Physical Therapy is miracle work, it can completely reverse the adverse, immobility effects an individual may obtain, from either a surgical procedure, or a daily life related injury, such as a fall. These minor setbacks that one may incur can truly alter ones mental, social, and physical health. By altering these dimensions in your life, due to such trauma, it can very likely make the situation worst, which is why physicians will recommend their patients to consider physical therapy if they are a good candidate for it. Physical Therapy uses a combination of both scientific, and theoretical base evidence to achieve optimal physical function. To become a physical therapist, one must first acquire an undergraduate degree, which is composed mostly of anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics. Along with the undergraduate degree, some graduate programs require pre- clinical hours, which basically is a strict, time criteria of working or volunteering in the related field at a hospital. Once achieved a student must then continue their education into either a master’s program or doctorate program. After Masters of Doctorate of Physical Therapy is completed the student must take the National Physical Therapy Examination test, which then he or she will receive a license of their residence. Like all medical professions there must be a scope of practice, which in laments terms are guidelines for a profession, that must be respected and never crossed. Reason be is because when dealing with lives one may only perform care based on what they are qualified to do. Another intricate factor of this profession is that it is very diverse. As a therapist you can work with all patient populations spreading from pediatrics to geriatrics. The setting you may work in also varies from inpatient to outpatient, which allows one to branch out in several directions to truly find the environment of their liking to in. Lastly salary and projected job outlook is vital in any career field, and physical therapy shows exponential growth in both of those categories. Though becoming a physical therapist sounds time consuming, the rewards are endless. APTA. (2015, January 13).
To become a physical therapist dedication and proper time management to your education is key to succeed in this field. When choosing to pursue physical therapy as a career one must first attend an accredited university to fulfill an undergraduate degree, then continue their education by acquiring a graduate degree. Stockton University located in Galloway N.J., is a prestigious university, that is accredited by “CAPTE” (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education), and has several requirements that must be fulfilled prior to being admitted to their graduate school. The undergraduate degree will be composed of several pre-requisites including, anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics. The undergraduate degree must be related to the field of study, which may be in biological sciences, exercise science, or in health sciences. All of which are phenomenal routes to take, and all three are accepted degrees, to be considered for the physical therapy program at Stockton University. Along with the classes that need to be taken, the student must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher to be considered for admittance, they also must fulfill roughly 80 hours of observation experience. This could be volunteering or working in a hospital. Another requirement needed then is three professional references, and one of which must be from a licensed physical therapist. Following that the student must take the “GRE”, the graduate record exam, attached with your college transcripts. Not only then a student will be considered, and fully prepared to be admitted to their physical therapy program. Stockton University. (2018). Once education is completed licensure is the next step to having allowance practicing in your state.
Licensure varies from state to state, so we will compare and contrast licensure requirements between the state of California, and the state of New Jersey. For starters, once education is completed, which both states are required to hold Doctorate in Physical Therapy, one must then take the National Physical Therapy Examination, it is a requirement in all fifty states, once completed you then will be a licensed practicing physical therapist in your state. Like a driver’s license a P.T. license needs to be renewed, which varies state by state. In order to renew your P.T. license in the state of California, one will receive a 90-day notice in the mail, regarding license expiration, this typically falls on the last day of the licensee’s birth month every two years. The State of new Jersey is a bit different, a P.T. license must be renewed biennially which is every other year on January 31st of any even numbered year. If you are practicing in both states with an expired license, disciplinary action will be taken place immediately, and this may include, but not limited to a large fine, forfeiture of license, and imprisonment. APTA. (2015, January 13).
A physical therapist has numerous responsibilities, and is attentive to a very diverse patient population, ranging from pediatric to geriatric. Responsibilities of a physical therapist may be broken down into three components, and they are the “professional component”, “jurisdictional component”, and the “personal component”. The professional scope of practice is just as it sounds, it consists of a vast amount of educational preparation, and clinical experience, all of which builds a strong foundation, that will allow the therapist to practice thee best methods of treatment and care on their patients. The jurisdictional component or, legality stand point is in place to assure that all physical therapists are not only licensed to perform but, practice within the means of the laws and regulations that each state or territory requires. Physical Therapy is regulated in all fifty states including, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The final component in a physical therapist’s scope of practice is the personal component. The personal component entails that a physical therapist must only work within their own knowledge, and skills that they obtained through their education, they should never practice outside their competencies. By doing so, it could possibly inflict more damage to the patient, and in effect, forfeiture of their license to practice physical therapy. This is a very important concept, because not only would one lose their license, they could see a large fine, along with imprisonment. APTA. (2015, January 13).
Physical Therapy is beautifully diverse, meaning that there are endless environments to work in, and different populations to treat. The population of work can vary from pediatrics to geriatrics, and the environment can vary between in-patient and outpatient, or even home health care. One must also consider that this field is not a desk job, you will be on your feet for most of the day, lifting and transferring patients. It takes a lot of patience, and strength, but one must also make note that it is also an easy environment to get injured in as well. To prevent injury, the use of proper body mechanics and lift techniques will surely be in your favor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018, April 13).
Another aspect of any career field that should always be considered is the expected job outlook. According to The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, between the year 2016 and 2026 the projected job outlook for physical therapy is expected to grow 28%. The number of employed licensed physical therapists in 2016 was at 239,800, and is expected to reach 306,900 by the year 2026. The reason this increase is so dramatic is because of the large numbers of “baby boomers” (those born between 1946 and1964) that are staying much more active later in life than other generations before them. The exponential growth in rehab will generally be due to health-related injuries such as heart attacks, strokes, and mobility injuries. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018, April 13).
The final, and sometimes overlooked factor when researching a career field is the salary. Physical Therapy is a phenomenal example for financial job security. According to The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2017 the median annual wage is close to $87,000. The highest 10% were making well over six figure salaries, and the lowest 10% were making a little less than $60,000 annually. Pay can be typically broken down into 4 subunits which include nursing homes, home healthcare, hospitals, and privately-run offices. The salary as a license therapist in a nursing home is averaged at $92,940 annually. Home health care therapists make on average $92,320 annually. Therapists who work at a hospital have an annual base salary at $88,680, and lastly therapists who work at private offices will come home on average with $82,620 per year. Though this is based on national statistics, salary still varies from state to state, so we will use California, and New Jersey again as an example how variation does come into play, especially with money. On average for the state of California, the typical licensed physical therapist makes $95,350 annually, as for a physical therapist in New Jersey will bring home $96,890 annually. There is a noticeable difference of the two states and that could be for various reasons, but they generally are close. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018, April 13).
Becoming a physical therapist is very time consuming, but rewarding in the long run. The goal is to provide exquisite care to the patient so he or she can achieve optimal physical function. Giving someone the ability to be mobile again is a life changing achievement not many can do, and by doing so a difference is made and a life is changed.