Life Goals and Choice of Profession
My Career as a Physical Therapist
Life goals are important for delivering direction and purpose for life. Life goals touch on several areas. My life goals are majorly influenced by the family surrounding as well as the circumstances that I have experienced in my neighborhood and general upbringing. My family and surroundings are made of many physically active people in sports. Seeing the pain that the injuries would cause on the individuals, I was motivated to help ease the discomfort. As such, I set the life goal to be dependable and supportive to the people that I interact with. This made me have deeper thought into the issue of the general life goal that could offer an immense impact on the people around me. As such, I settled on a life goal of being an asset in all places that I am located by ensuring that I am adding value to the situation in various aspects that are within my reach. This is also a goal that was inspired by great world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Barack Obama.
Due to the many sporting professionals that surround me, I have had the chance to encounter various sport-related injuries. Many of the injuries have required inter-professional collaboration. This is an aspect that seen me encounter the restorative power of physical therapy. I was able to see the team-based approach that goes into the recovery of individuals from the primary physician, nutrition professional, and the physical therapist. This is an arduous process for the patient that required mental will-power and lots of focus. Being a social person, I have been involved in the recovery of several people in their physical therapy stage. Additionally, I was able to use innovative ways by which to help the people get through some of the discomforts that they were going through. One of the ways was helping them focus on an aspect of their life that was greatly impactful in a positive way and focus on that aspect to gain the necessary inner strength to overcome the situation.
As a result, many of the people that I dealt with were able to persevere through the difficult times of their physical injuries. The motivation I have been able to give them received lots of positive feedback. Many told me that I am good at motivating them and supporting them in their daily routines to full physical recovery. Also, I had the chance of interacting with people who have traveled and experienced many things in life. This allowed me to learn many things through interaction. Learning new things is a great enthusiasm that I have. As a result, the coupling of easing discomfort and helping patients recover as well as social interaction inspired me to pursue a career in physical therapy.
Qualifications and Credentials
- Qualifications
To enter into a physical therapy program, there are some prerequisites that one has to meet. From high school, there are some subjects that one has to undertake. A biological science subject is important. A combination of the English language, mathematics, and a science subject is appropriate. One may also qualify following an alternative or previous degree course that had been taken in a related field. A bridging course from a lower-level certificate program can also aid an individual to join a bachelor’s degree program to be a physical therapist.
- Education
In the US, an aspiring physical therapist has to undergo a typical 3-year degree program (APTA). The majority of the learning is concentrated in the classroom and laboratory study. This makes up about 80% of the learning with the remainder of the learning going to clinical education (APTA). There are about 27.5 weeks that are spent on the final clinical experience before completion. A bachelor’s degree is the entry point to earning a professional certification. In some programs, students may directly be admitted from high school. All programs have to undergo checking by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
- Certification
As a physical therapist, there is an opportunity to join and become certified by a professional body. The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties is the accrediting body that has over 27,000 certified individuals (ABPTS). This requires one to have a specialty in professional education and practice that is focused on an area. This process is voluntary and does not limit any physical therapist that is not certified from practicing.
- Licensing
There are numerous licensing options for a physical therapist. Upon successful completion of a bachelor’s degree program, a candidate has to undergo a state-administered exam that is dependent on the state. However, there is a national exam for all physical therapists. All candidates have to meet the minimum required points of the National Physical Therapy Examination to receive licensing to practice in their respective states (APTA). This examination covers all individuals regardless of the country that they studied.
- Credentials
Physical therapists carry various credentials that depend on the years of experience and education level. Specialty physical therapists carry various initials to suggest their area of expertise. They include orthopedics (OCS), Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (CCS), Geriatrics (GCS), Neurology (NCS), Sports (SCS), Clinical Electrophysiology (ECS), Pediatrics (PCS), and Women’s Health (WCS) among others. Some credentials relate to the advanced courses that the individual has undertaken which include Certified Manual Physical Therapist among others.
My Legacy
Through physical therapy, I will be able to interact with people from various age groups. I will be able to help these people regain their full or partial use of their body functions. Through this ability, I will engage in the development of customized programs that will focus on helping people to gain happiness in their lives by engaging in their passions or restoration of their functions. I will also encourage people to engage in a physically active lifestyle that will help improve their general well-being. Through these activities, I will be able to help in the process of reducing or eliminating pain from patients. This relief will offer patients better comfort and be able to enjoy their life better.
In another perspective, I will help patients find an alternative to more expensive treatment options. The use of physical therapy can be beneficial in the restoration of somebody’s functions that would otherwise require surgery. This will help reduce healthcare costs. On the other hand, where there is a need for surgery, I can be engaged in pre-surgery therapy which can increase the odds of a quick and successful recovery. As such, I will also be engaged in reducing the discomfort of patients.
Some patients have great trouble with mobility. This includes having trouble walking and standing. These are patients that I hope to benefit greatly. Through various exercises aimed at strengthening their muscles or the use of assistive aids such as canes and crutches, I can help in restoring some of the lost glory in the patients. This will improve their performance in lives thus giving them an increased level of satisfaction. This will be one of my greatest satisfactions from engaging in the career. Also, there are people with other conditions that are terminal that I will be able to help. These include people who have suffered a stroke which leads to loss of some or total mobility. This can help to reduce the burden of care that is associated with the patients. This can improve the quality of daily living of the patients as well as the immediate family.
There are several conditions that I can help to manage in my position as a physical therapist. There are many heart-related complications which can be reduced by engaging in physical therapy. This is also similar to age-related illnesses, some women’s health conditions, diabetes, and vascular conditions. Through advocacy and education to the community, I can have an impact on many people’s lives by engaging in activities that encourage them to engage in physical therapy. This can be possible through the formulation of small routines based on my understanding of physical therapy, therefore, building a better plan. This can be beneficial in promoting self-guided physical therapy for at-risk populations within their settings. As a result, physical therapy can be more accessible to the target group and the general population at large especially for simple needs such as managing mild back and joint pains.
Works Cited
APTA. (American Physical Therapy Association). Physical Therapist (PT) Education Overview. 2020. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/PTEducation/Overview/
APTA. (American Physical Therapy Association). About the National Physical Therapy Examination. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/Licensure/NPTE/
ABPTS. (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties). Welcome to ABPTS. 2020. Retrieved from http://www.abpts.org/home.aspx