If you are interested in a career that offers a variety of work place environment to choose from, then physical therapy is the career for you! Once you are a licensed physical therapist, there are several places you can work: in a hospital, at a school, in an office, in your own practice or you can travel with the patients to various activities. Once I receive my license as a physical therapist, I want to work in an office to gain experience. Eventually, I want to own a therapeutic riding center. "Physical therapists work with patients of all ages across the country" and "more than twenty-one percent (21.6) of physical therapists are owners of, or partners in, a physical therapy practice" (Benefits of a...). I believe that when a person has the opportunity to choose what he does and how he does it, then he is more willing to work and he is happier. Because "employment of physical therapists is expected to grow by 30 percent from 2008 to 2018", physical therapy is becoming more popular among the career choices for the younger generations" (Occupational Outlook...). Also, those that seek at job in physical therapy and wish to practice in rural areas or with the elderly have the potential to earn more money. A career in physical therapy offers many work place options and a wide range of salaries. Are you interested in a career in physical therapy?

Picture Source:

"ABPTS Logo." Rehab In Motion. Web. 13 December 2010.

Sources:

"Benefits of a Physical Therapist Career." American Physical Therapy Association. 2010. Web. 12 December 2010. http://www.apta.org/.

"Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition." Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2009. Web. 12 December 2010. http://www.bls.gov/.

Study, Study, Study!

Becoming a physical therapist is something that I have always dreamed of doing, but in order to achieve that dream, hours upon hours of school and studying await me. To achieve my goal, I need to graduate from high school and head off to college. I cannot just go to any college; I need to go to a college that has a good P.T. school or a program that will prepare me for P.T. school. "According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there were 209 accredited physical therapist education programs in 2007" (Farr 234). Physical therapist educational programs begin with your basic science knowledge and then move on into the more specialized fields: for example, human growth and development. There are six main undergraduate courses that one needs when applying to P.T. school: Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry,Social Sciences, Physics and Math. It has also been recommended that one acquire volunteer hours at a clinic or other medical facility where she can receive physical therapy experience. Not only does she need to be knowledgeable about physical therapy, she also needs to have good people skills and be able to relate to patients. Being able to relate to the patient is the key to success in physical therapy. After "graduating from an accredited physical therapy education program, all physical therapists must successfully complete a national examination. Other licensing requirements vary by state" (Ferguson 243). A physical therapist is not allowed to practice until she receives her national license and/or her state license. Once these two steps have been completed, the newly licensed physical therapist is ready for business!

Sources:
Farr, Michael. 100 Fastest-Growing Careers. Indianapolis: JIST Publishing, 2009. Print.

"Physical Therapists." Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance. 2003 ed. Print.

The First Few Steps are the Hardest...

Physical therapy is used to help patients who have been injured in a car accident, who are recovering from surgery, who are trying to lessen the pain caused by a handicap or who are coping with the effects of aging. "The interaction between the patient and the PT is central in all clinical practice and contributes to all problem solving, choices between different alternatives and decision making..." (Gyllensten 157). A positive working relationship between the patient and the physical therapist is crucial for success. When a group of physical therapists were interviewed, one of them stated, "I can't work magic, it is co-operation between us two" (Gyllensten 162). In the beginning, the physical therapy sessions can be painful and leave the patient feeling sore. This is due to the muscles' response to the manipulations performed by the therapist. When a patient goes to physical therapy, he is there to recover. The process of recovering is not just the responsibility of the P.T., but it is also the responsibility of the patient. For example, if the patient is given a list of exercises to do while at home and he chooses no to do them, the recovery process is slowed because he chose not to participate. I once read "what one does to the body on the outside broadcasts messages to the organs and the systems on the inside" (Whole Body...340). If one goes to therapy to help the muscles on his leg become strong again, for example, then the body is getting messages that it needs to heal and try to get stronger. Physical therapy is most successful when the patient and the therapist work together as a team.

Sources:

Gyllensten, G Amanda Lundvik, et al. "Interaction Between Patient and Physiotherapist in Psychiatric Care-the Physiotherapists's Perspective." Advances in Physiotherapy 2.4 (2000): 157-167. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 5 December 2010.

"Whole Body Healing (Book Review)." Education 105.3 (1985): 340. MasterFILEPremier. EBSCO. Web. 5 December 2010.

Picture Source:

"Untitled Photo." Nitin360. Web. 5 December 2010.

Off and Running

"Only three more times, then you are finished," is a phrase said by physical therapists every day. Working with people of all ages and levels of disability is what a physical therapist, or P.T. for short, does. According to Funk and Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary, a physical therapist is someone who treats a "disability, injury, and disease by external physical means, as by electricity, heat, light, message and exercise" (Funk and Wagnalls). Physical therapy has been my career choice for several years now. In order to achieve my goal, I plan on going to college and obtaining a degree in pre-physical therapy or biology. After I receive my undergraduate degree, I will work towards obtaining my masters degree in physical therapy. My final step will be to become a licensed physical therapist. There are several different places that a physical therapist is able to practice. For example, a physical therapist can work at a hospital, in an office, at a school or at the client's home. Physical therapists can even perform therapy with the client while he completes an activity: riding horses, bowling, swimming and shopping are just a few examples of possible activities. Not only does a physical therapist have the opportunity to choose where he works, but he can also choose what kind of physical therapy he would like to specialize in. A physical therapist may choose to work with children who are born with disabilities, people of all ages who have been wounded as a result of an accident or the elderly as they cope with the effects of aging. The annual income a physical therapist can earn is determined by a number of factors such as the kind of physical therapy practice that he selects. For example, if he chooses to work at a school rather than owning his own physical therapy group, he will earn less money. As the blog progresses, we will discover more about physical therapy.

Source:

"Physical therapy." Funk and Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. Print. 1 December 2010.

Picture Source:

"Untitled Photo." Blythedale Children's Hospital. Web. 1 December 2010.