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Physical Therapy Career Paper

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One of the many careers in health care is Physical Therapy. Physical Therapists help their patients in a number of settings to improve mobility, increase strength, and reduce pain. They help to prevent disability after disease, injury, or loss of a body part. It is considered one of the most rewarding jobs in health care and is one that I am personally interested in. Physical Therapy is a significant career in the healthcare field which is seen through the steps it takes to become one, the responsibilities of the job, and the challenges involved in pursuing the career. Like any career in healthcare, there are many steps and schooling required to become a Physical Therapist. The first step after graduating high school, the minimum is to get an associate’s degree, but a bachelor’s degree, ideally in a relevant field such as kinesiology, is recommended. Then, you must pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, after graduation from an accredited physical therapy education …show more content…

The average Physical Therapist earns about $87,220 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is a rewarding field to go into considering, “The BLS projects the physical therapy field will grow 25 percent by 2026, with 60,000 jobs added by that time.” (US News). However, there also some challenges to pursuing this career. The career is physically demanding as you have to spend long hours on your feet, carry the weight of your patients, and use your hands all day to massage and apply treatments, therefore you must be physically fit. Furthermore, it can also be emotionally demanding due to patients not recovering as quickly as you’d thought. Patients can become frustrated and depressed with their lack of progress which can further take a toll on emotional stress. All inclusive, a career in physical therapy can be rewarding despite its

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