Statement Of Purpose Of Physical Therapy

A Bachelors degree in Exercise Science is the stepping-stone for many graduate level degrees. Physical Therapy is one of the many steps that can be taken. What is physical therapy? Physical therapy also means the treatment of any pain, disease, or injury by physical means. Physical therapists study medical science in anatomy, neuroscience and physiology in order to acquire the health education needed for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation of patients with physical problems from disease, aging, sports, or even the environment. (Nordqvist, 2014) A physical therapist daily deals with patients of all ages and backgrounds. Their main goal is to get the patient back to functioning to the best of their ability, or how the patient functioned

before an accident took place. They take a look at a patient’s history and perform many tests including; range of motion, stability, balance, coordination, muscle movement, and strength. In the end, a physical therapist has a main goal of restoring, maintaining, and promoting a healthy body. Many ask the differences between a physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, and the main difference is that a physical therapist gives the initial exam which helps them determine how to create the patients rehabilitation program. (Explore Health Careers, 2012)
Physical Therapy formally began around the 1920s led by the president at founder of the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association; Mary McMillan. With World War II going on and a nationwide Polio epidemic, citizens all over America began hurting and need for a Physical Therapist were needed than ever. More and more education programs across the country were beginning to start up, it drastically went from 16 programs to 39. (APTA History, 2015) In December 1942, Congress passed legislation, which authorized the inclusion of Physical Therapists in the Medical Department of the Army, through the inclusion in the Army it granted physical therapists military status during the war. At the beginning of Physical Therapy taking off as a career it was made up of almost entirely women, who were there to support the primarily male physicians. With the establishment of state registration and licensing laws, higher and uniform training standards, and the formation of academic programs based in colleges and universities rather than in hospital schools the field of physical therapy went toward a more professional status. Over the years Physical Therapists have evolved from physician’s assistants to their own health care practitioners. Physical Therapy is still a female dominated field with approximately 2/3 of the members of the American Physical Therapy Association being women. (Development of the Field of Physical Therapy)
Becoming a physical therapist is not an easy task, and not everyone can pursue it, and a lot of schooling is involved.

To apply for a job as physical therapist, one has to obtain a graduate level degree from the accredited physical therapy programs. Individuals who wish to practice physical therapy in the United States must also pass a national licensure examination, and meet the states licensure requirements. (Explore Health Careers, 2012) Typically these degrees are offered at the doctorate level, and take three to four years to complete after obtaining Bachelor’s degree. Each program has different requirements but some basic classes include exercise physiology, physics, basic chemistry, biology, biomechanics, and statistics. To gain admission to physical therapy school, students need to earn bachelor's degrees with a focus health or science related field, complete certain science prerequisite courses, gain volunteer or observation experience in the area of physical therapy, submit Graduate Record scores and maintain a high grade-point averages the school wants each student to have. (APTA: Physical Therapist Admissions Process, 2013) Eighty percent of the Doctorate of Physical Therapy curriculum comprises classroom and lab study and then twenty percent is dedicated to clinical education. A student will most likely participate in clinical internships all three years of physical therapy school that will give them real life experience and take hands-on clinical courses,

which provide training in patient care, screening, assessment, treatment and intervention. Each student needs to be very comfortable with practicing on patients before they can enter the work force as a physical therapist. (Physical Therapy: Required Education to Be a Physical Therapist)
Ever since I started seriously playing sports in high school I was intrigued by Physical Therapy.

Everyone knows that growing up, and playing a sport at some point an injury is bound to happen, and each person has a different injury story to tell. Most of the times injuries are unfortunate, but mine led me to finding which career path I want to take. It was my freshmen year of cross-country, while in Richmond racing my third race in September, where I took a wrong step, and down I went. I thought I would be fine, just a little sprain and I would be back in no time. But, once I got to the medical tent the trainers informed me that there was something wrong with my fifth metatarsal and I needed to go to the emergency room. I went to the emergency room, I had been there before for broken bones and figured it would be the same routine; an x-ray then, a cast for 4-6 weeks. Originally that was the doctor’s plan, but after six weeks in an air cast my foot was nowhere close to better. They had to run many tests, where the doctors found out there was another fracture in it, which meant more time in a cast, but it also meant I needed to go to physical therapy so I could strengthen the muscles and make my foot better. All I wanted was to get back to my sport like all athletes do. Once I went to physical therapy for the first time, the physical therapist Jenn informed me she was going to help me as much as she can, to allow me to get back to running as soon as possible. In that

instance I noticed how happy and relived I was, and realized I want to help others and make them feel the same way about their recovery process. In the end, Jenn made my foot heal and function properly again, and by April I was back running. In the future, I want to be the one people have to thank for allowing them to get back to what they love doing.