Toukatly, Troy Professor Agosta

English 1102

April 1, 2014

Physical Therapy Identity

Who are Physical Therapist in the search of there own identity and patients views? INTRODUCTION
Growing up with injuries have been a continuous struggle, yet not a regret. I remember when I was a senior in high school, had everything going for me with baseball scholarships and a leading future. That all went down the drain and changed when I got a career ending fourth concussion, on my senior night. Having to change my goals and future due to the inability to ever play contact sports was the struggle. Yet over countless amount of visits to the Physical Therapist after that incident, though Ive been before from previous injuries, was the game changer in my life. Within a period of time, I have became interested in the job and identity of Physical Therapists. This interest developed mostly due to Physical Therapy being the main focus of becoming my future. I have decided to further my education in the topic and study there identity from there own personal thoughts, as well as the views of patients on the identity of a Physical Therapist. The goals within the research was to get a better understanding on who a Physical Therapist is as a person, and how it develops them as a person, rather then just the job itself. Though information on the specific job is a big part of there identity, viewing these in a

different perspective and looking through a lens from information received can further your understanding on the topic.

Methods
When creating ideas and ways of researching my topic of Physical Therapy many thoughts were developed. The idea of identifying the identity of a Physical Therapist started with the reading of Gee. Gee was a piece of writing that explained how identity was defined and how it could portray who a person was. I developed the question, What is the identity of a Physical Therapist according to an outsiders perspective compared to a Physical Therapist themselves; how does this create there identity? I then started the research by directly interacting with my Physical Therapist I have worked with for several years, due to countless injuries. I asked questions that would allow me to get personal feedback on who they believe they are as a person and how there job shapes them into who they are in and out of the office. Though most of my information within the paper is from that interview, many other factors are incorporated. That was just the beginning of it; I began researching the topic and finding articles from online to further my education on the topic of a Physical Therapists identity. I read many articles online and got a good basic idea of how this paper was going to turn out, though articles from OHearn and Mostrom were best suited for my topic.

Physical Therapists Perspective on Identity

When receiving information through a source or individual, the concept of reading through a lens is a strategy best suited. When someone acts, we view and receive information on who or what kind of person he/she is (Gee). This creates the concept of identity, in which can change, yet develop you as a person. When thinking about careers, many directly relate this to who you

are as a person. Though it only states part of your identity you will inquire throughout your life, it may be one that sticks for a long period of time. Physical Therapists identity often relate to the type of person they are yet to become and currently are. When talking to my own personal physical therapist on the identity of her career, she states she thinks her whole life was built to become a physical therapist (Dobbs). When she was young she was much like me, very into sports, yet always dealing with injuries. She stated that she knew one day she would not be able to play the sports and do the activities in a completing matter, so she decided to become a physical therapist to help develop those who may have struggled like she did with injuries, and still incorporate her love. This goes back to identity as a youth in developing the future. When your young you develop your loves and hates, I felt as if your identity as a person changes over time, yet most of your identities relate to one another. When asking about her youth identities she of course stated that physical activity played a huge role in her life, but also that she was really into helping others before herself. Though many may view this as a idiotic comment, thinking you need to look out for yourself before others, many have this trait. A physical therapist does not only work with injuries related to sports or accidents, they also work with people with disabilities and elders looking to gain strength or develop lost movement. This takes traits such as patience and willingness to work with others. The identity she developed as a kid, relates to her career, because she can carry it on throughout an identity as a career. Dobbs said, I work with different scenarios everyday, but what I enjoy within my field is that everyday is something new. This a great piece to my research on identity because it shows me that she is a person that like doing different things. It makes me stimulate that physical therapist identity is combined with many different small identities. Reading through a lens within that statement makes me engage that a physical therapist are spontaneous people that like to deal with different

situations. Jobs such as a teller, or a cars sale man are jobs that would not correlate to there identity, as those jobs consist of one skill, that often are repeated on a daily basis. When asked about how being a physical therapist now shaped her into the person that she is, Dobbs said, It just created me into who I have always wanted to become. When growing up I dreamed of working my own practice and helping others, it just happened to be I was able to incorporate other loves into it, such as different sports, seeing improvement, and gaining on my communication and interpersonal skills. She later states that she developed this identities through how she was raised and a combination of her mom, dad and brothers interest. The identity of a person often relates to those who mean most to a person. Traits can wear off on family members often because as a child you look up to those people and want to adapt to similar interests. Though I am sure in some situations, ones career is totally different then what there younger lives identity consisted of, but careers such as physical therapy where you really need to have traits such as interpersonal skills and hand on work, this is often the case. Dobbs identity as a physical therapist is hard to detect, but what one can receive from information such as stated; there may not be a identity as a job title itself, but there identity as a person can relate to there job choice and how they do there job. Those who are less into there field of study, are more likely to have less developed skills then one who accepts there job and enjoys what they do. Some state that the identity of a physical therapist is mostly just helping others, but many more traits go into this field of study and many more identities as a person relates to there job choice. Some physical therapist may have other identities, but all physical therapist have similar identities when it come to the actual job they do. When it comes to off work lifestyles, she states my identity is different yet it is the same. The personality of a physical therapists differs, yet when it comes to working they have the need to listen to there patents and really evaluate and proceed with plans of

treatments, while when off work she states, I get to relax and spend time with my family. There identity is not physical therapy, it is just a part of there life that plays a role within life as a whole. The traits contained within the field of study, plus the traits developed off work all combine to create the whole identity of a human. There is plenty of research one can evaluate through identity of a physical therapists from younger life to present day. The identity of a current physical therapists stills lingers from the identity of other physical therapists. There are different treatments being invented and different ways of dealing with problems(OHearn). Physical therapists that are older and have been working in the field for a long period of time might stick to there ways , while new and upcoming physical therapists may be taught new ways. This relates to the identity because it can pull apart the ways they handle certain situations, such as some older doctors may adapt to new ways, while others contain there ways they have been comfortable doing. The physical therapists may have more ground based activities and self evaluating tactics, while others may be more machine based to track progress electronically. This has to do with preference, as well as adapting to there strengths as a physical therapists. OHearn goes on to state that though they may have different ways dealing with patients, physical therapists all contain similar traits within the helping and caring state of mind. Its a job, and while many people would rather not have to work, they have to live, which involves making money. When it comes to physical therapists, I'm sure they would rather not work, but through research and reading articles such as OHearns, most physical therapists enjoy there jobs. They have to be patient people, while many patents I am sure get upset and aggravated through the countless amounts of rehab sessions. The greatest quality a physical therapists achieves through this field of study is being a leader and motivator(OHearn). Many patients do not see results directly and often give up, but what

separates the good physical therapists from the medicare is the motivation to keep pushing the patients. The physical therapists all have similar education in the field, and all can do the job, but not all have great motivational skills. Reading through this article, I got that the more successful practices are those that have physical therapists that are outgoing and enjoyable to work with. When it comes to education, physical therapists all receive the same information and are taught how to perform the job. Though that part of there education is similar, they ways of dealing with scenarios and how they developed as a physical therapist is different(Mostrom). Mostrom goes on to state that though it may not be obvious, the education plays a huge role on the identity of a physical therapist. Teachers and your interaction with them plays a great role in what you get out of class. A good teacher can change your whole attitude on a subject within the field as well as how you perform what is taught. You may end up at a school that is more prestige then others, but you learn the same things. The identity of a physical therapists starts with there college experience in the field. Many develop there skills at this stage, as well as realize if this field is for them or not based on there interest within the classes being taught. Mostrom states, if one gets through the physical therapy school, now required to get a doctorate, that says something itself. There identity can be identified as a willing and determined individual. Though this is not identity based on the job itself, it plays a huge role because this is the stage where you begin you identity as a physical therapist. Even though every physical therapists creates there own identity as a person, they always differ in the field of physical therapy. They view themselves as much more then just a person who helps others through rehab.

Others view on Identity of a Physical Therapist

The identity of a physical therapist plays different roles, such as how one perceives themselves and how others portray them. On the search of identifying how others perceive

physical therapists, I took information from others as well as myself. Most people do not always see exactly who a physical therapists and they do not get to see how they grew as a person to become who they are within there field. That is information in which only a physical therapist can identify in themselves. Because we cannot identify someone life through doctor visits or interaction, we miss out on much of the information to perceive a full identification of a person. This is why many perceive the identity of a person different then one perceives themselves. This is exactly the case within physical therapy. When I started working with a physical therapist for my injuries, I viewed them as a person with knowledge in the field that could help me improve. I saw them as someone who was trying to push me too hard and force myself to try and get physical therapy over with so I did not have to see them again. What we do not see is how they perform workouts, and how much they actually care. The unfair thing physical therapists get perceived as, are people that get your money for workouts that do not get results. The hard thing for people to understand is that rehab takes time, and its harder for the individual to see results, rather then the person working with you. An individual wants to see results immediately. When asking individuals a survey question stating, How do you view physical therapists, I received a wide range of answers. The most common answers I received were basically, a person who helps someone get better, as well as someone you usually do not like that works you out more then a body should handle. These were great responses, because it shows that people see and portray a physical therapist as something so simple. They do not try to perceive them as anyone else. Most people do view physical therapists as there enemy, because most workouts are suppose to be challenging and difficult. This often puts them through pain and though the patents views it as direct pain, they do not view it as a workout to push them and hope for a faster recovery, yet stronger and beneficial rehab. While I worked with a physical therapist, I surely felt this way

toward them. Throughout different injuries, and different rehab workouts, is when I realized that they actually cared about me and were always planning to make an individual better, and stronger. Basically, others view physical therapists in different ways due to there experience with them. A person who has never worked with a physical therapist could not understand what they really do or who they are as a person. Even those who have barely worked with a physical therapist may not be able to identify the characteristics of a physical therapists compared to someone who is constantly injured or requires more rehab then others.

Conclusion
I came to the realization that identity is not who you are, yet it is everything that goes to creating who you have becomes through experiences. Not everyone views your identity as your view your own like verified above. While a physical therapists goes back to there roots within school, and there personal life as a youth to become who they are, a patent may view them only as someone who works to build strength and movement. A physical therapist, as well as almost any job get underrated for the work they do. While they plan, care, and continue to help others, we are outsiders in there field of study will never understand or put effort into taking all there traits into verify who a person is. We do not go back to roots, but instead view the identity through short-term meetings. It takes time to get the full perspective on a identity, which is why it is hard to detect who a person is further then how they perceive themselves to the public. As life goes on people will continue to get unappreciated, and judged, but while your building your own identity they are building there own as well that may be received different as well.

Works Cited
Dobbs, Shelbie. Personal Interview. 13 Mar 2014. Gee, James P."Chapter 3: Identity As an Analytic Lens for Research in Education." Review of Research in Education. 25.1 (2000): 99-125. Print. Mostrom, E. "Editorial: Casting a Wide Net: Reflections on Identity, Integrity, and Community in Physical Therapy Education." Journal, Physical Therapy Education. 16 (2002): 2. Print.

O, Hearn M. A. "The Elemental Identity of Physical Therapy." Journal, Physical Therapy Education. 16 (2002): 4-7. Print.

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