All you need to know about becoming a physical therapist.
“A physical therapist, or physiotherapist, is a healthcare provider who helps you improve how your body performs physical movements” (Cleveland Clinic). ” Physical therapists have various tasks like recording and evaluating progress. Let's say that a patient comes in with knee pain. The physical therapist must see what is wrong, come up with a plan, and record how the plan is working along the way. The physical therapist must then make individual adjustments depending on the patient's reaction to the treatment. While all of this is going on, the physical therapist must be gentle in their approach as to best manage and relieve pain in the process.
I chose 8 questions that are important to me because they indicate the lifestyle of a physical therapist. I want to know the job description so I know what I will be doing and I want to know the education requirements so I Know what I'm signing up for. For example, If this career path calls me to be charismatic and outgoing then this will shape the trajectory of who I become. Another reason is that I want to know what the long-term looks like. For example, if I find out that Physical therapy is not a sustainable career, where will I be 30-40 years down the line? I wonder about location because I do care where I live and I also asked about the schedule because this will affect my life. For example I want to have a family and be a prominent figure in their life. If I choose this career, I don’t want it to consume my life because I want to put family first. I also asked about the skills of this career because I am interested in what I will learn and will be doing. For example I may realize it takes more patience than I thought because I have to stay updated with the newest medical information.
I chose to research physical therapy because I am very attentive to the body and I like giving people things to do to help little injuries or ailments that they may have. I think it would be a good fit because I love going into the details and making sure that people get it right. I feel I would be compassionate and enjoy having relationships with my patients while seeing them improve.
The educational requirements for a physical therapist are to be licensed with a Doctor of physical therapy degree (US Bureau). To practice as a physical therapist in the U.S., you must earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education-accredited physical therapist education program and pass a state licensure exam(APTA). The curriculum for becoming a physical therapist usually consists of anatomy, biology, and exercise science among others. As a physical therapist you must be well rounded as you interact with other professionals. Take for example a knee injury. The knee may be physically healed but the patient’s mind may be holding them back. In this case the Physical therapist may need to work with the psychologist.
The skills that being a physical therapist requires are wide. For example a physical therapist must be able to communicate well and have flexibility. One website says “Students must be capable of behaviors required for the successful conduct of physical therapy in all environments (Uconn). These include but are not limited to exercising good judgment, and
developing empathetic and therapeutic relationships with patients …etc Physical Therapy is a relational job so you must be able to interact with people. Outside of this, skills like strength and stamina are crucial abilities.
The qualities that a physical therapist might have include but are not limited to Compassionate, time efficient, and resourceful. This is seen as physical therapists are given an allotted time to work with the patient and they must make proper use of the time. The physical therapist must also be able to see what their patient is going through so they can know more of how to help them. Uconn says they should be “Acting safely and ethically during all academic and clinical environments”, and “Establishing rapport with patients, students and co-workers from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds”
The quality of wanting to see the patient improve is most important though. If a therapist is only working for money and it shows, then the patient will not want to work and it will not be an enjoyable experience.
The schedule of this career depends partly on where you are working and what you personally value. For example two common work schedules are working four 10 hour days or five 8 hour days. The hours of a physical therapist are ones that accommodate patients. There won’t be many late nights or super early mornings with the normal physical therapist work schedule. Physical therapists work 37.5 hours per week on average. “However, the number of hours typically varies. For example, a physical therapist may work in various settings, including a hospital, sporting team, nursing home, clinic, or home setting (Theraex).” As seen in the quote, you can be very flexible as a physical therapist and depending on where you work it may demand great flexibility out of you.
The typical salary for a physical therapist ranges from $72,260 - $130,870 while the median amount is $99,710. Physical therapists salary changes in different states and different industries. The salary of a physical therapist usually stays pretty steady as people always have problems that need to be worked on. In the food industry food may change prices depending on the circumstance. For example the eggs could catch a huge disease where the quantity is lower. With physical therapy there is no real reason for a sudden increase or decrease in demand. Physical therapists can also go into other fields like teaching where the salary’s about $50,522 a year.
Physical Therapy is a very versatile job, so, as a physical therapist you will be able to find a job in most places. Different states vary in the amount of physical therapists so some places may be easier than others to find a job. For example we can look at the amount of physical therapists in California compared to Pennsylvania.
California = 24,200 Physical therapists
Pennsylvania = 11,780 job openings
One website says Physical therapy patients span all ages, injuries and conditions. Where can physical therapists work? They can find jobs in private clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and patients’ homes. This variability makes it so physical therapists are very versatile in where they are working (APTA).
The sustainability of being a physical therapist is very good. Being a physical therapist is sustainable because there are always going to be injuries and ailments that need to be tended to. In terms of the future, Physical therapist jobs are expected to grow 10% from 2023-2033. Looking at the job field, Job opportunities and security are plentiful. One website says A good amount of startups are trying to combine the strategy taken by Apple with actual physical therapy care models (Roberton) . Even if physical therapy is changing because of technology, physical therapists are still needed for their information and knowledge.
In conclusion, I am interested in physical therapy but in all reality I believe I am a professional basketball player. Although I could still play and be around basketball as a physical therapist, the best position in a gym is on the court. I will take some of the principles of physical therapy like progressive overload and mindsets but I will pursue basketball first and foremost.
Works Cited
American Physical Therapy Association. “Becoming a Physical Therapist.” APTA, American Physical Therapy Association, 2021, www.apta.org/your-career/careers-in-physical-therapy/becoming-a-pt.
Cleveland Clinic. “Physical Therapist: Definition, Expertise & Specialties.” Cleveland Clinic, 13 Jan. 2023, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24625-physical-therapist.
Judd, Jamison. “Essential Skills and Behaviors | Physical Therapy Program.” Essential Skills and Behaviors, 11 Mar. 2014, physicaltherapy.cahnr.uconn.edu/essential-skills-behaviors/.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. “Physical Therapists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Bls.gov, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29 Aug. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm.