Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers.
When I entered college I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I was lost, uninterested in classes and had no plans for my future. After two dreadful semesters of college I decided I needed to make a change. I joined the Air Force Air National Guard and was sent off to basic training. My thoughts were to get through basic training and tech school and then return to Arizona to finish my bachelor's degree. The military would help me pay for school and help with living expenses. What I hadn't expected the military to help me with was a better understanding of myself and my future.
When I returned to Arizona and registered for classes I had a newfound excitement for college. I had the discipline and experience that I was lacking in my first few semesters. The goals I had set while I was gone were now available and I could move forward to accomplish them. I had a passion for health and fitness so I began tailoring my education in that direction. To get my first experience in the health and fitness career I looked towards personal training. I soon got a job at Bally Total Fitness as a fitness coach and began talking with the trainers. Within a couple of months of observing the environment and getting a feel for the career, I decided this wasn't the right path for me. The way a trainer succeeds is through personality and the ability to sell a product, whether it be memberships or training sessions. I liked the idea of improving someone's life through health and fitness, but I did not like that I had to sell it to them to make my income. My next thoughts within the health field was to go into athletic training or physical therapy. Both of these careers require an expansive knowledge of anatomy and physiology and the ability to use deductive reasoning in the rehab process.
Shortly after I started as a physical therapy technician to gain some experience in that field. It didn't take long for me to become fascinated with the career field and the idea of becoming a therapist. The therapists that surrounded me at this clinic radiated the professional career I had always seen for myself. The atmosphere of the clinic allowed the therapists to gain a personal interaction with the patient while they combined their knowledge of the human body and therapeutic exercises to help return them to their daily activities. I love the fact that physical therapy has the capability of treating conditions from acute injuries to severe diseases. The ability of a physical therapist to treat not only these conditions in athletes but also with patients from all ages has only made me more interested in the career field. From my time as a therapy technician I have been able to observe many patients during their recovery and talk with them about the process. I have gained an appreciation for the patients in their willingness to work with the therapist in the rehab procedures and how to overcome obstacles that may prevent them from returning to their full capacity.
While observing at a neurological clinic I was connected with a 14 year old boy named Ethan that had been coming in for therapy for a few weeks. His therapist Warren explained to me what had happened and where they had started when he came in. It was easy to see that Warren enjoyed his job when he was working with Ethan. They were lighthearted and they enjoyed each other's company. I was able to assist Warren in creating exercises that not only challenged Ethan but also made his therapy fun. This was exciting for me to become involved in a different type of therapy that included neurological equipment I had never seen before. The passion that Warren exhibited with Ethan's recovery is a driving force for my decision towards physical therapy as a career.
When I entered college I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I was lost, uninterested in classes and had no plans for my future. After two dreadful semesters of college I decided I needed to make a change. I joined the Air Force Air National Guard and was sent off to basic training. My thoughts were to get through basic training and tech school and then return to Arizona to finish my bachelor's degree. The military would help me pay for school and help with living expenses. What I hadn't expected the military to help me with was a better understanding of myself and my future.
When I returned to Arizona and registered for classes I had a newfound excitement for college. I had the discipline and experience that I was lacking in my first few semesters. The goals I had set while I was gone were now available and I could move forward to accomplish them. I had a passion for health and fitness so I began tailoring my education in that direction. To get my first experience in the health and fitness career I looked towards personal training. I soon got a job at Bally Total Fitness as a fitness coach and began talking with the trainers. Within a couple of months of observing the environment and getting a feel for the career, I decided this wasn't the right path for me. The way a trainer succeeds is through personality and the ability to sell a product, whether it be memberships or training sessions. I liked the idea of improving someone's life through health and fitness, but I did not like that I had to sell it to them to make my income. My next thoughts within the health field was to go into athletic training or physical therapy. Both of these careers require an expansive knowledge of anatomy and physiology and the ability to use deductive reasoning in the rehab process.
Shortly after I started as a physical therapy technician to gain some experience in that field. It didn't take long for me to become fascinated with the career field and the idea of becoming a therapist. The therapists that surrounded me at this clinic radiated the professional career I had always seen for myself. The atmosphere of the clinic allowed the therapists to gain a personal interaction with the patient while they combined their knowledge of the human body and therapeutic exercises to help return them to their daily activities. I love the fact that physical therapy has the capability of treating conditions from acute injuries to severe diseases. The ability of a physical therapist to treat not only these conditions in athletes but also with patients from all ages has only made me more interested in the career field. From my time as a therapy technician I have been able to observe many patients during their recovery and talk with them about the process. I have gained an appreciation for the patients in their willingness to work with the therapist in the rehab procedures and how to overcome obstacles that may prevent them from returning to their full capacity.
While observing at a neurological clinic I was connected with a 14 year old boy named Ethan that had been coming in for therapy for a few weeks. His therapist Warren explained to me what had happened and where they had started when he came in. It was easy to see that Warren enjoyed his job when he was working with Ethan. They were lighthearted and they enjoyed each other's company. I was able to assist Warren in creating exercises that not only challenged Ethan but also made his therapy fun. This was exciting for me to become involved in a different type of therapy that included neurological equipment I had never seen before. The passion that Warren exhibited with Ethan's recovery is a driving force for my decision towards physical therapy as a career.
