Physical therapists play an integral role in health care. The vision statement for the physical therapy career is: “Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience”. 1 Through my prior volunteer and work experiences, I discovered that physical therapy was the perfect career choice and vision for my future. As a current student and future physical therapist, I will play an important role for society and within the health care profession. The vision statement will serve as my reminder to always strive for more knowledge and feedback as a student, uphold pertinent values that will improve the practice of physical therapy, and to always provide quality care to all patients. The identity of a physical therapist is essentially an expert in movement. In order to optimize patient movement, a strong foundation of biomechanical knowledge is required. In order to ensure that I build a strong knowledge base, I will put forth my best efforts into all of my course work. Although book knowledge is important to have, practical knowledge can be considered to be of slightly greater value in certain cases.2 For instance, it is more valuable to have performed and experienced a patient care technique, than only to have read about it. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of …show more content…
I am excited to gain an abundant amount of knowledge and will diligently study and comprehend all reasons behind the methods. For now, I plan on learning and perfecting my care techniques during my time in graduate school. Through my studies and eventually as a licensed physical therapist, I will uphold the physical therapy vision statement, the values of the profession, and put forth my top efforts in everything that I do. By putting on my white coat and setting foot in my future settings, I will allow these aforementioned values to guide my practice and ensure that I am delivering the best care
During the interview, the Physical Therapist I conferred with was very thorough and straightforward in his responses to the questions that were given. I decided to interview another one of my mother’s fellow co-workers, Mr. Stephen Chan, considering his new experiences in the Physical Therapy field. I met with Mr. Stephen Chan at the Kaiser Permanente Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic that is located in Union City. The essential subject matters that we discussed consisted of his Major and Minor in college, the Residency Program that he takes part in, variations of attitudes, and advantages in the workforce.
Physical therapy and kinesiology work in a close relationship to each other. Essentially one may think they are one in the same, however there are small differences between the two that provide different results when applied singularly. As a combined effort physical therapy and kinesiology work to heal the muscles and joints of the body, recreating movements perfectly as they were before injury or in some cases as closely as one can get to a perfect function. First one must understand where the lone is drawn between the two fields and how they balance each other to create desirable results in a patient.
Entering my first year of college I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do. I still didn’t choose a major let alone a career. I was stuck in between wanting to make enough money that my family would be taken care of financially and choosing a career that I wouldn’t mind going in to work every day. The one thing that I was certain of was that I wanted to be able to help people in whatever I chose to do. After careful consideration and exploring the options available to me, I have come to the conclusion that I want to have a career in physical therapy. Physical therapy is the treatment of disease, injury or deformity through physical methods rather than through drugs or surgery.
Educational requirements, opportunities and general demands of the career are only a few of the areas to inquire about in the field of physical therapy. This career is diverse in nature, in that a therapist sees many different ailments ranging from a sprained ankle to rehabilitating someone who has had an amputation. There is a fair degree of difficulty involved in becoming a physical therapist, and due to the high competition involved in entering the various Master’s degree programs as stated earlier, high grades and a positive attitude are very important for success in an interested student’s career. Volunteering is a great way to find out if a person would or would not be interested in entering the practice of physical therapy. This is an exciting career with many opportunities for advancement. This career is also a nice choice for those who become bored with the tedious monotony of a daily routine, since each day is a new experience.
Physical therapy has recently become one of the most sought out professions, which is why it is now even that much harder to become one. A physical therapist is one who will provide treatment for one to maintain or restore maximum movement; while it is a fascinating profession this research essay will not focus on the actual profession. Physical Therapy is obviously associated with injuries, but let’s discuss the schooling behind the profession, how long do you assist a seasoned Physical Therapist, and what is the salary for a physical therapist.
Physical therapy is one of the fastest successful occupations growing in the Unites States of America. It is unlike any other occupation in the medical field. Physical therapists care for patients of all ages who have functional problems and disorders. They work to increase a patient’s mobility, prevent further injury, and stabilize the progress of a patients’ health and wellness. The occupation of physical therapy is a very crucial and highly demanded job and will continue to expand in the future.
My journey to pursue an education in physical therapy actually originates from my early childhood. I endured a very impoverished upbringing and my family’s socioeconomic status was below the poverty line. At a very young age, money became the central issue of my life. I found myself worrying about mortgages, health bills, and grocery money. As I grew older, I vowed to myself that I would not endure my family’s financial burdens into my adulthood. I knew the best way to accomplish this was by obtaining a college degree and having a professional career. However, I was unsure what career I wanted to pursue. I experimented with many different career ideas, but during my sophomore, I discovered my passion and skill for physical medicine. For my
With the help of my family and employers, I resign from my job and enrolled into the University of Houston-Clear Lake. They motivated me into taking the first step into my professional career in where I achieved my bachelor’s degree in Fitness & Human Performance. It was there that I was given the opportunity to do my internship at Proactive Physical Therapy (PPT) and see hands on what to expect in a PT setting. To be a part of someone’s rehabilitation journey, from the moment you first see them at their initial evaluation, to when they are graduating and being discharged, is an incredible feeling to be a part of. A Physical Therapist often encounter patients that are at the lowest point in their life in which they would have to teach, coach, listen and motivate the patient to rehabilitate them. When TW came in for PT, he was down on himself because he had
The medical field is expanding ever so rapidly in today’s society. In the field of Physical Therapy one needs to have the understanding of how the human body works and the injuries one body could sustain. I have chosen a career to help others to battle back from life-changing injuries or surgeries. I will take the first step of joining the medical field by obtaining a physical therapist associates degree. I will become a Physical Therapist Assistant.
While there were many differences between each setting, there were also several commonalities. In all settings, the physical therapists provided care that was professional and skilled. They worked collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to provide the best care possible for each of their patients. They strived to establish rapport and trust with each patient. Each of the settings I observed provided me with insights to the field of physical therapy and convinced me that this career is the right choice for
From a young age I was interested in the medical field. As I became more exposed to the various options, I decided physical therapy was the right career for me. My experience has proved the field to be interesting and fun. I enjoy working with people and the versatility of therapy. There are many areas to specialize in and I look forward to learning which one is right for me. At the moment I am interested in pediatric acute care but I am also interested in sports and orthopedics. As I continue my studies, I look forward to learning about the different fields in which physical therapy will take me. My future views may change which physical therapy field I wish to pursue, but right now I look forward to learning as much as I can about physical therapy and helping others.
Physical therapy plays a major role in the lives of many individuals every day. It is up to those in the Physical therapy profession to assist patients in rehabilitation, prevention, and care. Obtaining a Physical Therapy license requires relevant certifications and credentials. A Bachelor in Health Science is just the start of the educational requirements needed to succeed. As with any profession, there are some current issues in the field of Health Care that relate to Physical Therapy. This includes the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and individuals with disabilities. It is vital to be a respectful and professional Physical therapist. Patient care is priority. Having the proper education and knowledge to assist clients is extremely important. People of all ages require physical therapy for various injuries, illnesses, and diseases. I feel that my connection with working with people of all ages will benefit me when it comes to the job. While I know what my strengths are, I do have goals set for my future in Physical Therapy. These goals include: graduating Kaplan University with a Bachelors of Science in Health Science, graduating University of Massachusetts with a Doctorates of Physical Therapy, receiving licensure from the State of Massachusetts, and gaining employment in a sports or rehabilitation setting. I know that Kaplan University Career Services can assist me in obtaining my goals as a Physical Therapist because of their in-depth assistive programs that can assist me with my employment desires. In 5 years, I see myself working with athletes or wounded Veterans in a local rehabilitative setting or hospital. There is no other profession I would want more than becoming a professional, licensed, Physical Therapist and gettin...
Physical therapy is a fun and exciting healthcare profession that helps people. It is all about helping other people who have problems with their body, muscles, joints and other parts of their body. Patients includes accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy. Physical therapy will perform an evaluation of your problem or difficulty. They evaluate your problem by performing tests and measures to assess the problem. These tests includes muscle strength, joint motion, sensory and neurological, coordination, balance, observation, palpation, flexibility, postural screening, movement analysis, and special tests are designed for a particular problem. Next, they develop a treatment plan and goals and then manage the appropriate treatment to aid in recovery of a problem or dysfunction. Physical therapists are able to treat their patients by using many different treatments depending on the type of injury. Some of the treatments are electrical stimulation, hot and cold packs, infrared and ultrasound to reduce swelling or relieve pain. These treatments are used to help decrease pain and increase movement and function. Therapeutic exercises instructions will help restore strength, movement, balance, or skill as a guide towards full functional recovery. Physical therapy provides "hands on techniques" like massage or joint mobilizations skills to restore joint motion or increase soft tissue flexibility. They will focus on basic skills such as getting out of bed, walking safely with crutches or a walker, moving specific joints and muscles of the body. Physical therapists treatment includes patient education to teach them how to deal with a current problem and how to prevent the problem in the future. Such documentation is used to track the patient's progress, and identify areas requiring more or less attention. They encourage patients to use their own muscles. Their main goal is to improve how an individual functions at work and home.
Being able to have worked with numerous patient with a variety of diagnosis help me learn more about how to time manage and develop communication skill. Learning hands on was a great experience to gather information from patients and the physical therapist (PT)/ Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA). When assisting patients through their workout, I was able analyze man of the muscle that were be used and became more focus on the form and movement. Watching the PT and PTA come up with exercises of their own shows the there have to be a lot creative thinking which I have gained along the way. For the first time I actually experience the use of resistance bands and how effective they are compare to free weights and machines.
Since I now have researched all of the important facts about what it takes to become a physical therapist, the pro’s and con’s, information about current trends like the new health care laws, and learned about where the field is at today, I can now make a more informed decision about this career choice. At this time in my life I’m not prepared to take on the requirements that are needed to get into the DPT program. I am still interested in the field and since I can get a bachelors degree in any field to start the requirements for the program I may still consider this occupation as a career choice and pursue this more in the future. I do enjoy helping people and working hands and have always been interested in the health care field so this will be a great option that I’m now more informed about. 13