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Joseph Castronovo Jr.

Mr Alburger
English III
25 February 2016
A Career in Physical Therapy
Physical therapists work to improve injuries and ailments of the body through various
types of exercises. In order to excel in the field, physical therapists need many characteristics,
most importantly, selflessness. They witness many injuries throughout their careers, along with
seeing many of their patients endure physical pain. This occupation requires extreme amounts of
dedication. Those working in the field should always aim to improve their patient's health. Many
people around the world utilize physical therapists, making them in high demand. For many
years, physical therapy, a field that requires many years of schooling, helps people to improve
their physical health after injuries through a series of different steps and specializations.
A main goal physical therapists refer to includes finding solutions for injuries or helping
people recover every single day. While some patients only need a few months of therapy, others
require more diligent and timely care (Physical Therapy Aide). For example, athletes who
suffer from anterior cruciate ligament tears, or multiple muscle issues in their knees, will need
ten months to over a year, in order to fully recover (Physical Therapy Aide). Often, the more
physical pain the patient experiences, the more physical injury and the more treatment the patient
will require (Physical Therapy Aide). To treat these injuries, physical therapists need to have
the will to strive to help them fully recover to the best of their ability.

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Hundreds of different injuries can happen to anyone, some more serious than others.
Fortunately, anyone can refer to physical therapist at anytime they want. Physical therapists will
witness many injuries throughout their careers. Some of the more serious injuries physical
therapists may come in to account with, can range from anterior cruciate ligament tears to
children born with disabilities. Physical therapists play an important role in the lives of children
born without an arm or a leg (COMMON). Physical therapists will help these types of patients
walk for the first time, or teach them how to make a living without an arm (How). Other
injuries include smaller issues such as a recurring sourness in the back of a patient who receives
therapy for an injury from the past. In these cases, patients may need to come in once a month
and go through basic stretches in order to help them fully recover (COMMON). Though some
injuries result from sport accidents, falling down the stairs, or even getting into a car crash, one
issue still exists that people often overlook; cancer. When a person gets cancer, many negative,
serious amounts of events may follow along with it. In some situations, the cancer patient may
need surgery in order to remove the cancer. Once the patient completes their surgery, they
require physical therapy to help them recover from the surgery. This post surgical therapy will
help the individual to rehabilitate and return to their normal health (How). The issues physical
therapists deal with, extend further than these few examples.
Now the harder part; becoming and learning how to become a physical therapist. Physical
therapys mission statement,
The mission of PT professional education is to graduate knowledgeable,
service-oriented, self-assured, adaptable, reflective practitioners who, by virtue of
critical and integrative thinking, lifelong learning, and ethical values, render

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independent judgments concerning patient/client needs that are supported by
evidence; promote the health of the patient or client; and enhance the
professional, contextual, and collaborative foundations for practice.
sums up the beliefs of those engaged in the profession (Physical Therapist ). This statement
will always provide physical therapists with the building blocks, or ground work to start his or
her career in physical therapy. In order to become an official physical therapist, a student must
complete a four year bachelors degree. During this time period, aspiring physical therapists will
complete rigorous, science based, courses. After the completion of the bachelors degree, the
student must then enroll in the necessary courses to receive their Doctor of Physical Therapy
Degree (DPT). Only on certain occasions, does the American Physical Therapy Association
(APTA) allow one to start right into the DPT program their freshman year of college. The APTA
requires all physical therapists to complete their DPT before beginning their career as a certified
physical therapist (Who). Although college teaches many important lessons needed in the field
of physical therapy, the work and learning does not end there.
After becoming a licensed physical therapist, one may choose to complete a series of
steps that can improve and enhance their education in physical therapy. In order to complete this
next step, one must enroll in either Residency or Fellowship. Clinical residency, a planned
program of post professional study through education for physical therapists, enhances a physical
therapists knowledge. It gives graduated physical therapists the opportunity to work as a
licensed practitioner while working and training under the supervision of a more experienced
professional. Clinical residency allows physical therapists to gain further experience and receive
guidance for advanced practice (Physical Therapist). Likewise, clinical fellowships give

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physical therapists the chance to advance their knowledge in the career before setting out on their
own (Physical Therapist). In many cases, physical therapists find more success in the
workforce after completing additional, postgraduate training.
After graduation, six years of college, and pursuing of extra education at a Residency or
Fellowship, one will more than likely become an assistant to a physical therapist. Becoming an
assistant prior to starting a personal or private business, often prepares physical therapists to
succeed in the independent workforce (Physical Therapist). Becoming an aide may also help a
developing physical therapist gain knowledge in the same manner as an assistant. As an assistant
or aide, the aspiring physical therapist will receive experience needed to become more educated
and have more practice for when they finally open their own practice or business. Physical
therapists must make several decisions about the many different paths of education as well as the
different options following graduation in order to further their education. When interviewed, Mr.
Lawson explains the pathway he took to get to his job.
Mr. Lawson took a route that most upcoming physical therapist take to pursue their
dreams of becoming a physical therapist. Even though Mr. Lawson may not have a doctorate
degree in physical therapy, he has the option to become one very easily if he wanted to. Mr.
Lawson attended Catawba College in Salisbury for his undergraduate degree. He then double
majored in Athletic Training and Exercise Science. Following the completion of these courses,
he had to pass the board of certification, a national test which all athletic trainers must take, in
order to complete the certification. He made it clear that if one does not take this test, they cannot
become an athletic trainer. Many athletic trainers do not stop at their undergraduate level. They
go on to work as graduate assistants at Universities and earn their master's degree, or continue on

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to physical therapy or physician assistant school (Lawson). Mr. Lawson stated that many take his
path to become a physical therapist, so that they can learn how to deal with injuries in a sports
environment. He also stated that if he wanted to continue on and become a physical therapist, he
would need to apply for physical therapy school, which would require another four years of
school. If Mr. Lawson would do this, he would have a doctorate in physical therapy. Mr. Lawson
may pursue this route in the future, but has chosen to work on applying for medical school
(Lawson). The trainer explains that athletic training will lead to a great career path in becoming a
physical therapist. Athletic training covers many of the needed courses, including Human
Anatomy 1 & 2. When asked about the important classes he took, he responded with,
Therapeutic Rehabilitation, Therapeutic Modalities, and courses dealing with the upper and
lower body. Classes on the the upper and lower body taught Mr. Lawson how to examine a
patient properly and develop a diagnosis. In these classes, the students went body part to body
part, broke down the anatomy, determined everything that could go wrong, and how to fix it. The
students saw injuries from pulled muscles, to fractures, to coming out of surgery. The classes
walked him through the necessary steps and let him practice several times (Lawson). If Mr.
Lawson chose to become a physical therapist, he would have to take additional courses such as,
General Chemistry 1 & 2 and Physics 1&2. In addition, he would also need to complete
volunteer hours or shadow a physical therapist. Earning an internship, would have great benefits
he claimed that taught critical lessons for when you apply to physical therapy school. He interned
the summer of 2015, at an orthopedic specialist in Winston-Salem (Lawson). Mr. Lawson took a
route that most upcoming physical therapist take to pursue their hopes in becoming a physical
therapist, and supplied great information on how to become one from his position.

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Mr. Lawson gives a great example, on a unique route one could take to become a
physical therapist. Learning what an actual physical therapist goes through on the daily basis, can
benefit those trying to learn about this career in many ways. Through learning and understanding
the daily life as a physical therapist, one can either choose to continue the pursuit of the same
branch of therapy or begin looking into a different branch depending on the discoveries made
after examining the daily life of a therapist.
While all physical therapists work for the common goal of helping others, the different
branches of physical therapy deal with different issues (Physical Therapist). With a wide
variety of different branches, those interested in improving others physical health will, without a
doubt, find a branch that interests them. The different branches within the career give physical
therapists many opportunities and options that they can work for after graduation. For example,
when interviewed, Mr. Lawson stated that becoming a physical trainer abides fairly similar to
physical therapy. The main differences between the two careers, have always stayed the same;
while they both have responsibilities involving rehabilitation of injuries, athletic trainers tend to
focus more on athletes located in the high schools, universities, and professional care themselves,
while physical therapist tend to stick to the clinic sites and deal with a range of patients, young to
very old. Athletic trainers also tend to witness the occurrence of injuries on the front lines and
have first aid and emergency responsibilities, while physical therapist have specialized in
rehabilitation (Lawson). Becoming a physical therapist and an athletic trainer have similarities,
but have some differences. If one came to realize that physical therapy could not fulfill their
hopes, they could become a physical trainer.

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Physical therapists practice the eight different disciplines of physical therapy. Each
discipline has its own specific focus on the human body, mind, and spirit, while at the same time,
satisfies the common goal of healing, strengthening, and rehabilitating their patients. The eight
unique types of physical therapy, orthopedic, wound care, Pediatric, cardiopulmonary, vestibular,
geriatric, decongestive, and neurological, will always provide service to anyone in need of
physical rehabilitation (Physical Therapists). Fortunately, these disciplines cover almost every
type of physical restoration that a patient could need.
The first branch, orthopedic physical therapy, also happens to make the list as the largest
area of physical therapy. Orthopedic physical therapists deal with a number of issues including:
sprains, strains, tendonitis, arthritis, ligament tears, muscle tears, joint/muscle/tendon
inflammations, post fracture injury, joint stiffness, joint pain, rotator cuff repair, post
arthroscopic and total joint replacement surgeries. Orthopedic physical therapy also deals with
anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. This injury has become one of the more common
injuries now a days. In order to fully recover from this ACL tear, the athlete would need to go to
an orthopedic therapist for over a year with treatment at least three times a week (Orthopedic).
Then the next branch, wound care, focuses on problems within the human body and spirit that
can occur with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart failure or intestinal issues (New
APTA). For example, if a patient continued having chronic heart failure, therapists would
develop a series of daily physical activities which would prevent future heart failure (New
APTA). Cardiopulmonary physical therapists help people recovering from heart attacks or any
type of heart surgery. People in need of open heart surgeries utilize the services of
cardiopulmonary physical therapists. These therapists can also help people improve their heart

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rate recovery times after exercise, reducing their likelihood of suffering from deadly heart attacks
(Posts). The next branch, also very valuable, pediatric physical therapy, helps children and
their families to deal with chronic illnesses while still living as close to a normal life as possible.
Pediatric physical therapy, will always have availability to younger children. They work to catch
the illness, injury, or deformity at a young age to prevent future problems. Some therapists teach
children how to manage in school, home and in the communities they reside. They start as young
as infancy and move through adolescence, working together with their families and other
medical, educational, developmental, and rehabilitation specialists (FACT). People view this
branch as one of the most popular and respected branches of physical therapy because the
physical therapists strive to provide each child with the opportunity to live a normal life. They
work to minimize the visibility of issues that affected these children at a young age (Posts).
Vestibular rehabilitation, a program that focuses on exercise, improves balance and minimizes
dizziness during physical activity. This therapy as well as most others will adapt to satisfy the
needs of the specific patient based on the issue and medical history (Posts). When interviewed,
Mr. Redlich claimed that he specializes in the division of pediatrics. His job primarily consists of
helping children with developmental disabilities. He loves his job, and when asked about the
most rewarding part of his career, he answered, Watching his patients take their first steps
(Interview). Mr. Redlich explains his love for the creativity, energy, and problem-solving that
occurs on a daily basis within the profession. The constant improvement of patients makes the
job exciting and without a dull moment (Interview). Many physical therapists pursue the
discipline of pediatrics because of the exciting and ever changing moments it offers.

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People often overlook geriatric physical therapy, which typically works with those in
nursing homes or outpatient clinics. They help elderly patients who suffer from arthritis,
osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, and joint problems. The goal for these therapists, to help their
patients maintain their physical health. Therapists monitor the progress of their patients in order
to know when and how to change the goal set (Geriatric). A common example, of Geriatric
therapy, would involve an elderly lady at a nursing home who just had hip surgery. She would go
through weeks and maybe months of simple, weekly exercises. When completed, these exercises
would help the woman remain physically healthy. Decongestive therapy, also known as complex
decongestive therapy, does not have widespread popularity in the United States in this day and
age. This field has recently begun in Europe not long ago; its popularity continues to rise, as a
unique form of physical therapy (Complete). Decongestive therapy specializes in bandaging,
compression garments, manual lymphatic drainage, exercise, and self-care for improving quality
of life for patients who have experienced diseases such as breast cancer or lymphedema
(Complete). Lastly, the field of neurological physical therapy, treats patients who suffer from
movement problems due to disease or injury of the nervous system (Neurological). These
therapists can help improve or restore the mobility needed to function in day to day life.
The income of physical therapists differs with each branch that the individual chooses to
pursue. In general, physical therapy comes with a rewarding salary. On average, physical
therapists make around $84,000 annually (Physical). Salaries differ based on multiple factors.
The length of time a physical therapist has worked in the profession, highly influences the salary
that he or she receives. Companies typically base salaries off of the employee's performance over
the course of their employment. Along with experience, employers also base income off of what

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branch of physical therapy they choose to practice. For example, orthopedic physical therapists
make around $82,000, while assistants make around $55,000 (Physical). Some physical
therapists own their own businesses, while others work within a company. The top paid physical
therapists make around $90,000 a year, while assistants make as low as $50,000 a year. Sports
medicine tends to offer the highest salary (Physical). The income of those practicing sports
medicines tend to receive a higher pay, due to the fact that most of the sports medicine workers
work with pro-athletes. Pro-athletes make large sums of money and pay a generous amount to
have the best treatment around. For example, the average salary of physical therapists who work
for professional sports teams make around $94,000 (Sports). When interviewed, Mr. Lawson
stated that he made just over $35,000 a year plus benefits, as an athletic trainer (Lawson).
Salaries to some physical therapists, do not matter. They simply love to help people for a living,
and would work for free if asked to.
The working hours for a physical therapist vary in every aspect. If a physical therapist
owns his or her business, and wants to work their prefered hours, they would spend time
specifically working, with three or four patients. The hours of those working for a company,
have much less flexibility seeing that the employer schedules the hours and patients rather than
the physical therapist himself. In physical therapy the therapist must exercise excellent
communication skills at all times. In order to succeed, one must also show kindness and overall
friendliness to everyone that he or she works with. Physical therapists often have excellent
people skills seeing that they work to help their patients exceed in becoming healthy again.
When interviewed, Mr. Lawson states that on a typical day he works around 8-9 hours. Since he
works with high schools, and other travel soccer teams, the games and practices can possibly

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occur later in the day, requiring him to work longer. While it may seem unfortunate that Mr.
Lawson has to work late into the evening, he also gets mornings off, giving him time to rest
(Lawson). The working hours for a physical therapist vary in every aspect, creating an interesting
work schedule.
Many consider physical therapy as their dream profession because of the fulfilling feeling
of helping others. The reward of many diverse options and paths that physical therapy opens the
door to, make the long and strenuous difficulties physical therapists deal with, worth it.
However, no matter the branch the physical therapist chooses to work in, or the path that he or
she chooses to take, those working in the field of physical therapy all strive for the same
common goal: using their skills to improve their patients health in the most convenient and
effective way possible.

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Lawson, Brendan. Personal interview. 21 February 2016.

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