The Profession of Physical Therapy - Personal Statement Example

Which personal characteristics and motivating factors have led you to pursue the profession of physical therapy? No one can understand what happens when a family member is hurt, especially when the family member lies between life and death, unless they have had the experience. When my cousin was paralyzed after an auto accident that involved a drunk driver, I was made to understand first hand what it means to almost lose someone you love. My cousin was told that he would never walk again, but because of quick action by the doctors and a very thorough physical therapist, my cousin is able to walk today. My cousin also had the motivation to move through his exercises and the physical therapist helped him move forward when he wanted to get lazy (his words) about his exercises. The physical therapist would push him when he needed it and cheer when he did what was required. I sat in the background for part of it but I also helped my cousin with his exercises at home. This was the first motivating factor for me. When I saw the physical therapist work, I was inspired and intrigued by this profession. I watched the therapist use a variety of modalities that included electrical stimulation, massages, and exercises to help my cousin. I bought an electrical stimulation machine to use at home and I watched him recover with all of this help; I felt proud to be a part of his healing. Prior to this experience I had thought about medicine as a career in the first few years of my undergraduate work. My first choice I thought was business, but I found it boring and wanted to do something more that would help people. Because of my interest in medicine, I took an Anatomy and Physiology course that was intriguing. I was fascinated by the human body and how all of the parts and systems worked together to keep an individual healthy. I also studied the "Atlas of the Human Skeleton" and grew more interested in how the bones and other structures of the body actually moved together to keep a person moving. At the time, I was trying to decide whether to go into nursing or move on to become a doctor. The challenge for me was that both of these careers seemed somewhat challenging, but it took time to go through school. Many doctors that I have met did not have as much contact with patients and upon interview, some of them felt that doctors no longer had time to care about their patients. I knew that I would rather have a more "hands on" type of career in medicine where I could essentially see the progress on a regular basis. I was not sure that I could see progress daily as a doctor or a nurse. When I saw the physical therapist, I thought that this would be the best fit for me since it was more hands on. As a physical therapist, I felt I would be able to see people on a daily basis and I would have a hand in their recovery from injuries. This coincided with my original idea of finding a career where I could match my interests with my career. Since I loved the human body already, I would have a way to keep going forward with this interest. After reading about the body, I was motivated to continue my own fitness. I felt that I now understand my body better and my workouts have become more interesting. I know what it is to move the body to its limits because I exercise myself. I see this as a way to maximize my quality of life and it increases my mobilization. I also go to a yoga class weekly for my own stress management. I am able to use the stretching and relaxation techniques at home and at my job and sometimes the meditation is just what I need after a very stressful day. In the research I have done on physical therapy, I see that part of the job in this career is to help the client move from where they are physically to where their doctors want them to go. This made me realize that participating in helping them achieve these goals went along with my own ethics. Since I understood my own body well, I was able to help someone else understand how to make their body work more effectively. With all of these experiences, I find that physical therapy intertwines my interest in a broad range of medicine, as well as my motivation to directly diagnose and treat patients. I also believe that this profession would provide an outlet for me to use my interests and abilities to positively impact the community. I have been so motivated in the area of physical therapy that I wanted to get hands on experience to make sure this would be a fit for me. I was able to find a volunteer experience at the outpatient rehabilitation department of Northside Hospital and Tampa Bay Heart Institute. As a volunteer, I was able to do a variety of tasks under the supervision of a physical therapist. My responsibility included keeping the area clean and organized in preparation for each session, setting up and putting away gym equipment, preparing hot/cold packs and machines, and informing the physical therapist of any changes in the treatment orders for each patient and their status. This experience helped me develop a deeper passion for the work and a strong compassion for others. I was moving towards my goal in education until the demands of my family became so great that I had to quit school to get a full-time job. The demands included supporting my family through financial hardships and health challenges. These situations threatened to impede my academic pursuits drastically, but I persevered. Many people may have stopped their education totally because of the constraints that these types of challenges put on a person. For me, these obstacles helped me stay motivated and find creative ways to resolve them. Through these experiences I discovered the importance of optimism and have realized that it takes courage to pursue opportunities while one is going through crisis. By taking some time off from academia, I was able to understand what I wanted more totally and to examine my strengths and weaknesses; I have learned how to focus on my strengths and work with my weaknesses where appropriate. My educational experience at the University of South Florida has also been a motivating factor for me to move towards physical therapy. Through the classes and the interaction with teachers and my classmates, I continue to understand that physical therapy is a career that fits my personality and my need to help others. I am interested in your program because I believe that having a PhD in physical therapy will help me accumulate the knowledge and skill that I need to acquire in order to find the right fit in a job. I know that your program offers exactly what I need to keep going. Thank-you very much for considering me as a candidate for your program. Sincerely, Read More