Physical Therapy
...y with. As a physical therapist, you will be a professional member of the health care team that will be directly involved in helping people with injuries to relieve their pain, to heal and to regain function so as to lead a more normal, independent life. This is a very hands-on calling, where the power of touch and your personal care will bring healing and relief to people in need. You will be making a big difference in someone’s life, because you will be contributing to helping them get their life back together. There are many scholastic courses you have to take in order to be a physical therapist. There are many different schools around the nation that offer schooling for this occupation. Schools such as the University of Maryland, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. There are also multiple local schools, including University of Florida, University of Miami, and the University of Central Florida. Although I was unable to locate prices on how much it is to attend these schools, I know tuition per term for the University of Florida is $7,832.53. So schooling isn’t cheap! The school curriculum is very extensive for becoming a physical therapist assistant. One must have 65 credits of college schooling in order to pursue this occupation, including 3 credits of Fine Arts/Humanities/Language, 11 credits of Math/Science (including Anatomy and Physiology I and II), 9 credits of Social Sciences (including Introduction to Developmental Disabilities), an astonishing 34 credits in Physical Therapy classes, which include Physical Therapy Training I, II, and III. 2 PTA seminars are included in these 34 credits. The last 2 credits are in Health, which is learning basics, such as CPR. Contrary to popular, and my own personal belief, there is more then 1 type of therapist. The three I found the most research on were the Physical Therapist, the Occupational Therapist, and the Physical Therapist Assistant. A physical therapist has the duties of restoring past ambulation and previous movement, mainly only on the lower extremities. A PT Assistant has the same basic medical training as the PT does, however they are not a certified PT and/or do not have their Masters Degree in Physical Therapy. An Occupational Therapist has the same job description as a PT, however they work with the face, arms and hands. OTs can also have assistants, with the same credentials, a bachelor’s degree but not a masters. Finding a job as a physical therapist is quite easy, while just looking up information on the internet about the profession, I found many links and 1-800 numbers of people and places looking to hire PTs and PTAs. There are also many listing pages for placing yourself out to be contacted, and there is always the yellow pages. There are many benefits to working as a therapist of any kind. There is also a wide variety of patients you may be working with. You will work with people from all walks of life; your patients can range dramatically in age from the very elderly to the very young. You may be working with injured athletes, a young child with cerebral palsy, an adult who just had surgery, or an elderly person who had a stroke. What's so special about being a Physical Therapist? As a physical therapist, you will be a professional member of the health care team that will be directly involved in helping people with injuries to relieve their pain, to heal and to regain function so as to lead a more normal, independent life. This is a very hands-on calling, where the power of touch and your personal ca...