Physical Therapy Personal Statement

What first began as a distant dream is now finally coming to fruition. The tribulations endured along the way has instilled an unwavering determination and strong work ethic within me. It is these qualities that will one day enable me to be accepted into a physical therapy program which will allow me to further pursue my ambitions. Being given the opportunity to be a student at the University of St Augustine would be the start of learning about what it is to be an exceptional Physical therapist.

After literally falling into an interest in Physical Therapy by way of an ACL tear and reconstruction, I began as a patient and saw first hand what an impact a Physical Therapist can have on a patient's mindset. Additionally, seeing him help people to prevent injuries and treat impairments all the while with a positive and comforting demeanor was inspirational. Above all, the event of my

injury was a major disappointment but it ended up being the impetus to pursue becoming a Physical Therapist.

Through experience as an Aide in outpatient facilities, working alongside various Physical Therapists has been enlightening. Observing the various techniques of manual therapy and their success has bolstered my excitement to learn them. Additionally, analyzing their evaluation skills and their unique ways of implementing Physical Therapy has helped me in vision myself as a future provider. Further, it is rewarding to get to know the patients and note their progress; the best part is the overwhelming gratitude given for helping patients feel better. In the outpatient setting, the various populations ranging from high school athletes to Geriatrics has demonstrated how to gear physical therapy

services to different needs. For the athletes, returning to their respective sport is a major component of their rehab protocols. Typically, we aid them with plyometrics, strength training, and conditioning. As for the older populations, gait training and progressive resistance exercises is a prominent feature of their protocols. The best feeling about this profession is having the people come back to visit after their time in therapy, it is so evident that we become an integral part of their life.
Notably, observing and volunteering at Children’s Specialized Hospital has been a fruitful experience. The children there have a range of varying impairments, including spinal cord injuries, broken bones, brain injuries, and chronic illness. Being a Physical Therapist in this setting seems challenging but extremely rewarding; the Therapists often engage the children in board games, card games, and athletic drills that distract the children’s attention from their ailments so they can effectively rehab their injuries. Seeing the children smile and laugh considering their pain and debilitating circumstances has influenced me to appreciate life and being healthy. Moreover, seeing the therapists use their critical and creative license in rehab activities has been motivational.
Accordingly, APTA’s Vision 2020 is an exciting standard for Physical Therapists to ascertain. I hope to engage in novel activities as a Physical Therapist, such as collaborating with workforce engineers to change habits to healthier ways in school and work settings. For example, championing for a part of the day that omits desk sitting in favor of using stability balls or treadmill desks. Research has demonstrated that exercising improves cognitive function; imagine the marked increase in neural plasticity while simultaneously exercising and learning in class. Physical Therapists will be the pioneers to use research in more arenas than just their office settings. Physical Therapists can collaborate in improving the human experience and in showing people how exercise can improve every facet of their lives.
As a student at St Augustine, I will embody enthusiasm in learning the material and employ my social skills in helping my fellow classmates. As a cohort, we can work together to practice techniques and discuss concepts. Moreover, becoming a movement scientist involves more than just classroom work; my classmates and myself can go to the gym to apply and analyze what we learned in class that day. Through interaction with the faculty, I will indulge my curiosity and ask questions pertinent to better understanding Physical Therapy practices. Specifically, I have a kind and outgoing personality and I think that this will facilitate building a rapport with faculty, students, and patients.
Prominently, the desire to be a student at St Augustine lies in its blended learning curriculum. Historically, online learning has been a positive experience for me. It’s wonderful to be able to access lectures and unearth them at one’s own pace. Also, being able to replay or pause to write notes would be beneficial to a student in a rigorous program. Significantly, the duration of the program is also an attractive feature of the program, considering that finishing in less than three years would be financially savvy. Another hallmark of St Augustines program is its high NPTE passing rate. This is especially significant because it demonstrates to prospective students how effective University of St Augustine is in preparing students for becoming health care providers. The faculty at all of the St Augustine locations are distinguished, and it would be an honor to be taught the breadth of Physical Therapy from them. Additionally, the smaller class ratios are ideal for building a rapport with the professors and students, which leads to greater outcomes for the individual. Lastly, after reading that manual therapy is heavily emphasized in this program, I am confident that USA will make me a superb clinician.
Ultimately, after a few years working in a Physical Therapy Department in both inpatient and outpatient specialties, opening a Private Practice would be on my agenda. The professionalism and skills obtained at St Augustine would be tremendous preparation for such an arduous aspiration. Being a Physical Therapist comes with bountiful rewards, one especially being job satisfaction. The opportunity to help many people regain function would be profoundly satisfying. As a future Physical Therapist, using evidence-based practice and creative rehab protocols would be a staple. Furthermore, my job would not only be to restore function for patients to satisfactory levels, but to also instill a lifestyle change that identifies movement as a quintessential activity for longevity. Exercise is the best prevention and prescription, my goal is to motivate patients to stay active by demonstrating that pain relief, mobility, and reduced or no surgery costs are the hallmarks of rehab. I look forward to being the Provider that helps the man with the frozen shoulder regain full motion, and the Physical Therapist that helps the girl with the torn meniscus return to basketball. I hope to be the community commodity that people flock to when they need Physical Therapy, I want to be the person they entrust for quality physical therapy. If accepted to University of St Augustine, I will be a reputable alumni that will surely make a good name for the University’s Physical therapy program.