Statement Of Purpose Of Physical Therapy

A Bachelors degree in Exercise Science is the stepping-stone for many graduate level degrees. Physical Therapy is one of the many steps that can be taken. What is physical therapy? Physical therapy also means the treatment of any pain, disease, or injury by physical means. Physical therapists study medical science in anatomy, neuroscience and physiology in order to acquire the health education needed for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation of patients with physical problems from disease, aging, sports, or even the environment. (Nordqvist, 2014) A physical therapist daily deals with patients of all ages and backgrounds. Their main goal is to get the patient back to functioning to the best of their ability, or how the patient functioned

To apply for a job as physical therapist, one has to obtain a graduate level degree from the accredited physical therapy programs. Individuals who wish to practice physical therapy in the United States must also pass a national licensure examination, and meet the states licensure requirements. (Explore Health Careers, 2012) Typically these degrees are offered at the doctorate level, and take three to four years to complete after obtaining Bachelor’s degree. Each program has different requirements but some basic classes include exercise physiology, physics, basic chemistry, biology, biomechanics, and statistics. To gain admission to physical therapy school, students need to earn bachelor's degrees with a focus health or science related field, complete certain science prerequisite courses, gain volunteer or observation experience in the area of physical therapy, submit Graduate Record scores and maintain a high grade-point averages the school wants each student to have. (APTA: Physical Therapist Admissions Process, 2013) Eighty percent of the Doctorate of Physical Therapy curriculum comprises classroom and lab study and then twenty percent is dedicated to clinical education. A student will most likely participate in clinical internships all three years of physical therapy school that will give them real life experience and take hands-on clinical courses,

Everyone knows that growing up, and playing a sport at some point an injury is bound to happen, and each person has a different injury story to tell. Most of the times injuries are unfortunate, but mine led me to finding which career path I want to take. It was my freshmen year of cross-country, while in Richmond racing my third race in September, where I took a wrong step, and down I went. I thought I would be fine, just a little sprain and I would be back in no time. But, once I got to the medical tent the trainers informed me that there was something wrong with my fifth metatarsal and I needed to go to the emergency room. I went to the emergency room, I had been there before for broken bones and figured it would be the same routine; an x-ray then, a cast for 4-6 weeks. Originally that was the doctor’s plan, but after six weeks in an air cast my foot was nowhere close to better. They had to run many tests, where the doctors found out there was another fracture in it, which meant more time in a cast, but it also meant I needed to go to physical therapy so I could strengthen the muscles and make my foot better. All I wanted was to get back to my sport like all athletes do. Once I went to physical therapy for the first time, the physical therapist Jenn informed me she was going to help me as much as she can, to allow me to get back to running as soon as possible. In that