A Career in Physical TherapyBY: GABBY BYORTH

Introduction to Physical Therapy•According to the American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapists are “highly-educated, licensed health care professionals who can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility - in many cases without expensive surgery and often reducing the need for long-term use of prescription medications and their side effects.”

•Furthermore, physical therapy is used to educate patients on how to better manage their condition and how to prevent some conditions and disabilities.

•Physical therapy is provided in many different settings, such as hospitals, schools, sports facilities, outpatient clinics, and skilled nursing facilities.

•http://www.apta.org/AboutPTs/

History of Physical Therapy•Physical therapy (PT) became a true career field during the later part of the 19th century in Britain.

•PT then was established in the US when American orthopedic surgeons needed women who were educated in massage and exercise to help treat crippled children, especially during the polio epidemic in 1916.

• PT was further developed in the US during WWI to help treat soldiers suffering from war injuries.

•The first physical therapists were called Reconstruction Aides and served in military hospitals.

•Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C. established the first PT school shortly after WWI started.

•After WWI ended, the focus of PT started shifting toward helping America’s workforce and away from America’s soldiers

History of Physical Therapy•In 1921, Reconstruction Aides formed the American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association which was changed to American Physiotherapy Association after men were accepted into the organization.

•In 1947, the name was changed again to American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

•The beginning of WWII and the polio epidemic of the 1940s and 1950s called for a greater need of physical therapists and resulted in a great increase of membership in the American Physiotherapy Association as well as the number of physical therapy programs in the US.

•The establishment of national organizations, state registration and licensing laws, and higher levels of education and training based in colleges helped to separate the field of PT and allow physical therapists become more self-directed.

•http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/mowihsp/health/PTdevel.htm

•http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763740691/40691_CH01_FINAL.pdf

Growth Potential•According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapy employment will grow 34% between 2014 and 2024.

•This large growth can be attributed to the aging of the baby boomer generation, who will be at increased risks of injuries that will require rehabilitation.

•Physical therapists will also be needed to help those with chronic illnesses as well as help patients recover from the increased use of outpatient surgery.

•Job opportunities are projected to be most numerous in acute-care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and orthopedic clinics.

•http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm#tab-6

Salary Range for Physical Therapists•According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for physical therapists was $84,020 in 2015.

•Salaries in 2015 ranged from less than $57,060 to more than $119,790.

•The top physical therapy field with the highest median annual wage was Home Healthcare Services at $91,400.

•http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm#tab-5

Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs•All physical therapist education programs in the US now only offer Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degrees instead of a master or a master of science degree.

•To practice as a physical therapist in the US, a degree must be earned from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited institution, as well as pass a state licensure exam.

•DPT degrees usually take 3 years to complete, 80% of that time comprising of completing the classroom and lab curriculum and the other 20% comprising of clinical experience.• Courses include anatomy, biology, physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology,

neuroscience, ethics/values, finance, evidence-based practice, musculoskeletal, and others.

•Most DPT programs require a bachelor’s degree, but there are some programs that students can enter after high school that act as a fast track into the profession.

•http://www.apta.org/PTEducation/Overview/

Prerequisites for DPT Programs•Although there is some variation in classes and number of observation hours that specific programs want students to have, many programs have commonalities.

•Generally, DPT programs require that applicants have completed the following courses:• Anatomy and Physiology I and II with the lab

• Biology I and II with the lab

• Chemistry I and II with the lab

• Physics I and II with the lab

• Psychology course(s) or other social science

• Statistics

• Other courses such as Medical Terminology, Exercise Physiology, and English Composition

• http://www.ptcas.org/uploadedFiles/PTCASorg/Directory/Prerequisites/PTCASCoursePreReqsSummary.pdf

•Also, DPT programs generally require applicants to have completed between 80-100 observation hours with a certain percentage of those hours performed in acute/inpatient care.

Prerequisites for DPT Programs•Many DPT programs require applicants to complete the general Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) application which asks for college transcript information, honors, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, documentation of observation hours, and a completed essay.

•Depending on the program, applicants may have to supply recommendations from:• A Physical Therapist (Programs could specify that they want a letter from a clinical therapist)

• An Employer

• A Professor (in the applicants major and/or other class)

• A Coach

•Applicants must also take the GRE and send the scores to the programs they are applying to.

•There also may be supplemental applications for each program that need to be completed before specified deadlines.

DPT Tuition •The tuition for DPT programs vary among public and private institutions as well as if the student is in-state or out-of-state.

•According to the APTA, in 2013 the average public in-state tuition was $14,427 and ranged from $3,387 to $45,340.

•The average out-of-state tuition was $29,157 and ranged from $8,425 to $65,156.

•The average private institution tuition was $31,716 and ranged from $19,500 to $94,020.

•http://www.apta.org/PTEducation/Overview/

Why am I a good candidate for PT school and a career in PT?

•According to the O*NET Profiler, a physical therapist would achieve their highest scores in the areas of social, investigative, and realistic.• Two of my highest scores were in the social and investigative areas which is preferable for being a physical therapist

because there will be lots of interaction with patients, families, and other health professionals and because I will need to be a problem solver and work to answer questions.

•I have completed over 100 hours of observation in various settings and have completed the GRE.

•To be a physical therapist there are several qualities that it seems you must have and these qualities include:• Professionalism • Time management skills• Organizational skills• Willingness to learn and to continue to learn• Compassion• Selflessness• Being a team player• Accountable• Respectful

Why am I a good candidate for PT school and a career in PT? •Many of the previous qualities can be seen in my life as a student-athlete.• I utilize my time management skills and organizational skills to manage soccer practices, weights,

meetings, film sessions, treatment, and competitions along with attending classes, completing assignments and projects, meeting with peers, professors, and advisors, and studying.

• I am accountable in that I always talk to professors before and after classes I will miss due to travel and games and approach professors to discuss make up work rather than the professor having to come to me. I am also accountable in that I always do what I say I am going to do, on and off the field.

• I was voted team captain by my teammates which shows that they feel that I respect them, care for them, and put the team before myself.

•These qualities will be necessary as a student and as a therapist because I will have to manage multiple patients, complete documentation, work on a team with other therapists and health care professionals, and put the patient before myself so that the patient can accomplish their goals and make their recovery in a proper amount of time.

Conclusion•In the end, I think going into a career in physical therapy is going to be a great decision due to:• The large projected job growth

• The growing need for therapists in health care

• The many job opportunities in different fields of PT

•Although the cost of becoming a physical therapist is fairly high, the average salaries of physical therapists seem large enough to cancel out the cost of tuition.

•I also believe that I have all the right qualities to be successful in PT school and as a physical therapist. I enjoy learning and observing and shadowing physical therapists. I have seen first hand how much they help people and how much they can impact and improve the lives of others. I am excited to start the process and become the best therapist I can be.