Personal Statement
Physical therapist career involves the diagnosis and treatment of individuals of all ages. In particular, those who have medical problems or the health conditions limiting their movement ability and the performance of daily activities. Physical therapists diagnose patients and develop treatment plans through the application of the medical techniques with the aim of improving movement capacity, the restoration of functions, pain reduction, as well as the prevention of disability (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). These professionals work in facilities such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, private practices, schools, sports and fitness facilities, and home health agencies among other areas. Physical therapy is a dynamic profession which has both scientific and theoretical background with a variety of clinical application, which is making it appealing to anyone keen on providing high-quality health services. This paper will examine the physical therapy career, the requirements of joining it and the way an aspiring student can access library facilities and make informed decisions.
It is an exciting field to venture due to specific reasons. First, in this career, a physical therapist has an opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives. It offers an opportunity to work with a patient towards regaining their possibility to walk, which brings a lot of satisfaction. It also provides a chance to practically use the acquired knowledge and skills to help others. Secondly, there are massive job opportunities for physical therapists across the country. The professional can choose from a variety of areas they feel suitable for them. Thirdly, it eventually lets individuals to become entrepreneurs in this field (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014).
Diagnosing patients and developing plans to help them move again is a satisfying role for me as a physical therapist. The process involves taking, studying and understanding the patient’s history, conducting reviews, performing tests and measurements to establishing the connection between the existing and potential problems that may threaten the patient’s movement abilities. Helping patients to relieve their severe pains and creating a long term relationship with them is very rewarding. It is a challenging career because some patients may be struggling with negative emotions from their problems. Nevertheless, the hard work finally pays off when the patient regains their movement abilities as well as reduction of pain (American Physical Therapy Association, 2016).
Physical therapy career requires good medical background knowledge in such majors as biology, kinesiology, exercise science, and psychology. In addition to these, I need to develop excellent writing and speaking skills, analytical thinking ability, be a good learner, as well as understand interpersonal relationships peculiarities in the field of medicine. To achieve this, I will put more efforts in studying these subjects and continually seek assistance from a career advisor. Developmental psychology and the analysis of movement are some of the upper division courses for a physical therapy career (Austin Peay State University, 2016). Developmental psychology would be of great help in understanding the patient’s needs, as well as enabling me to create a good rapport with them. The analysis of movement is crucial in helping the patients regain their movement ability.
There exist numerous opportunities for physical therapists in the world than for any other occupation representatives. They are to become a physical therapy assistant or physical therapy aide in various settings. Six promising healthcare segments are currently offering exciting placements to physical therapists. They include serving as office therapists, working in public and private hospitals, home health services, physician offices, nursing care facilities and self-employment ( U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). The options are promising to new profession entrants as well. The growth of favorable projections for this career is more prospective than any other career today. The demand for physical therapists is on the rise as a result of a large aging population from the baby boomers, as well as the increased cases of obesity. Thus physical therapy sphere offers great opportunities for career growth. After attaining the physical therapy qualifications, one can join the job market as a physical therapy assistant. After gaining practical experience, a graduate therapist acquires a status of residency and fellowship. The therapists also have an opportunity to receive specialist certification in the areas of specialty they feel most suitable. As for the professional progress, they have a chance to become credentialed clinical instructors where they develop the necessary skills to provide clinical learning for students. There are also postgraduate degrees for physical therapists, which enables them to take different leadership roles (American Physical Therapy Association, 2016).
There is a call to develop and integrate professional core values among the practicing clinicians. The physical therapist profession has developed the main principles that guide the clinicians’ daily operations (McGinnis, Guenther, & Wainwright, 2016). Despite the existence of these values, little evidence exists on whether they are well integrated in practice by clinicians. A study to establish whether these postulates are incorporated into the service provision was conducted to give more insight. “The study revealed that, first, personal values were the foundations for developing professional values, which were further shaped by academic and clinical experiences. Secondly, core values were integrated into practice independent of the practice setting and varied career paths. Thirdly, participants had integrated integrity, compassion and accountability values into practice; hence social responsibility was not well incorporated into practice. The study recommended that educators should develop strict selection criteria for entry levels as well as continuing education to ensure adoption of core values” (McGinnis, Guenther, & Wainwright, 2016).
The approval of the recommendation will make sure that the best suitable candidates will join the profession. Hence, quality services will be provided to the patients. If implemented, the development will require me to adopt some values before commencing studies. Physical therapists are certified and supervised by an organization known as the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The association also ensures the professional and career growth of, as well as offers an investment program and pays dividends to its members (American Physical Therapy Association, 2016).
In conclusion, physical therapy is an exciting career opportunity for me. Given its variety of the possibilities it has to offer, as well as a promising future growth, it remains my best choice. The aspect of helping other people regain their movement ability motivates me to join this profession even more. Moreover, it is a satisfying job because all the hard work that is always involved pays off. Besides, it offers physical therapists the opportunity to develop strong relationships with patients as well as make a significant difference to their patient’s lives. To qualify for this career, I have decided to be more persistent and hard-working in the majors that include biology, exercise science, and psychology so as to attain good knowledge and grades. Therefore, I will start practicing the prescribed core values of the profession in my daily routine, which will lead to a successful career in the long run.