My mother recently told me that when I was younger, I said, "I want to be just like that therapist."

I continued following my medical interest by shadowing the athletic trainers for four years while also taking medical courses through the medical academy my high school offers. Shadowing throughout high school provided hands on experience while also allowing me to see what it would be like to be an athletic trainer. Learning the different types of medical professionals duties that come along with the job allowed me to decide before I got to college that athletic training was not what I wanted to major in. The courses I had taken along with shadowing the trainers were something that assisted and guided me to pursue Exercise Science. The courses that helped guide my understanding of Exercise Science were Exploring the Language of Medicine, Anatomy and Physiology, and Exercise Science. Throughout taking the Exercise Science course I realized that I had a true passion for exercise science. This course provided information on how broad of a field Exercise Science was. I also learned that the exercise science program serves as foundation for advanced study in exercise science and other areas such as exercise physiology, medicine, physical therapy, sports nutrition, sports psychology and more. Throughout this class we looked at different jobs that Exercise Science majors could go on to take after completing your undergraduate degree. The jobs range from a Nutritionist, Physical Therapist, Physician Assistant and more. After taking this class it also lead me to decide that I wanted to pursue being a Physician Assistant in the Emergency

When I was applying to colleges, I was confident in my decision to major in Athletic Training. Science had always been my favorite subject in school and becoming an Athletic Trainer was a way to combine my love of science with my love of sports. I knew I wanted to have a career in which I could help people. Working with athletes to provide preventative services, emergency care, therapy and rehabilitation seemed the perfect way to combine all of those interests. Growing up, sports were always a big part of my life.

I was at ease because I was in the best hands when my father sat me up on a table to wrap my sprained ankle after a reckless fall in gymnastics. He lectured me while handing me crutches and pulling me back onto my feet. “You have to take it easy until it heals,” he said as he continued to demonstrate how to properly apply my own bandages, ice my ankle and safely walk. This occurrence was not something new to me. Growing up, I was often inspired by the struggles my father underwent as an Asian immigrant fighting to open his own primary care clinic in America. However this gave me the freedom to interact directly with patients to educated people on how to promote their health and the steps to take in order to recover and return to their original lifestyles. My father’s influence and tenacious work ethic instilled in me the dedication to provide the best care possible throughout all my experiences and cultivated my desire to become an occupational therapist.

Have you ever wanted to work in the medical field but can't handle the blood? By being an occupational therapist you can accomplish this. This job would be a great job for me because I love to help and meet new people. An occupational therapist is a person whose goal is the help people achieve idependence, meaning and satisfaction in all aspects of their lives. The reason I chose this job is because I get to help people who are physically disabled. I get to be a part of their lives by helping them better themselves by assisting them into doing everyday things. (Minoritynurse.com)

A recent extracurricular activity that I hope will impact my career choice of becoming a therapist is the volunteer work that I do at the hospital in the rehabilitation department. In my freshmen high school year, I participated in a career day class that included visits to Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, North Carolina. During one visit, I heard about a summer internship program and I chose to sign up for the program. I have now been volunteering in that program for the past three summers. One aspect of my internship included receiving feedback from several certified therapists regarding steps I should take in my career path. The therapists gave me their opinions about planning my career path, including the need to take the GRE test

Why do you want to attend a summer program at Wake Forest University? How will this experience help you prepare for your college career and beyond?

I define myself as a person who helps others no matter what, I have an unbelievable passion for helping others because of the morals my father has taught me. My close relationship with my father has developed greatly since he would be gone for months at a time due to his affiliation with the U.S. Marine Corps. I have made many connections with others due to our parents serving in the military. Unfortunately, this connection revealed that many parents and loved ones became disabled during their career in the military. Personally, I could not imagine what my life would be like if my father lost his ability to do basic things.

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.

“So, do you know what you are doing yet after graduation?” This is a notorious question everybody gets asked at one point in their lifetime. Most people do not know the answer to this question, for there is a very broad range of things to do. I have known ever since I was little that I wanted to go to college for something along the lines of medical science, or health science. I just was not sure for what job exactly. It was not until this previous summer when it hit me that I wanted to become a physical therapist. One day my mother and I went to Vantage Physical Therapy because she had an appointment for her foot. As soon as I walked into the building, I looked around and was just blown away by the facility. There were tons of enjoyable, genial people everywhere. During the appointment, I had paid close attention to everything the therapist had done and was incredibly intrigued. Not to mention, I love anything that has to deal with science, the human body, and health. While I was observing at the appointment, everything piqued my interest. To give an illustration, the therapist had me help tape people’s legs and my mother’s foot. I immediately fell in love with physical therapy. When I had gotten home, I quickly ran to the computer to scrutinize the requirements such as education, degrees, licenses, background information, just about everything. I knew it was the job for me! Now when people ask me that renowned question I can finally answer, “Why yes, yes I do!”

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

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.

"I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say 'Because of you I didn't give up.'" As long as I can remember I can remember I've had a love for sports and being active. Once I started softball and basketball, I have been constantly on the go. When I was in 8th grade I injured my knee and had to undergo ACL and meniscus surgery. After the surgery I had to go through physical therapy, and once I was there I realized I had a true interest in that field. I would really love to be able to help people the way they helped me and change peopled lives for the better.

The career path I have chosen to enter upon the completion of my college major is in Occupational Therapy Assistance. Occupational Therapy is the medical treatment for people who are limited by mental health problems, the aging process, physical injury or illness, and learning or developmental disabilities. An Occupational Therapist Assistant, or OTA, is the assistant to the Occupational Therapists, or OT, and assists him or her in providing Occupational Therapy treatments and procedures. An Occupational Therapist Assistant may also assist in the development of treatment plans, direct activity programs, carry out routine functions, and document the progress of patients’ treatments. OTs and OTAs work together with their patients, and their goal is have their patients regain the highest ability of functionality in their daily lives.

The concentration of my degree was in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. I am currently working on my Masters of Science degree in Kinesiology at University of Texas-Pan American. I started my studies in fall 2013 with the expected completion