2 answers
raikeema
Student
Memphis, Tennessee
3
Questions
Asked
742 views
what is the positive things about being a physical therapy and the bad things ?
I wanna know so i can know what im going to be looking for. Also, i love helping kids im a very nice and respectful person. #children #experience #working-with-children
2 answers
Dhaval Dagli
Product Manager
23
Answers
Irvine, California
Updated
Dhaval’s Answer
Hi Raikeema,
Physical Therapists focus on three main facets of medical practice:
Examining the patient’s condition
Making a diagnosis
Coming up with and executing a treatment plan
Note that treatment plans are very unique. Even patients with the same ailment or injury will nearly always will require their own specific plan.
As with any career, you will find the good and the bad. We can assure you the “good” list is much longer when you weigh the pros and cons of a career in physical therapy.
Perhaps the most notable pro is the exciting growth of the field.
Or maybe you’ll love the flexible schedules.
Your “number one pro” may be the fulfillment you get when a patient is fully rehabbed.
Regardless of how you rank the benefits, there are plenty of perks to enjoy throughout your physical therapist career.
In order to help you fully understand pros and cons of being a physical therapist, we will also share a few of the potential drawbacks you may find in this line of work.
-DD
Physical Therapists focus on three main facets of medical practice:
Examining the patient’s condition
Making a diagnosis
Coming up with and executing a treatment plan
Note that treatment plans are very unique. Even patients with the same ailment or injury will nearly always will require their own specific plan.
As with any career, you will find the good and the bad. We can assure you the “good” list is much longer when you weigh the pros and cons of a career in physical therapy.
Perhaps the most notable pro is the exciting growth of the field.
Or maybe you’ll love the flexible schedules.
Your “number one pro” may be the fulfillment you get when a patient is fully rehabbed.
Regardless of how you rank the benefits, there are plenty of perks to enjoy throughout your physical therapist career.
In order to help you fully understand pros and cons of being a physical therapist, we will also share a few of the potential drawbacks you may find in this line of work.
-DD
Sheila Jordan
Lead Network Proj/Prog Manager
712
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Sheila’s Answer
Hi Raikeema:
The world of physical therapy is extremely fast paced and exciting, yet it is not for everyone. As a Physical Therapist, you will help patients recover and regain their independence. A Physical Therapist helps people with injuries and other medical conditions to regain mobility. They use an array of exercises and devices to help their patients recover from injury or illness. Physical Therapists work in hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, and private practices.
▲ ▲ PROS ▲ ▲
• GREAT EARNING POTENTIAL - - As a physical therapist, you will have great earning potential. The average physical therapist salary is around $91,010 per year.
• YOU WILL BE IN DEMAND - - The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for physical therapists are expected to grow 21 percent from 2020 to 2030. This growth is much faster than the average for all occupations.
• PAID TO TRAVEL - - You can travel to different places, getting paid for it.
• WORK IN MANY DIFFERENT SETTINGS - - Physical therapists work in many different settings, such as schools, hospitals, clinics, private practices, home health agencies, and nursing homes.
• YOU CAN SPECIALIZE - - As a physical therapist, you will be able to specialize. The different specialties that are available allow you to work with patients on specific problems.
• GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE - - You will also never miss out on your social life because you will get to attend important events. You will be able to spend time with your children and family because your schedule will accommodate all your life events. Being able to balance all aspects of your life is definitely one of the top pros of being a physical therapist.
• HELPING OTHERS - - You get to help people regain their lives.
• YOU ARE PART OF A TEAM - - You are part of the healthcare team. As a valued member of this team, you help patients heal so they can get back up on their feet.
• YOU WILL NOT BECOME BORED - - Your day-to-day will consist of working with people who have various issues, ailments, and injuries. You will not find yourself in the same situation every day because each patient will have unique needs.
• YOUR JOB WILL HELP YOU STAY PHYSICALLY FIT - - One of the perks of being a physical therapist is that your job will keep you physically fit. You will be lifting, stretching, and bending all day long.
• OPEN YOUR OWN PRACTICE - - You will have complete freedom to open your own practice. You can make your own hours; you will have no limitations to what kinds of patients you see or how many times a week you see them. You are not under the direct supervision of anyone but yourself.
• GREAT SCHEDULE - - You'll generally have a flexible work schedule as a physical therapist. Most of the time you won't have to work weekends and evenings.
• VIEWED AS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE - - You will be seen as an excellent and knowledgeable resource within your work environment. You are a trusted expert in your field, and people will appreciate how you seem to know everything about the body.
▼ ▼ CONS ▼ ▼
• EARN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE - - In order to pursue a career a career as a physical therapist, you must first earn a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree in the health sciences is preferred. A bachelor's degree will take you around four years to complete. During your undergraduate coursework, you'll learn a lot about various topics such as physics, kinesiology, biology, chemistry, physiology, and anatomy. These foundational science courses are essential to ensure that you have successfully completed them. They will provide a further foundation for your Doctorate. So, if science is not your forte, you may want to reconsider a career as a physical therapist.
• EARN A DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY DEGREE - - In addition to earning a bachelor's degree, you're going to need to earn a doctorate degree. A doctorate is the highest degree that can be achieved in most fields of study, but to be a physical therapist a doctorate is a must, making it one of the disadvantages of being a physical therapist. Doctorates usually take around four years to complete as well. The Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) is a 3-4 year program where graduates are prepared to become practitioners in physical therapy.
• KNOW THE COSTS - - The education needed to become a physical therapist takes many years, as one must first obtain a bachelor's degree to apply for DPT school. One of the biggest disadvantages of being a physical therapist is the cost of tuition alone which usually exceeds $120,000. It does not include expenses such as books and fees, which could be added on top of the already hefty price tag. The required Doctorate degree that you will have to obtain to practice will cost you around $80,000 more.
• HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PAY FOR SCHOOLING - - If taking out student loans you will spend time paying off student debt after earning your degree and starting your career, but there is no guarantee that you will get a job right out of college.
• OBTAIN YOUR LICENSE - - You will need to successfully pass an exam to obtain your license. The exam you must take is called the National Physical Therapy Examination.
• RENEW YOUR LICENSE - - So, it is not good enough to successfully pass your state boards; one of the biggest disadvantages of being a physical therapist is that you now must renew and maintain your license. To renew your license, you must have a certain amount of continuing education credits/contact hours. Continuing education courses will focus on areas that your state's certifying board deems essential, such as laws and ethics.
• COMPLETE A RESIDENCY - - You will have to decide is if you should pursue a residency in this field. A residency is a postgraduate period of supervised practice in a particular field. If you are considering completing a physical therapy residency, below are some things to keep in mind. Although a residency is a great way to learn more about the field, the experience may not be as peachy as it seems. In fact, there are several issues to consider before completing a physical therapy residency. Although a residency will make you more marketable, it will also add additional time to not getting out there in the workforce earning money. In some cases, a residency is as long as three (3) years.
• OBTAIN A CERTIFICATION - - Although it is not required by law, most employers prefer that their therapists are certified through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), which certifies rehabilitation specialists in four different areas: orthopedic physical therapy, acute care physical therapy, pediatric physical therapy, and geriatric physical therapy.
• PHYSICALLY DEMANDING - - A career as a physical therapist will be physically demanding. One of the top disadvantages of being a physical therapist is that you will be on your feet all day long, lifting heavy patients and using a variety of muscles you didn't even know you had.
• WORKING WITH CHALLENGING PATIENTS - - As a physical therapist, you are there to help people get better after injuries or surgeries. Your job isn't always easy, and that's when complex patients come into play. On more than one occasion, you will have to work with difficult patients.
• RISK GETTING BURNED OUT - - The job can be taxing emotionally. You spent all this time and money to be left with nothing if you become so burned out you leave the field.
• EXPOSURE TO PATHOGENS - - When working with patients as a physical therapist, you could find yourself working with people who may have a contagious disease.
• COMPLETING LARGE AMOUNTS OF DOCUMENTATION - - Every time you work with a patient, you will be responsible for completing a ton of documentation. This added workload can be very stressful, time-consuming and is one of the cons of being a physical therapist. All of this documentation is legally binding.
I hope this was helpful to you. Best of luck!
Pros & Cons • https://www.nursingprocess.org/physical-therapist-pros-and-cons.html
National Physical Therapy Exam • https://www.fsbpt.org/secondary-pages/exam-candidates/national-exam-npte
American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties • https://specialization.apta.org/about-abpts
The world of physical therapy is extremely fast paced and exciting, yet it is not for everyone. As a Physical Therapist, you will help patients recover and regain their independence. A Physical Therapist helps people with injuries and other medical conditions to regain mobility. They use an array of exercises and devices to help their patients recover from injury or illness. Physical Therapists work in hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, and private practices.
▲ ▲ PROS ▲ ▲
• GREAT EARNING POTENTIAL - - As a physical therapist, you will have great earning potential. The average physical therapist salary is around $91,010 per year.
• YOU WILL BE IN DEMAND - - The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for physical therapists are expected to grow 21 percent from 2020 to 2030. This growth is much faster than the average for all occupations.
• PAID TO TRAVEL - - You can travel to different places, getting paid for it.
• WORK IN MANY DIFFERENT SETTINGS - - Physical therapists work in many different settings, such as schools, hospitals, clinics, private practices, home health agencies, and nursing homes.
• YOU CAN SPECIALIZE - - As a physical therapist, you will be able to specialize. The different specialties that are available allow you to work with patients on specific problems.
• GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE - - You will also never miss out on your social life because you will get to attend important events. You will be able to spend time with your children and family because your schedule will accommodate all your life events. Being able to balance all aspects of your life is definitely one of the top pros of being a physical therapist.
• HELPING OTHERS - - You get to help people regain their lives.
• YOU ARE PART OF A TEAM - - You are part of the healthcare team. As a valued member of this team, you help patients heal so they can get back up on their feet.
• YOU WILL NOT BECOME BORED - - Your day-to-day will consist of working with people who have various issues, ailments, and injuries. You will not find yourself in the same situation every day because each patient will have unique needs.
• YOUR JOB WILL HELP YOU STAY PHYSICALLY FIT - - One of the perks of being a physical therapist is that your job will keep you physically fit. You will be lifting, stretching, and bending all day long.
• OPEN YOUR OWN PRACTICE - - You will have complete freedom to open your own practice. You can make your own hours; you will have no limitations to what kinds of patients you see or how many times a week you see them. You are not under the direct supervision of anyone but yourself.
• GREAT SCHEDULE - - You'll generally have a flexible work schedule as a physical therapist. Most of the time you won't have to work weekends and evenings.
• VIEWED AS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE - - You will be seen as an excellent and knowledgeable resource within your work environment. You are a trusted expert in your field, and people will appreciate how you seem to know everything about the body.
▼ ▼ CONS ▼ ▼
• EARN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE - - In order to pursue a career a career as a physical therapist, you must first earn a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree in the health sciences is preferred. A bachelor's degree will take you around four years to complete. During your undergraduate coursework, you'll learn a lot about various topics such as physics, kinesiology, biology, chemistry, physiology, and anatomy. These foundational science courses are essential to ensure that you have successfully completed them. They will provide a further foundation for your Doctorate. So, if science is not your forte, you may want to reconsider a career as a physical therapist.
• EARN A DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY DEGREE - - In addition to earning a bachelor's degree, you're going to need to earn a doctorate degree. A doctorate is the highest degree that can be achieved in most fields of study, but to be a physical therapist a doctorate is a must, making it one of the disadvantages of being a physical therapist. Doctorates usually take around four years to complete as well. The Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) is a 3-4 year program where graduates are prepared to become practitioners in physical therapy.
• KNOW THE COSTS - - The education needed to become a physical therapist takes many years, as one must first obtain a bachelor's degree to apply for DPT school. One of the biggest disadvantages of being a physical therapist is the cost of tuition alone which usually exceeds $120,000. It does not include expenses such as books and fees, which could be added on top of the already hefty price tag. The required Doctorate degree that you will have to obtain to practice will cost you around $80,000 more.
• HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PAY FOR SCHOOLING - - If taking out student loans you will spend time paying off student debt after earning your degree and starting your career, but there is no guarantee that you will get a job right out of college.
• OBTAIN YOUR LICENSE - - You will need to successfully pass an exam to obtain your license. The exam you must take is called the National Physical Therapy Examination.
• RENEW YOUR LICENSE - - So, it is not good enough to successfully pass your state boards; one of the biggest disadvantages of being a physical therapist is that you now must renew and maintain your license. To renew your license, you must have a certain amount of continuing education credits/contact hours. Continuing education courses will focus on areas that your state's certifying board deems essential, such as laws and ethics.
• COMPLETE A RESIDENCY - - You will have to decide is if you should pursue a residency in this field. A residency is a postgraduate period of supervised practice in a particular field. If you are considering completing a physical therapy residency, below are some things to keep in mind. Although a residency is a great way to learn more about the field, the experience may not be as peachy as it seems. In fact, there are several issues to consider before completing a physical therapy residency. Although a residency will make you more marketable, it will also add additional time to not getting out there in the workforce earning money. In some cases, a residency is as long as three (3) years.
• OBTAIN A CERTIFICATION - - Although it is not required by law, most employers prefer that their therapists are certified through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), which certifies rehabilitation specialists in four different areas: orthopedic physical therapy, acute care physical therapy, pediatric physical therapy, and geriatric physical therapy.
• PHYSICALLY DEMANDING - - A career as a physical therapist will be physically demanding. One of the top disadvantages of being a physical therapist is that you will be on your feet all day long, lifting heavy patients and using a variety of muscles you didn't even know you had.
• WORKING WITH CHALLENGING PATIENTS - - As a physical therapist, you are there to help people get better after injuries or surgeries. Your job isn't always easy, and that's when complex patients come into play. On more than one occasion, you will have to work with difficult patients.
• RISK GETTING BURNED OUT - - The job can be taxing emotionally. You spent all this time and money to be left with nothing if you become so burned out you leave the field.
• EXPOSURE TO PATHOGENS - - When working with patients as a physical therapist, you could find yourself working with people who may have a contagious disease.
• COMPLETING LARGE AMOUNTS OF DOCUMENTATION - - Every time you work with a patient, you will be responsible for completing a ton of documentation. This added workload can be very stressful, time-consuming and is one of the cons of being a physical therapist. All of this documentation is legally binding.
I hope this was helpful to you. Best of luck!
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