FREE ESSAY ON BECOMING A PHYSICAL THERAPIST

BECOMING A PHYSICAL THERAPIST

In ten to fifteen years I would like to be working in the physical therapy industry as a
sports trainer. I like the idea of being around sports while dealing with medicine and
sport injuries. I have participated in athletics since I was very young and have played
contact sports. Now I would like to work in the sport therapy field to prevent these
injuries from happening. My goal would be to work with high school athletes anywhere up
to professional athletes. The person I interviewed was Norm Paquin, who was the sports
trainer at my high school and also worked as a physical therapist at Jordan Hospital. He
received his Bachelors degree from Northeastern in the field of Sports Medicine. He
returned to school this year to receive his Masters at the University of Southern Maine.
The starting salary for a full time physical therapist averages about $755 weekly. The
middle fifty- percent earns between $577 and $1055 a week. The top ten percent earn at
least $1294 and the bottom ten- percent earns less than $400 a week. According to the
American Physical Therapy Association's survey of physical therapists practicing in
hospital settings, the average annual base salary of a full-time physical therapist is
$48,000. The middle fifty- percent earns between $42,000 and $57,000. Norm told me that
his starting annual salary was about was about $41,000.
When he was first hired at Jordan Hospital, Norm had the opportunity to begin as a
physical therapist's assistant. From watching the therapist and improving his skills and
knowledge of the practice, he could move his way up the staff. He had the opportunity to
become a therapist and then head of the therapy ward. He also took a job at Silver Lake
Regional High School as the athletic trainer. After each full year off working at Jordan
Hospital therapists receive a 2-3% increase in salary based upon the years figure. Norm
started working about seven years ago and is now making close to $60,000.
All states require that physical therapists pass a licensure exam after graduating from
an accredited physical therapist educational program before they can practice. In July
1997 there were 173 accredited physical therapist programs. Of the 173 programs,
46-offered bachelor's degree and 116 were master's degree programs. By the year 2001, all
the accredited physical therapy programs will be at the master's degree level and above.
Currently, the bachelor's degree curriculum starts with basic science courses such as
biology, chemistry, and physics, and then introduces specialized courses such as
biomechanics, neuroanatomy, human growth, and development, manifestations of disease,
examination techniques, and therapeutic procedures. Besides classroom and laboratory
instruction, students receive supervised clinical experience. Norm returned to school
this fall to obtain his master's degree. In a few years it will be very hard to obtain a
physical therapist job with only a bachelor's degree.
Competition for entrance into physical therapist educational programs is very intense.
Norm said you must obtain superior grades in high school and college to be hired by a
well-established facility. Courses useful when applying to physical therapist educational
programs include anatomy, biology, chemistry, social science, mathematics, and physics.
Before granting admission, many professional education programs require experience as a
volunteer in physical therapy department of a hospital or clinic. While at Northeastern
University, Norm volunteered at Mass General Hospital. He said that this experience
really gave him a grasp on what the atmosphere would be like when he obtains a job at a
hospital. He really enjoyed it and it made him work harder towards his degree.
Not only must therapists have exceptional knowledge of his field they must have good
people skills. Norm told me that therapists should have strong interpersonal skills to
successfully educate patients about their physical therapy treatments. They should also
be compassionate and posses a desire to help patients. Similar traits are also needed to
interact with the patient's family.
At Jordan Hospital, Norm is provided with full health and life insurance in which he pays
$4 biweekly each month. There is a retirement plan in which the hospital takes a certain
amount out of the employee's check if he or she requests it. Norm is given nine sick days
per year, four personal days per year, seven holidays per year, and three weeks for
vacation per year.
Unlike the hospital there is no charge when students come to see Norm in the trainer's
room, unless they need x-rays or have to go to the hospital. The school pays him but his
services are free to the students. At Jordan Hospital and many facilities there is a
fixed rate of charge. The rate by which they charge patients and insurance companies is
determined by taking the pre-established government standard, 80%, and adding 20% to the
bill, to obtain a full 100%, allowing the company to make a 20% profit. This rate of
charge is fixed for all patients no matter what their financial status may be. 
Jordan Hospital is really a non-advertising company. Hospitals rarely advertise their
facilities. They make a name for themselves by their treatment of patients and their
medical success. Any medical breakthrough is advertisement in itself because the
community will trust the hospital to provide them with the best treatment. The hospital
supports many charity events and that also helps them to make a good name for themselves
in the community. Any new treatments, success, and community service the hospital does is
enough advertisement.
Technology is paving the way to the future and in this new technological era it is very
much improving the treatment in physical therapy. Jordan Hospital contains top of the
line machines and state of the art equipment. These advanced machines help to
rehabilitate patients to full health and strength and they also help to ease the pain.
Every patient is also kept in the computer database, which is networked throughout the
whole hospital. The computer takes care of each patient's billings, records, treatment,
and progress.
If I became a physical therapist or athletic trainer, I would use my skills and knowledge
of my field to help my patients to healthy a complete recovery. I would work well with my
colleagues along with my patients. I would also make sure that my patient and their
families are always fully aware of how they are and what is going on. My goal and
priority would make sure all my patients are successful and happy on their road to
recovery. 
Bibliography
Boone, Louis E. and David L. Kurtz. Contemporary Marketing
Wired. Fort Worth: Dryden Press, 1998.
Occupational Outlook Handbook. Physical Therapist. 
http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm, 1999.
Paquin, Norm. Personal Interview. 12 February 2000.