What inspired you to pursue a career in physical therapy?
I was inspired to pursue a career in physical therapy because it allows me to use my medicine skills while also creating relationships with my patients. It is also flexible and allows me to change what I want to do throughout my career. Transcript: "What inspired me to pursue a career in physical therapy. If I want to be really honest this started back in college I was very into Orthopedic sand, sports medicine and what appealed to me about physical therapy was? I could work in this field and work with people but it was different than being a doctor. It was just a different way of interacting with patients and with people. Well and what I liked about it as opposed to surgery was that I could spend more time getting to know my patients and that's been one of the best parts of being a physical therapist is that I get to use my medicine skills. But I also get to create relationships with the people that I work with and this has evolved over time to where I realized, I loved working with women, not just Female athletes. And so my career has evolved over the last 20-plus years to be more women's health specific. So another inspiration of mine is that this profession is flexible and you can always change what you want to do. You don't have to be locked into one thing and stick with it for the rest of your career."
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7 Answers
Dr. Blair Green, PT, DPT, OCS, PHC
Physical Therapist and Womenโs Health Expert
What inspired me to pursue a career in physical therapy. If I want to be really honest this started back in college I was very into Orthopedic sand, sports medicine and what appealed to me about physical therapy was? I could work in this field and work with people but it was different than being a doctor. It was just a different way of interacting with patients and with people. Well and what I liked about it as opposed to surgery was that I could spend more time getting to know my patients and that's been one of the best parts of being a physical therapist is that I get to use my medicine skills. But I also get to create relationships with the people that I work with and this has evolved over time to where I realized, I loved working with women, not just Female athletes. And so my career has evolved over the last 20-plus years to be more women's health specific. So another inspiration of mine is that this profession is flexible and you can always change what you want to do. You don't have to be locked into one thing and stick with it for the rest of your career.
Dr. Brian Cunningham
๐บ๐ธ Olympic Swim Team Physiotherapist
What inspired me to pursue a career, in physical therapy, many reasons, but it shows me basically because I really had no idea what I want to do and I loved Sports. I love talking to people and I was pretty keyring and I hated to see anybody, any any discomfort and I really didn't think I was intelligent enough for had the grades to become a doctor and I didn't think that they really spent a lot of time with their patients and I happen to be a swimmer and right around that time. I strained the muscles in my shoulders and went to a physical therapist and was completely blown away by the impact that she had on her clients. She's working what multiple Sports and different venues and had a lot of freedom in her schedule. And so it was kind of by a process of elimination, but I would imagine just like many other people. There was a traumatic kind of injury that kind of Drew us to that, but I tell people is find what you don't want to do and that will help narrow down the alley of what you may want to do. And I also did some personality and aptitude test and I think that's key in physical therapy Health Care. You need to have a certain personality to be able to do what you need to do.
Jen Dieter
PT - 8x Crossfit Games Athlete
Hi, the question. I'm answering is what inspired you to pursue a career in physical therapy? And for me, it was my own injuries. I was a competitive gymnast when I was in high school and had some back pain and it went undiagnosed, I didn't really do much about it. Then when I was in college, I was a springboard diver and the same pain came back. And I had to spend a lot of time in the training room and I looked around. And I thought what are these people in doing in here? And I saw the physical Therapists working with myself and other athletes. And I thought that it would be super cool. So I applied to the sports medicine program at University of Virginia where I was in college and got in. And then I went on to PT school.
Jim Heafner
Physical Therapist, Author
A story. My mom likes to share with people is that on my one of my second grade, sort of evaluations, whatever they do. The teacher said Jim is great to have in the classroom but he will not sit still. And and I feel that today, and I think that's one of the reasons that I like physical therapy so much. Is that it's an active profession and I get to help people be more active other. The other reasons that I was sort of drawn to physical therapy, is that? I did a lot of volunteer work growing up so I've always enjoyed helping Typing people, my mom also said that I've my four brothers, I was kind of always the most empathetic. So when someone would come to me with a problem, I could really relate to their issue. And I think those those attributes of being an active learner, sort of getting Hands-On on a problem. And then and then emotionally sort of understanding or trying to meet someone where they're at with their problem. Those were all reasons that I was drawn to physical therapy.
Lisa Pataky, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS
Head Physical Therapist, Overtime Elite
What inspired you to pursue a career in physical therapy? I kind of always wanted to do something in the medical field. My dad's a physician and my mom wanted to go into the medical field as well, and I played Sports my whole life. So I knew that I wanted to do something involving sports medicine. I like that physical therapists have a lot of time like FaceTime with their patients and athletes as opposed to other professions in the medical field that maybe only see someone once a year or if they have an injury Etc. And then my mom actually had to do quite a bit of physical and occupational therapy. So I knew that's kind of what sparked my that's how I first learned about the profession. And then seeing a lot of friends get hurt in high school and not being able to play sports. Again, I think is what really pushed me over the edge to wanting to pursue this career.
Sue Falsone
Director of ATC/PT - Houston Texans
What inspired you to pursue a career in physical therapy for me? I always thought I was going to be an orthopedic surgeon and so years ago, physical therapy school was a four-year degree. And so, I had the option instead of majoring in biology or pre-med that I could major in physical therapy in my undergraduate degree and then go to med school. So that was going to be my plan. And I knew I had enjoyed for physical therapy as I had sustained a hamstring injury when I was in high school playing soccer. And so, I had to go to physical therapy, so I thought, oh, this is kind of cool and maybe would help me in my pursuit to be an orthopedic surgeon. And so I decided to go to physical therapy school and then just kind of as a road to med school and then, once I really got into physical therapy and started doing clinicals. And I realized that I got to spend so much. Much quality time with patients and really help them help them along their Healthcare journey and their health journey. And, as opposed to a surgeon who kind of came into their thing and left and didn't get nearly as much contact as I was going to have with the patient. And so I quickly learned that that time spent with the patient and helping them along. The path was really what I enjoyed. And hence, why I never went to med school and I stayed with physical therapy.