Occupation Profile
Physical Therapist
When athletes tear tendons, dancers sprain their knees, and anyone injured in an accident needs more than a cast and some painkillers, a physical therapist takes over where a physician leaves off. Physical therapists prescribe and oversee a regimen of strengthening exercises, stretching and other non-surgical treatments, all as an attempt to bring their patients as far back to full strength as possible, sometimes as quickly as possible. Therapists also occasionally use electrical stimulation and ultrasound to relieve the pain associated with injuries or terminal illnesses, teach patients to use crutches, prostheses and wheelchairs, and help them to cope with their injuries on a day-to-day basis. Physical therapists combine their medical expertise with assessments of patients' medical histories and individual needs to develop treatment plans. Physical therapists can work in both general and specific areas. They can work with patients from ages 9 to 90 (pediatrics and geriatrics respectively) and from head to toe (neurology and orthopedics)--there are numerous possibilities for specialization.
In the office or at your home
Some physical therapists work in hospitals, schools, home health agencies, nursing homes and physicians' offices; others have strong enough client bases to open their own practices. Both those in private practice and those who work for agencies or other employers occasionally travel to the homes of patients who are unable to travel to hospitals for treatment. Many develop close, long-term relationships with their patients as they document their progress and modify treatment programs. Therapists typically work eight hours a day, but frequently find that their patients' needs extend into evenings and weekends.
In addition to technical expertise, physical therapists must possess compassion and tact, especially when dealing with a patient's family.
Physical therapists must be in top physical condition not only to lift and move their patients and heavy equipment, but also to spend a great deal of time on their feet, since their jobs require them to actively participate in their patients' treatment.
In order to practice physical therapy, therapists must complete a four-year undergraduate program. Most physical therapy programs start with basic biology, chemistry and physics courses. Later in the program, a student begins the study of biomechanics, neuroanatomy, human growth and development, manifestations of disease and trauma, evaluation and assessment techniques, research and therapy. Like physicians, therapists receive supervised clinical experience in hospitals. After the four-year program, most students with aspirations of working with patients or starting their own practices pursue a graduate level degree. In the past, a master's degree in physical therapy (MPT) was often sufficient to gain employment, but more schools now offer doctoral degrees in physical therapy (DPT). The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the largest professional association for the field in the United States, identified 205 accredited physical therapy programs in 2004; 94 of the programs offered MPTs and 111 offered DPTs, a disparity that should only increase in coming years. The APTA has also predicted that every physical therapist will have a DPT degree by the year 2020.
Competition for entry to physical therapy programs is tough, so top grades from reputable schools are imperative. Volunteer experience in hospitals or clinics is also extremely helpful in gaining admittance. In order to advance past an administrative or research position, a master's degree is usually required. Physical therapists who want to stay on top of developments in the profession take continuing education courses and workshops; some states even require a certain number of hours of continuing coursework to maintain licensure.
Most physical therapists find their jobs "rewarding and exhausting." Advancement in the field requires people to "pay their dues." The field is "very competitive, and very cliquey," depending on the place, insiders say. Perks of the job include travel, as therapists are often employed at agencies that specialize in roaming therapists, whose "travel expenses and living accommodations are paid, on top of their salaries." The dress is "casual and comfortable," ranging from a "white lab coat" to a "jogging suit with a company logo." Therapists are exposed to a "diverse group of people with different problems." Says an Arizona-based PT, "You really get the chance to know your patients and really make an impact on their recovery and for the rest of their lives." A sense of personal accomplishment, combined with comfortable salaries for licensed therapists--"$60,000 to $75,000 is a lot of money"--make physical therapists a satisfied group of professionals.
Good pay; Wide variety of career options; Can have flexible hours
Physically demanding
Patient; Outgoing; Sensitive
Introverted; Controlling
Average about 40 per week
Median salary: $66,200
Master's degree in physical therapy (MPT); Doctorate in physical therapy (DPT); Must pass a state licensing exam
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Physical Therapy and Exercise Science
If you dream of being able to work in a field where you can make a difference and improve the health of athletes, then you may want to consider a career in the field of sports medicine. Professionals who work in this field are committed to diagnosing and treating the physical and emotional injuries that athletes and many other people experience when they inure their limbs or suffer from a deficiency in their muscular skeletal motor functions. Since athletes make their living training and playing sports, they often find themselves under a lot of pressure and stress when they become inured, which can further impact the success of their treatment and even delay their progress. The best way that sports medicine professionals can help their patients is to provide them with proper treatment and teach them how to reduce their risk for subsequent injuries in the future. Surgeons that work in this field are actually orthopedic surgeons who have undergone additional training learning all about sports and the many injuries that can be sustained. The surgeons learn about all of the surgical and nonsurgical ways they can successfully treat their patients to help them regain full use of their limbs and joints after an injury. In the United States, it is not unusual for an orthopedic surgeon to complete at least fourteen years of education and training just to enter the field. Sports medicine is a highly competitive field. If you want to become a professional in this field, you need to take a very serious approach to showing you are the best early on in the educational aspect of your career. In order to get a good start, you will need to get a bachelors' degree from an accredited college or university. You need to make sure that you get the best grades possible while earning your degree. Since you will need to apply to medical school, you need to meet medical schools' standards. Once you are accepted to medical school, you still have a way to go before you can start practicing as an orthopedic specialist. Don't just bury your head in the books while you are in medical school. Make sure you make time to get out and network. The relationships you make now will help you in the long run when you graduate from medical school. Once you have successfully finished medical school and earned your medical license, you can then proceed to finding a sports medicine residency program that will help you gain the experience you need to be able to practice on our own someday. Get recommendations from every professional you come in contact with. Remember that it will take you five years to complete your residency program before you can be viewed as a sports medicine and orthopedic specialist in your own right. Once you have finished your training you have the option of working in a hospital or starting your own practice. Even though you can make more money with a private practice, it is a good idea to work in a hospital until you have spent several years building up your patient base. Go to http://www.exercise-science-guide.com for more information on physical therapy and other sports medicine related careers.
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