Health Careers Spotlight:
Physical Therapist

 

Physical Therapists (PTs) restore, maintain and promote the best possible physical health for their patients. They help prevent, identify, correct and alleviate short or long-term movement problems. An injured athlete, a senior citizen dealing with arthritis, and a child with a developmental disability are all examples of people who might work with a physical therapist. Together, they tackle treatments such as movement exercises, strength training, stretching, and activities to promote mobility and function. With education from a physical therapist, a patient can continue their treatment program at home, at work, and during leisure activities.

Job Outlook: The demand for physical therapists is expected to grow much faster than average as the number of middle-aged and elderly individuals increases the demand for therapeutic services.

Where you might work: Physical therapists work in clinics, hospitals, industrial health centers, nursing homes, private practice, rehabilitation centers, schools and sports facilities.

Salary Notes: Physical therapists typically earn a starting salary of between $55,030 and $78,080 per year.

Education, Licensing & Certification: For those interested in a career as a physical therapist, high school course work should include college prep courses. Certified physical therapists are required to complete a Master's or Doctor of Physical Therapy to be licensed to practice. However, by 2020, the majority of practicing physical therapists will possess a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Professional Organization: For general information on a career as a physical therapist, please visit the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) website at www.apta.org or the Vermont Chapter of the APTA at www.vtapta.org.

For more information on a career as a physical therapist or another health career in Vermont, please call .

(updated 3/11/09)

 

Laura Clark, PT is a staff Physical Therapist at Northwestern Medical Center (NMC) Rehab. Laura received her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont (UVM). In addition, Laura has taken post-graduate courses in orthotics, wound care, modalities, spinal care, muscle imbalances, sports injuries, and manual therapies - muscle energy techniques, positional release therapy, and fascial release techniques.

We interviewed Laura for the Spring 2005 version of The Convener to discuss her experiences working in the field of Physical Therapy.

Q How did you become interested in becoming a Physical Therapist?
A When I was in the 9th grade, my guidance counselor asked what I wanted to do when I got older. I didn't know, of course, and she asked what my interests were. I said sports (I was playing three different ones for Colchester High School), and she right away mentioned Physical Therapy and told me about it. I then looked up more information in the library and it sounded good to me.

Q How long have you been working in Physical Therapy?
A I graduated from UVM in 1991 - took the summer off to be a lifeguard and swim instructor one last time, then started my first job that September. It's been 13 1/2 years.

Q What other career alternatives did you consider?
A Honestly, none. I thought a little about Athletic Training (AT), but AT without a PT degree seemed limited to me.

Q Did any person influence your decision to become a Physical Therapist?
A My guidance counselor gave me the idea, but it was my mother who did the encouraging (to apply for colleges, and during college, when studies were getting difficult) and kept telling me I could do it.

Q What personal needs are satisfied by your job?
A I really enjoy helping someone get better and improve their abilities. I also like learning new things. There are so many courses out there to improve your skills.

Q In what ways has your occupation changed you as a person?
A It has made me a good listener and helped me develop patience. Patience is key when dealing with long rehab protocols and certain manual techniques. It's also given me confidence as a person and health care professional.

Q If you could have chosen any occupation (no limits) what would it be?
A I can't think of any other. PT is what I know. I love knowing how the body works, how to evaluate an injury, and how to use that information to help get better.

Q If you didn't have to work, would you anyway? If not, what would you do?
A If I won the lottery, I would definitely still do PT. I truly enjoy this profession and the great group of people I work with at NMC. But I would work less to have more time for my family, my home and myself.

Q Describe the demands of your job...
A Since having kids, I no longer work 40 hours/week. I'm scheduled for 24 hours/week, 3 days/week, but often I work a bit more. NMC has 6 total sites (not all orthopedic). I work mostly in the Cobblestone clinic, which is very busy. Some new patients are waiting 4 weeks to get in. We see patients straight through the day (1 to 3 per hour), with rare breaks. As a PT you're responsible for evaluating patients, providing treatment, and then there's the never-ending paperwork. The documentation needs to be quite specific for most of the insurance companies. Worker's comp case managers require regular communication. We also run next door to the hospital to do pre-operative evaluations and education. We take calls during our day from patients with questions, MDs, insurance companies, vendors, etc. If there's a student, time needs to be allowed to work with them. Then there are regular department meetings and in-services on a regular basis. That's the gist for a staff PT.

Q What is a typical day for you?
A I'm scheduled 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. I often come in early or stay late to get the work done.

Q What personal characteristics are desirable to be a good Physical Therapist?
A You should be someone social and comfortable around all sorts of people, caring, a good listener, and have patience. You need to be flexible (as a person, and often with your schedule) in order to meet the needs of your patients.

Q What special knowledge or skill does a person in this job need?
A You need a degree from an accredited PT school. Today, many schools go longer than 4 years and students come out with their Masters and PhDs. Right now, continuing education is optional, but important to keep up with new techniques. Then there's specialties in PT if you want; orthopedics (with further specialization into sports training, orthotics, manual therapy, lymphedema, incontinence), pediatrics, geriatrics (nursing homes), inpatients (in the hospital itself), rehab (longer-term patients, not permanent placement, for those who need to become independent to go home safely). NMC also has aquatic PT.

Q What kinds of people do you work with? Coworkers, clients...?
A I work with all kinds of people. Physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, certified occupational therapy assistants, speech therapists, doctors, nurses, social workers, office staff, not to mention all the different patients (from children to elderly).

Q What do you like best about your career and what aspects of being a Physical Therapist cause the most frustration?
A It's a good feeling to help someone get better, even if it's in some small way. I like meeting all the different people and getting to know my patients as people. I like knowing about the human body and how to apply this information to help someone. For me, the greatest frustrations come from the demands and rules of the insurance companies. It's really a limitation to what people need to fully get better. This includes what they will pay for or not pay for, the documentation and paperwork that they require. It's all very draining and time-consuming.

Q What high school classes should be taken to prepare for a career in Physical Therapy?
A Biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology (if available) are probably the big ones.

Q What requirements exist, in addition to schooling - training, experience, certification, license to become a Physical Therapist?
A Within the schooling aspect, a student has several affiliations where they work under a licensed PT. You need to be certified yearly in CPR. After graduation, you need to pass the boards exam to get your license to practice.

Q What are the career ladder possibilities in this field?
A This depends on the facility you work for. But in general, from a staff PT you can be assistant manager or manager of a department. NMC created a position of clinical coordinator. You can also own and operate your own clinic.

Q What changes are occurring in Physical Therapy?
A Insurance cuts with Medicaid and Medicare are very hurtful to businesses. The state and federal government want providers to absorb the loss. This isn't the way to run a business; this will hurt providers in the long run and cause businesses to fold or have to find different strategies. This will hinder companies ability to improve and develop and will affect raises for employees too.

Another change is student PTs are now coming out with their Masters and some PhDs. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is foreseeing PTs with these degrees in the future. Therefore, those of us with Bachelor's wonder if we'll be required to go back to school. Gosh, I hope not. These higher degrees usually require higher salaries.

These two issues bring up a third...how would a facility afford the new PTs, who will make more money, with the decreased reimbursement from insurance companies? This too, would inevitably affect productivity.

Q What other occupations are related to Physical Therapy?
A Occupational therapy (OT), athletic training is related, but lacks the more specifics in physiology and pathology. They work solely with athletes and the orthopedic population.

Q Do you encounter any problems combining your job with your family life?
A I think one always does. You balance it as best you can. That's why I chose to work 3 days a week, to have quality time with my family. I have 3 young children, need to keep up a house and property. With all that, personal time is few and far between for me right now.

Q What advice would you give someone who is planning to enter the Physical Therapy field?
A I would suggest that they job shadow in the different areas of physical therapy in order to get a good, clear idea of what physical therapists do. That way they can really know what they're getting in to.