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Hello! My name is Tyler and I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in the orthopedic physical therapy field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! I have created a total of 13 questions. Comment on this post, answering all 13 questions to be a part of my assignment.?
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your current professional job?
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
5. Were you in a college program?
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
11. Is going to school to become an orthopedic physical therapist difficult and stressful?
12. Did you ever want to stop trying to be in this profession?
13. What is your day like in this job?
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3 answers
Updated
Lauren Ellis’s Answer
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
I chose a profession in the Orthopedic Physical Therapy field because I had an interest in sports growing up. As an athlete, I had suffered several sports injuries and landed myself in PT as a patient many times, and could see myself in that setting. I really liked and respected my therapists and thought, "That's a cool job."
I originally chose Advertising as my major and worked in the industry for 5 years after my 4-year college degree. I did not like the corporate world and had always tossed around the idea of physical therapy because I enjoyed it so much as a patient so I decided to make the jump to that industry. I did not have any satisfaction sitting at a desk all day and having to go to meetings/conferences. I didn't feel like my work made a difference and I was just spinning my wheels to make my company money, which made our clients money, just so I could make money. And repeat.
Why didn't I go that route in the first place? I could have. I guess I thought, "Anatomy is hard," or that I didn't have what it took to become a PT. But my desire to help people and feel good about the work that I did encouraged me to look into it. A Doctorate of Physical Therapy program seemed out of reach for someone like me with an unrelated background, but once I found a Physical Therapist Assistant program, I thought it was perfect for my situation. Beats any day at the desk job.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
I have a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree. I then transferred to a community college that honored all of my general education requirements. It took me another 2 years to complete an Associate's in Applied Science in a Physical Therapist Assistant program.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your current professional job?
I was a copywriter and account manager prior to my career change. When I made the switch, my first job was as a Rehabilitation Technician (Rehab Tech) for an outpatient orthopedic company. It was a great learning experience and supplement to what I was learning in the classroom while I was in the PTA program. I highly recommend starting here. It was an invaluable experience as someone just starting out in the field.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
PTs need a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. In order to apply for school you will need to have completed a 4-year Bachelor's degree (preferably in a health/science-related program so you make sure to have all the right prerequisites to apply), and then complete a 3-year Doctorate program to become a DPT.
To become a PTA, you can go straight to a community college and complete your gen eds and then it's a 2-year program once you're accepted into the PTA program.
As a DPT or PTA, there are accelerated program options depending on the school. If you know as a freshman that you want to become a DPT, some colleges have you on a " pre-PT track" so that you complete some of your doctorate coursework during your undergrad and then it's only an additional 2 years to get your DPT. Or some private PTA schools weave the gen eds in with the PTA coursework and have very little time off for breaks and it can be done in less than 2 years total.
5. Were you in a college program?
Yes. I have a Bachelor's degree and an Associate's degree. See above.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
Yup. I was in school with a lot of students who had changed areas of healthcare to become PTA's or completely changed industries like myself. I know this to be true of some DPT students as well. Or in the case of PTA school, another 1/3 of the students attempted to get into DPT school and were not accepted so they went the PTA route instead. Or I could still go back to school, again, to become a DPT.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Yes. Most schools require that you log so many observation or volunteer/work hours in the industry before considering your application. Because it is in such high demand, they want to accept people who are serious about the program and won't change their minds and back out, because it takes up the spot of another applicant. Both DPT and PTA programs anymore are very competitive. When I applied I was one of 22 students accepted into a PTA program that had over 100 applicants.
I logged observation hours in 3 different settings (acute rehab, pediatrics, outpatient ortho) and received letters of recommendation from the therapists I shadowed. I spent 16-24 hours with each of them. My program might have required only 20-40 hours. Even that though gave me a glimpse of what settings I liked and what I didn't. I was most familiar with and always knew I liked outpatient orthopedic.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
No. My school didn't have any. You're really busy enough and surrounded by enough by the content in a full-time program anyway. You're in class full-time for the first part of the program. And then during clinical rotations, you start working as a student while still taking some classes. And then the last portion of school you practically don't have any coursework because you're full-time at a clinical rotation like a real job and that's part of your schooling/learning experience.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
The Nervous System really confuses me! There are so many nerves and neurological PT is a really different world than orthopedic PT. It is not my strong suit.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
Time management. Whether that's making sure you complete coursework or showing up (early) to clinicals. Juggling class with clinicals with studying and personal/family time. It's stressful if you make it, but if you are committed and have a plan, you will stay ahead of it.
Budgeting. In a DPT program, you may not have time to work at all. Money management was real and it was tight while I was in school.
Not to mention all the industry-specific skills: Patient interaction, empathy, tactile/hands-on skills working with a patient, and patience while you allow yourself to learn and practice because we all have to start somewhere.
11. Is going to school to become an orthopedic physical therapist difficult and stressful?
It's a lot of new information. It takes dedication to learn it all. When I was in PTA school I remember an instructor saying that as Physical Therapist Assistant students, we learn a little about everything, but PTs learn a lot about everything. Because it was all so new and challenging information for me, I think I would have struggled a lot more and been more stressed as a DPT student. There's a lot of time and money on the line.
It served me well to practice on my classmates, friends/family at home; Spend extra time in the PT lab or library with plastic models or skeletons; have study sessions with classmates to go over topics I don't understand well, or to teach topics to them so it makes even more sense for yourself. You will get out of it what you put into it.
At the end of the schooling, you will need to pass your state licensure board exam in order to practice PT. There is a chance to fail this and you'll have to retake it, and each attempt costs money. Not certain about this, but I think you only get 3 attempts before you are required to retake classes in order to attempt another exam.
Know that even when you're done with school, no matter which route you take, there's always so much more to learn. You don't have to know it all right away. You will though have to know enough to pass your boards. There are a lot of study materials, books, flashcards, and practice exams out there to get yourself prepared.
12. Did you ever want to stop trying to be in this profession?
Maybe it's because my perspective is different than someone who started off in PT, but I always walked into work being glad to be there and not stuck in an office. Even on my worst day as a PTA, which could be because of the high volume of patients, or difficult personalities of patients, or seemingly impossible demands from the higher-ups, I still love what I do. I've said this many times, I don't always like my job, but I love what I do.
I will say that as a mom, the job got physically harder for me after each child. I was more tired. My energy was zapped from me because of home demands. Or work was so tiring that it left me with little resources to have the energy I wanted as a mom. So I have stepped away to be home with my kids for now. And I miss it so much. That's how I know I was meant to do that job and that I will be returning to it.
13. What is your day like in this job?
During a 10-hour day, there could be 1, 2, or 3 patients each hour. Before each patient, I review their chart or Daily Notes from previous visits to help me determine their treatment plan that day. Patients may come in more or less sore and each day their hands-on care or exercises may need to be adjusted depending on how they're feeling. Each patient requires a Daily Note for that day's PT session that includes their Subjective report; Objective findings of their range of motion or gait pattern or strength testing, etc; Assessment that discusses the patient's response to treatment that day; and a Plan for their next visit, as well as a list of the exercises that they completed and how many. (It's also called a SOAP note.) Lunch is squeezed in there somewhere. And computer documentation is worked in throughout the day, but more often than not, it's caught up on at the end of the day.
Throughout the day, therapists demonstrate exercises for their patients or verbally/manually cue their patients to perform the exercises properly. After each patient, tables, and equipment get wiped down and sanitized. Or laundry needs to be done, phone calls need to be answered, or patients need to get scheduled. There is support staff to help with these things but if they're unavailable for whatever reason, these are tasks that therapists perform as well.
Observe with a local PT provider to see if it's the right fit for you and your future career
Take a look at required coursework for different school's PT programs to make sure you're on the right track when you start college
Tag along with a family member or friend to their appointment (if allowed) if they currently attend physical therapy
I chose a profession in the Orthopedic Physical Therapy field because I had an interest in sports growing up. As an athlete, I had suffered several sports injuries and landed myself in PT as a patient many times, and could see myself in that setting. I really liked and respected my therapists and thought, "That's a cool job."
I originally chose Advertising as my major and worked in the industry for 5 years after my 4-year college degree. I did not like the corporate world and had always tossed around the idea of physical therapy because I enjoyed it so much as a patient so I decided to make the jump to that industry. I did not have any satisfaction sitting at a desk all day and having to go to meetings/conferences. I didn't feel like my work made a difference and I was just spinning my wheels to make my company money, which made our clients money, just so I could make money. And repeat.
Why didn't I go that route in the first place? I could have. I guess I thought, "Anatomy is hard," or that I didn't have what it took to become a PT. But my desire to help people and feel good about the work that I did encouraged me to look into it. A Doctorate of Physical Therapy program seemed out of reach for someone like me with an unrelated background, but once I found a Physical Therapist Assistant program, I thought it was perfect for my situation. Beats any day at the desk job.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
I have a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree. I then transferred to a community college that honored all of my general education requirements. It took me another 2 years to complete an Associate's in Applied Science in a Physical Therapist Assistant program.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your current professional job?
I was a copywriter and account manager prior to my career change. When I made the switch, my first job was as a Rehabilitation Technician (Rehab Tech) for an outpatient orthopedic company. It was a great learning experience and supplement to what I was learning in the classroom while I was in the PTA program. I highly recommend starting here. It was an invaluable experience as someone just starting out in the field.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
PTs need a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. In order to apply for school you will need to have completed a 4-year Bachelor's degree (preferably in a health/science-related program so you make sure to have all the right prerequisites to apply), and then complete a 3-year Doctorate program to become a DPT.
To become a PTA, you can go straight to a community college and complete your gen eds and then it's a 2-year program once you're accepted into the PTA program.
As a DPT or PTA, there are accelerated program options depending on the school. If you know as a freshman that you want to become a DPT, some colleges have you on a " pre-PT track" so that you complete some of your doctorate coursework during your undergrad and then it's only an additional 2 years to get your DPT. Or some private PTA schools weave the gen eds in with the PTA coursework and have very little time off for breaks and it can be done in less than 2 years total.
5. Were you in a college program?
Yes. I have a Bachelor's degree and an Associate's degree. See above.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
Yup. I was in school with a lot of students who had changed areas of healthcare to become PTA's or completely changed industries like myself. I know this to be true of some DPT students as well. Or in the case of PTA school, another 1/3 of the students attempted to get into DPT school and were not accepted so they went the PTA route instead. Or I could still go back to school, again, to become a DPT.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Yes. Most schools require that you log so many observation or volunteer/work hours in the industry before considering your application. Because it is in such high demand, they want to accept people who are serious about the program and won't change their minds and back out, because it takes up the spot of another applicant. Both DPT and PTA programs anymore are very competitive. When I applied I was one of 22 students accepted into a PTA program that had over 100 applicants.
I logged observation hours in 3 different settings (acute rehab, pediatrics, outpatient ortho) and received letters of recommendation from the therapists I shadowed. I spent 16-24 hours with each of them. My program might have required only 20-40 hours. Even that though gave me a glimpse of what settings I liked and what I didn't. I was most familiar with and always knew I liked outpatient orthopedic.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
No. My school didn't have any. You're really busy enough and surrounded by enough by the content in a full-time program anyway. You're in class full-time for the first part of the program. And then during clinical rotations, you start working as a student while still taking some classes. And then the last portion of school you practically don't have any coursework because you're full-time at a clinical rotation like a real job and that's part of your schooling/learning experience.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
The Nervous System really confuses me! There are so many nerves and neurological PT is a really different world than orthopedic PT. It is not my strong suit.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
Time management. Whether that's making sure you complete coursework or showing up (early) to clinicals. Juggling class with clinicals with studying and personal/family time. It's stressful if you make it, but if you are committed and have a plan, you will stay ahead of it.
Budgeting. In a DPT program, you may not have time to work at all. Money management was real and it was tight while I was in school.
Not to mention all the industry-specific skills: Patient interaction, empathy, tactile/hands-on skills working with a patient, and patience while you allow yourself to learn and practice because we all have to start somewhere.
11. Is going to school to become an orthopedic physical therapist difficult and stressful?
It's a lot of new information. It takes dedication to learn it all. When I was in PTA school I remember an instructor saying that as Physical Therapist Assistant students, we learn a little about everything, but PTs learn a lot about everything. Because it was all so new and challenging information for me, I think I would have struggled a lot more and been more stressed as a DPT student. There's a lot of time and money on the line.
It served me well to practice on my classmates, friends/family at home; Spend extra time in the PT lab or library with plastic models or skeletons; have study sessions with classmates to go over topics I don't understand well, or to teach topics to them so it makes even more sense for yourself. You will get out of it what you put into it.
At the end of the schooling, you will need to pass your state licensure board exam in order to practice PT. There is a chance to fail this and you'll have to retake it, and each attempt costs money. Not certain about this, but I think you only get 3 attempts before you are required to retake classes in order to attempt another exam.
Know that even when you're done with school, no matter which route you take, there's always so much more to learn. You don't have to know it all right away. You will though have to know enough to pass your boards. There are a lot of study materials, books, flashcards, and practice exams out there to get yourself prepared.
12. Did you ever want to stop trying to be in this profession?
Maybe it's because my perspective is different than someone who started off in PT, but I always walked into work being glad to be there and not stuck in an office. Even on my worst day as a PTA, which could be because of the high volume of patients, or difficult personalities of patients, or seemingly impossible demands from the higher-ups, I still love what I do. I've said this many times, I don't always like my job, but I love what I do.
I will say that as a mom, the job got physically harder for me after each child. I was more tired. My energy was zapped from me because of home demands. Or work was so tiring that it left me with little resources to have the energy I wanted as a mom. So I have stepped away to be home with my kids for now. And I miss it so much. That's how I know I was meant to do that job and that I will be returning to it.
13. What is your day like in this job?
During a 10-hour day, there could be 1, 2, or 3 patients each hour. Before each patient, I review their chart or Daily Notes from previous visits to help me determine their treatment plan that day. Patients may come in more or less sore and each day their hands-on care or exercises may need to be adjusted depending on how they're feeling. Each patient requires a Daily Note for that day's PT session that includes their Subjective report; Objective findings of their range of motion or gait pattern or strength testing, etc; Assessment that discusses the patient's response to treatment that day; and a Plan for their next visit, as well as a list of the exercises that they completed and how many. (It's also called a SOAP note.) Lunch is squeezed in there somewhere. And computer documentation is worked in throughout the day, but more often than not, it's caught up on at the end of the day.
Throughout the day, therapists demonstrate exercises for their patients or verbally/manually cue their patients to perform the exercises properly. After each patient, tables, and equipment get wiped down and sanitized. Or laundry needs to be done, phone calls need to be answered, or patients need to get scheduled. There is support staff to help with these things but if they're unavailable for whatever reason, these are tasks that therapists perform as well.
Lauren Ellis recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Rafeh’s Answer
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
I do natural medicine because in this there is a simple and easy solution to many (if not all) physical (and many times mental) health problems.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
I did 4 years of software engineering in college, but along side I studied a lot from books, professionals, and anywhere I can obtain knowledge.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your current professional job?
My first job is being a family physician.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
Ask yourself if you can do it.
5. Were you in a college program?
No I was not.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
I could have but I didn't.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Yes, I shadowed my grandpa.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
Of course! I joined as many as I could.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
There were one or two but those are always there. No need to worry, you started, you can finish.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
What things to tell and how to tell them.
11. Is going to school to become an orthopedic physical therapist difficult and stressful?
If you don't have any passion for this, becoming an orthopedic physical therapist, so it's easy for it to become difficult and stressful. If you have no other choice, so keep your passion lit.
12. Did you ever want to stop trying to be in this profession?
Never. How can finish a true passion?
13. What is your day like in this job?
Most of the time the working hours are like most professional jobs (9-5) but sometimes I need to see people at night or on the weekends.
I do natural medicine because in this there is a simple and easy solution to many (if not all) physical (and many times mental) health problems.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
I did 4 years of software engineering in college, but along side I studied a lot from books, professionals, and anywhere I can obtain knowledge.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your current professional job?
My first job is being a family physician.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
Ask yourself if you can do it.
5. Were you in a college program?
No I was not.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
I could have but I didn't.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Yes, I shadowed my grandpa.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
Of course! I joined as many as I could.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
There were one or two but those are always there. No need to worry, you started, you can finish.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
What things to tell and how to tell them.
11. Is going to school to become an orthopedic physical therapist difficult and stressful?
If you don't have any passion for this, becoming an orthopedic physical therapist, so it's easy for it to become difficult and stressful. If you have no other choice, so keep your passion lit.
12. Did you ever want to stop trying to be in this profession?
Never. How can finish a true passion?
13. What is your day like in this job?
Most of the time the working hours are like most professional jobs (9-5) but sometimes I need to see people at night or on the weekends.
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
Hello! I am a Certified Athletic Trainer that works in a physical therapy clinic and also with athletes at a school. I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.
1. Certified Athletic Trainer. I wanted to have an active job and with with my hands, and by that I mean not be stuck behind a computer all day.
2. I went through 4 years, but now it is more since the profession moved to a Master's level degree.
3. I worked fast food in high school, but after that I went to the military and was an infantryman. I went to the military to get money for college money.
4. Unless you plan on teaching to incoming students, don't worry about getting your Ph.D. If you are looking at becoming a Physical Therapist that is already a doctorate level degree at this point, but not a Ph.D.
5. Yes, I was in an approved Athletic Training Education Program.
6. No, I finished all my schooling at once, but I have always been looking at something for my Master's degree. still haven't decided.
7. I didn't shadow another related profession, but we do an off-site clinical rotation under a Certified Athletic Trainer.
8. No, being an Athletic Training Student is very time consuming since it is a medical degree. I personally did not have time for a lot of extra activities outside of school.
9. All of my classmates and I really struggled with our physical therapy class. I believe that if the whole class doesn't get it, then that is on the instructor not relaying it in a way that we can all understand. When I got my first job everything my teacher was trying to impart to us finally clicked when I saw things in action in a real-world setting. Now, getting people and athletes back to the things they love to do is one of my favorite things about the job and the most rewarding.
10. You will learn a multitude of skills, but there are three things you should really focus on learning: patient safety, how to communicate with patients since there is an element of customer service to this field, and how to remain cool under pressure.
11. I can't speak to the specifics of a DPT program, but I know that there is a lot to them and some can be very intensive.
12. No. The great things about being an Athletic Trainer is that we can be in a few different settings. Obviously we can work in athletics, but we can also work in an industrial setting for various types of work. Amazon employees Athletic Trainers for their warehouses. There are some companies that hire Athletic Trainers and put them in different companies like an electric company or at an airport.
13. My full days are very long. For example, my day today is a clinic shift from 7AM-1:30PM. Then I go to the school and check in with the AD and the nurse before I get my office ready for everyone that comes in that needs to be evaluated or taped before practices or games. I have a middle school baseball game at 4, a girl's varsity lacrosse game at 5, and finally a varsity softball game at 7. It's not always this crazy, but the spring is very busy. The fall is also very busy with football, but V/JV football is usually just on a Friday and/or Saturday.
1. Certified Athletic Trainer. I wanted to have an active job and with with my hands, and by that I mean not be stuck behind a computer all day.
2. I went through 4 years, but now it is more since the profession moved to a Master's level degree.
3. I worked fast food in high school, but after that I went to the military and was an infantryman. I went to the military to get money for college money.
4. Unless you plan on teaching to incoming students, don't worry about getting your Ph.D. If you are looking at becoming a Physical Therapist that is already a doctorate level degree at this point, but not a Ph.D.
5. Yes, I was in an approved Athletic Training Education Program.
6. No, I finished all my schooling at once, but I have always been looking at something for my Master's degree. still haven't decided.
7. I didn't shadow another related profession, but we do an off-site clinical rotation under a Certified Athletic Trainer.
8. No, being an Athletic Training Student is very time consuming since it is a medical degree. I personally did not have time for a lot of extra activities outside of school.
9. All of my classmates and I really struggled with our physical therapy class. I believe that if the whole class doesn't get it, then that is on the instructor not relaying it in a way that we can all understand. When I got my first job everything my teacher was trying to impart to us finally clicked when I saw things in action in a real-world setting. Now, getting people and athletes back to the things they love to do is one of my favorite things about the job and the most rewarding.
10. You will learn a multitude of skills, but there are three things you should really focus on learning: patient safety, how to communicate with patients since there is an element of customer service to this field, and how to remain cool under pressure.
11. I can't speak to the specifics of a DPT program, but I know that there is a lot to them and some can be very intensive.
12. No. The great things about being an Athletic Trainer is that we can be in a few different settings. Obviously we can work in athletics, but we can also work in an industrial setting for various types of work. Amazon employees Athletic Trainers for their warehouses. There are some companies that hire Athletic Trainers and put them in different companies like an electric company or at an airport.
13. My full days are very long. For example, my day today is a clinic shift from 7AM-1:30PM. Then I go to the school and check in with the AD and the nurse before I get my office ready for everyone that comes in that needs to be evaluated or taped before practices or games. I have a middle school baseball game at 4, a girl's varsity lacrosse game at 5, and finally a varsity softball game at 7. It's not always this crazy, but the spring is very busy. The fall is also very busy with football, but V/JV football is usually just on a Friday and/or Saturday.