Graduate / "communication skills and more" - PTCAS admissions (physical therapy profession) [3]

This is my first draft of my essay for admission through PTCAS for the upcoming cycle. Any feedback and criticisms are most welcome.

Which personal characteristics and motivating factors have led you to pursue the profession of physical therapy? (4500 characters including spaces)

I am, and always have been, a very active person. Our early family videos show long clips of me playing basketball outside by myself in the street, dribbling back and forth and sinking jump shots. Through high school I played 4 varsity sports, so I always concentrated on staying in shape and taking care of my body.

My interest in the physical therapy field started when I took my first anatomy class my junior year of high school. The intricacies of the human body fascinated me from the beginning of this course. Coupled with my very active lifestyle, I began exploring future careers in personal training in a gym, athletic training with a sports team, and physical therapy in a variety of settings.

I really began to steer toward a future in physical therapy during college. Playing a varsity sport for 4 years in college along with my fascination with the inner workings of the human body, I spent a good amount of time in the training room. I really liked to take care of my body to prevent injuries. While I was lucky enough to have only gotten some very minor injuries in college, some of my teammates were not so lucky. I have seen teammates go through a variety of injuries such as torn muscles and ACLs, and broken bones. I found myself very interested in my teammates' progress and treatment during their recovery. Watching these teammates and friends go from completely debilitated back to playing shape, really convinced me that physical therapy was the field for me.

While I had great respect for athletic trainers, and I still do, the work of physical therapists became more appealing to me. Athletic trainers specialize in preventing injuries, and treating injuries in the middle of games and practices, while physical therapists assist patients in recovering from injuries and getting back to their daily activities. Being unable to stay active and do the things I want to do because of an injury is something I dread happening to me, and something I would not wish on anyone.

After college, I set out to find experience at a Physical Therapy facility, and I was lucky enough to land a job as a Physical Therapy Aide at an outpatient therapy office specializing in orthopedic services. At this job, I assist the physical therapist in explaining home programs to the patients, motivating the patients to continue their treatment no matter how hard it gets, and teaching our patients a variety of exercises and stretches to help with their treatments. I have also had the responsibility of acting as receptionist, scheduling patients and verifying insurances. Although these responsibilities keep me incredibly busy on the job, I am glad they have been assigned to me. It has given me more insight into the career as a physical therapist.

The therapists with whom I work have told me that I am a quick learner, I take initiative, and interact well with patients. All of which, they say, will help me be successful during graduate school and in my career as a physical therapist. Conversing with patients has become my favorite part of the job, and something I look forward to everyday. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our patients, and hearing the stories or their injury, surgery and recovery from their own perspectives. I may not have had the best communication or listening skills coming into this job, but that is another thing that I have loved about this job. I have been given the opportunity to develop these skills further everyday. Great communication with the patients is necessary to build trust, and in turn keep the patients coming back to receive treatment.

My improving communication skills, willingness to ask questions and learn everyday, and my ability to take initiative give me confidence that I will succeed in graduate school and as a future physical therapist.