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Prompt: Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers.
Starting out in college I chose business as my major, but two years and mostly subpar performance later I changed paths after taking and excelling in a combined anatomy and physiology class. This revealed a true interest in the human body and the way it functions, as well as, reigniting my passion to excel in school. From there the decision making process consisted of researching careers in the health care field, my growing interest in the field through my undergrad work, and lastly the confirmation of Physical Therapy as my career choice through my volunteer experiences.
Starting out my research of health care careers I looked at what would allow me to work with the body, work with athletes, and have a rewarding job that is never the same from day-to-day. There were many options for me to choose from but one stood out right away to me. From growing up with parents that were hampered by faulty joints I know how important gross motor function is and to be able to help people regain or maintain a healthy level of function was something that sparked my interest and this ultimately led me to pick Physical Therapy over other similar careers such as Occupational Therapy, Doctor, Nurse, Biomechanist. Unlike other health care professions, physical therapy not only helps people restore function to their previous baseline but it also helps patients go above and beyond their baseline. Another thing that drew me towards physical therapy was that you the therapist, directly through instruction and motivation, lead to recovery and that is something that no other healthcare profession can really offer. Furthermore, with my love for sports it was very important that with my career I could specialize in an area where I could work with athletes and with physical therapy this is a possibility that really intrigued me. My criteria for my career were not met by any other career as well as they were by physical therapy and led to a quick decision in choosing my health care career.
Next, after deciding on physical therapy was career of choice I looked for a major that would allow me to increase my knowledge in the area of the human body and its functions while allowing me to pursue my goal. I felt that due to my interests Kinesiology would be a good way to reach my goal. Over the course of obtaining my degree I was able to take multiple classes that reinforced my understanding of the body's key landmarks and functions which added to my passion to pursue a career as a physical therapist. In addition it consisted of classes such as, peak performance and sport & exercise psychology, which allowed me to learn how people think and the different ways that people are motivated which is important when dealing with patients in the rehabilitation field so that they do not regress or stall at a given point but continue to improve. In my time as an undergrad I would always try to find a way to relate what I was learning to being a physical therapist and how I would use that information as a professional and that grew my love for the profession and entrenched me in my decision.
Lastly, I know Physical Therapy is the career for me has been my volunteer experiences over the last year. In that time I have been able to get experience in both outpatient and inpatient settings and the joy it has brought has only made me work harder and do as much I can to prepare for grad school. One such experience that really sticks in my head is a patient came in for her treatment at the outpatient clinic for a reconstructed ankle and her foot was about twice the size of normal. She had been coming in for a few treatments already but what is memorable is that in the middle of the session while the therapist was working her ankle to loosen the scar tissue I was able to get some hands on experience which is very rare as a volunteer. The patient allowed me to take over for the therapist and massage her ankle to loosen up the scar tissue. The smile that this brought to my face lit up the room and even the patient noted that seeing me so happy just to be able to help out during her session was remarkable. This was the final confirmation for me and it let me know that I needed to work as hard as I could so that I could reach my goal of becoming a physical therapist.
Knowing my interests and the passion that I have to work with people and to help them regain their lost function, or to keep them from getting injured it was easy to decide on physical therapy as my career choice.
Starting out in college I chose business as my major, but two years and mostly subpar performance later I changed paths after taking and excelling in a combined anatomy and physiology class.
I chose business studies as my major in the college, however, my average performance in business subjects suggested me to change my path. Accordingly, in the second year I took up an anatomy and physiology class which helped me discover my real passion and the path I can excel.Starting out my research of health care careers I looked at what would allow me to work with the body, work with athletes, and have a rewarding job that is never the same from day-to-day.
I began to research the careers in Health Care industry and found my special interest in the careers that are more challenging and involve in working with the body and athletes.