L U K A S D A N I E LJ A N U A R Y 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A CAREER IN PHYSICAL THERAPY

Physical therapy is a career that is rapidly changing in terms of: • Who benefits from/requires treatment• What qualifications are needed to practice PT• How respected PT is in the eyes of health care

professionals• Growth in numbers of practices nationwide

Physical Therapy: Past

• The common practices of using exercise, massage, heat, cold, water, and electricity date back to Greek culture in the 1500s

• By the 1800s, exercise and muscle re-education were utilized for a wide variety of orthopedic diseases and injuries worldwide

• During WWI, a special Physical Reconstruction unit in the Army Medical Department was developed for wounded soldier rehabilitation

• During the 1920s, physical therapists partnered with the medical and surgical companies which gained the profession public recognition and validation

• Independent PT practices (like the ones today) became common in the 1990s when it became common for the American health care system to insure clients for physical therapy

Physical Therapy: Present and Future

• US News & World Report has repeatedly included PT among it’s best 100 jobs in terms of employment, opportunity,salary, and job security.

• CNNMoney.com also included physical therapy on its list of top 10 “Fastest Growing Jobs” in 2012

• Current salary ranges between $51,639 and $113,340 and the median salary is $85,000

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of physical therapists is expected to grow by 36% by 2022.

• APTA’s (American Physical Therapy Association) vision statement for the future of physical therapy is:

“Transforming society by optimizing movement to

improve the human experience.”

Present Future

GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN THE SOUTHEAST

• MUSC• Charleston, SC

• University of South Carolina• Columbia, SC

• University of NC• Chapel Hill, NC

• Duke University• Durham, NC

• Emory University• Atlanta, GA

• Wake Forest University• Winston-Salem, NC

Prerequisites for MUSC: College of Health Professionals

Chemistry with lab 8 hours

Physics with labs 8 hours

Biology 7 hours

Human Anatomy with lab 4 hours

Human Physiology 3 hours

General Psychology 3 hours

Abnormal Psychology 3 hours

Statistics 3 hours

• GRE scores• Experience with PT• Reference letters

• Volunteer/Service work• Honors/Awards• Challenging coursework

Additional criteria to be competitive for CHP’s Physical Therapy program

Obtaining a Physical Therapist Degree

Professional (entry-level) education programs in the United States to

become a physical therapist only offer

the Doctor of Physical Therapy

(DPT) degree to all new students who

enroll.

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) and

Master of Science in Physical Therapy

(MSPT) degrees are no longer offered to US

students To practice physical therapy, you must earn

a PT degree from a CAPTE- accredited physical therapist

education program and pass a state licensure

exam

FUTURE PLANS UPON GRADUATION

Since physical therapy can be used to treat such a wide variety of patients, it is common to practice in a specialized field. Ideally, I would hope to one day specialize in treating athletic injuries. A chance to combine my love for athletics with my future career path would make for an optimal work environment

O*NET RESULTS

Social (23)

Enjoy work activities that assist others, prefer to

communicate, and enjoy teaching, helping, and giving

advice. They also like to provide service to others.

Possessing these qualities are necessary to work in the PT

field since it requires constant communication and service to

the patients.

Realistic (21):

Enjoy work activities that prefer hands on work, working with tangible

tools/machinery, and working outside of an office

environment.

Working in the PT field requires hands on attention to the patients, so realistic skills are very valuable to

anyone in this career path.

Personal Skills/Qualities

Personal Qualities• Patient• Work well with others• Organized• Time management skills

Work ExperienceClemson Athletic Manager

• I have worked 40+ hours a week as an equipment manager for the Clemson baseball team

• I believe my hands-on experience with these athletes has given me a lot of exposure to athletic injuries

Why Physical Therapy?

I grew up exposed to the environment of physical therapy because two of my close family friends are physical therapists and my mother is an occupational therapist. As I got older and began my career search, I began to realize that physical therapy would be a fitting job choice for me. I have witnessed through my athletics the positive impact physical therapy can have for injured or otherwise ailed people, and I would love to provide such positive results to others in my future.

WORKS CITED

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

/news/the-history-of-physical-therapy.aspx• http://www.apta.org/PTCareers/Overview/• http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/physi

cal-therapist/salary• http://www.apta.org/For_Prospective_Students/

PT_Education/Physical_Therapist_(PT)_Education_Overview.aspx