Elizabeth West11/20/16Internship Prep Seminar

MY FUTURE CAREERA PRESENTATION ABOUT

PHYSICAL THERAPY

What is physical therapy? Physical Therapy is a field of

work that focuses on helping individuals recover and move forward with their daily lives.

Physical Therapists evaluate, diagnose, and treat those with limited mobility due to a health condition.

Care is provided in a range of facilities. These facilities include

hospitals, outpatient care centers, nursing homes, in-home care, and many more.

INTRODUCTION

Physical therapy became an official field of work after World War II, but the techniques were used long before that time.

Hippocrates used heating and massaging to heal people in ancient times.

In 1916, the Polio outbreak caused many people to lose their mobility. This lead to the start of physical rehabilitation.

After WWI and WWII, soldiers needed therapy and rehab. After WWII, standards and licensure requirements were

created, and physical therapy became a recognized field of work.

HISTORY OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

210,900 working physical

therapists in 2014

Projected growth: 34% by 2024

Ranked number 6 in overall

jobs in 2013

1 in 5 physical

therapists work part

time

PHYSICAL THERAPY TODAY

• The median salary for physical therapists is $80,904.• 80% of physical therapists are predicted to make between $69,464 and $93,692 in 2016.

Salary

• There is not much potential for growth as a physical therapist, except for opening a private practice.

Potential for growth

• To be a licensed physical therapist, both a bachelor’s degree and doctorate of physical therapy are required from certified universities.

• The licensure exam for physical therapists must also be taken and passed.

School requiremen

ts

THE LOGISTICS OF PT

There are accredited universities with physical therapy programs all over the United States.

Many of the schools require a strong grade point average, high GRE score, volunteer hours, experience with a practicing physical therapist, letters of recommendation, and previous coursework in certain areas.Universities vary somewhat, but all of the programs have similar requirements.

OBTAINING A DOCTORATE OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

I love to help people, and this job is a great way to do that.• Seeing people regain their

mobility and be able to function the way they used to is incredibly rewarding.

I enjoy working with people.• The conversation and

friendship with patients is something I have already experienced and truly enjoyed.

Learning about the human body and how to properly care for it is something I love to do.• Physical therapy is all about caring for people and

their bodies.• This is a job where I can continue to learn every day.

WHY I WANT TO BE A PHYSICAL THERAPIST

I am most interested in two universities to study physical therapy. Elon University in Elon, North Carolina Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston,

South CarolinaThey are both fairly competitive, but they are well

known for having great physical therapy programs. They are both 3 year, 9 semester programs that

include semesters of clinical and hands on experience.

MY FUTURE EDUCATION

Elon University

Bachelor’s degree (3.2 GPA)GRE minimum score of 10006 science courses from

biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, exercise, physiology, and more.

A course in psychology100 hours of volunteer work

(20 in acute inpatient care)A strong letter of

recommendation

Medical University of

South Carolina

Bachelor’s degree and an affinity for challenging coursework

Strong GRE score Prerequisite courses in

biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, psychology, abnormal psychology, and statistics

Experience with PT and volunteer/service activit ies

Strong letters of recommendation

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELON AND MUSC

Skills Communication skil ls

Communicating effectively with patients and other caregivers

Affective ski l ls Professional, behavioral, and

cultural competence Motor skil ls

Psychomotor skills for clinical care Sensory skil ls

Perceptual and observational skills Cognitive skil ls

Critical thinking and making judgments

Qualities/TraitsEnjoy working with and

helping peopleBe a critical thinker and

good at solving problemsWant to work in a

practical and hands on setting

Exemplify concern for others and self control

Demonstrate integrity and dependability

SKILLS AND QUALITIES NEEDED

Communication skil ls At Clemson I worked as a supplemental instructor where I had to learn to

communicate concepts to students when they didn’t understand. I also had to communicate with the other chemistry tutors to plan review sessions together.

Affective skil ls After studying abroad in Italy, I learned all about different areas of the world

and gained a new level of respect for other cultures. I participated in a creative inquiry last semester where I did research

involving dementia patients, and I gained a lot of experience working professionally with patients.

Motor skil ls For the past two summers I have volunteered at a physical therapist’s office

and successfully helped patients with their exercises. Sensory skil ls

After spending time observing the physical therapists and learning from what they do, I feel that I have gained the ability to observe patients and be aware of what’s going on around me in order to be the best physical therapist I can be.

Cognit ive skil ls During my semester abroad, I did not know anyone when I first got there, so I

had to learn to assess situations, think critically, and trust myself to make good decisions.

EXPERIENCE WITH REQUIRED SKILLS

During our class discussion about O*NET, Ms. Simecka said that people who score highest in the SIR categories (social, investigative, and realistic) are best fit to be physical therapists.

As you can see, the top two categories for physical therapists are my top two categories as well.

QUALITIES AND TRAITSMY O*NET RESULTS

My results were as follows:

Social:33Investigative: 24Conventional: 13Realistic: 9Enterprising: 9Artistic: 6

People who score high in the social category typical ly l ike working with, communicating with, and teaching people. This was my highest category. My great experiences in physical therapy offices

and working as a supplemental instructor has confirmed my love for working with and helping people.

Those who score high in the investigative category l ike to figure out and solve problems. I scored 24 in this category. Seeing how much I’ve enjoyed my experiences

critically thinking and figuring out problems in my anatomy and epidemiology classes has shown me that I would be a good physical therapist.

According to O*NET, I did not score as high on realistic because I do not l ike working outside and with animals and plants. I know that I will enjoy the hands on work of a physical therapist. My time shadowing allowed me to learn how to work with patients in a hands-

on and interactive way. The last qualit ies needed by a physical therapist are concern for

others, self control, dependabil ity, and integrity. Working with dementia patients in my creative inquiry and my training to do so

helped me to see what it feels like to be in a patient’s shoes. I learned to be patient and empathetic towards patients.

In my past jobs at a private accounting firm and in a kids’ church camp, I was trusted with private information and parents had to count on me to take care of their children.

QUALITIES AND TRAITSMY O*NET RESULTS CONT.

Based on my O*NET scores, past experience, and interest in working with people, it is clear to me that physical therapy is the career for me.

Working as a physical therapist is something I am very passionate about. I can not wait to work in a career suited perfectly for me.

CONCLUSION

Bureo of Labor Statist ics (2015). Physical Therapists. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm#tab-3.

Elon University (2016). Elon Dept. Physical Therapy: Academic Catalogue 2016 . Retrieved from https://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/academics/dpt/DPT%20Catalog%20Nov%202016-FIN.pdf

Life Fitness Physical Therapy. A Brief History of Physical Therapy . Retrieved from http://www.l i fefitnesspt.com/blog/physical-therapy-2/a-brief-history-of-physical-therapy/

O*NET onl ine (2014). Summary Report for Physical Therapists . Retrieved from http://www.onetonl ine.org/l ink/summary/29-1123.00

MUSC (2016). Admissions Requirements . Retrieved from http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/chp/pt/admissions.htm

Salary.com. Physical Therapist Salaries . Retrieved from http://www1.salary.com/Physical-Therapist-Salary.html

Ussciences (2015). Essential Functions Of Physical Therapy . Retrieved from http://www.usciences.edu/academics/col legesdepts/pt/essential functions.aspx

WORKS CITED