Physical Therapist

BCMHS
5/22/13

Physical therapists help people who have

injuries or illnesses improve their movement

and manage their pain. They are often an
important part of rehabilitation and treatment
of patients with chronic conditions or injuries.
Thesehealth professionalsuse a variety of
techniques to restore function, improve
mobility, relieve pain and prevent or limit
permanent physical disabilities in their patients.
PTs supervisephysical therapists assistants and
aides and along with them are members of a
team that also includesdoctorsand surgeons,
with whom they consult.

 In order to become a physical therapist, you must first

graduate from a physical therapisteducational

programwith amasters or doctoral degree. Expect to
take courses inbiology, chemistryandphysics.
It takes 7 years to become a Physical Therapist. Typically
4 years to obtain an undergraduate degree and 2-3
obtaining your masters or doctoral degree. Then you go
to physical therapy school.
All states in the US require physical therapists to
belicensed. To become licensed you will have to take
the National Physical Therapy Exam which the
Federation of State Board of Physical Therapy
administers. Licensed PTs must takecontinuing
educationclasses and attend workshops to maintain
licensure.
I plan on going to San Francisco State University.
Costs around $34,000 annually including summer tuition
and fees.

Physical therapists typically work in private offices and

clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes.
On a typical day a physical therapist will:
examine patients' medical histories
test and measure patients'strength, range of motion,
balanceand coordination, posture, muscle performance,
respiration and motor function
determine whether a patient is able to be independent
and reintegrate into the community or workplace after
injury or illness
develop treatment plans describing a treatment
strategy, its purpose and its anticipated outcome

 Good dexterity will allow you to perform manual

therapy. Physical stamina will let you stand on your

feet and move around a lot, as will be required.
Dealing with people who are in pain requires
compassion and good interpersonal skills. Finally, you
must have strong analytical and observational skills
in order to diagnose patients' problems and evaluate
the effectiveness of the treatment you administer.
Your schedule varies depending on you. Physical
therapists most commonly work 40-hour work weeks
in a traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. setting. This varies
from many jobs in the health care industry that often
require evening, overnight, weekend and holiday
shifts.

In 2011, physical therapists earned amedian

annual salaryof $78,270.

I will first start out making around $60,000 in
my first year. But after 10 years I will be
making around $95,000.
Job opportunities will likely be good for
licensed physical therapists in all settings.
Employment of physical therapists is expected
to increase 39 percent from 2010 to 2020,
much faster than the average for all
occupations.

INCOME- $78,270
After taxes: $62, 616
Monthly: $5,218
EXPENSES
Rent/mortgage$1500
Utilities- $200
Cell phone- $75
Internet access- $50
Clothing- $200

Health Insurance-

$100
School Loans- $500
Food- $250
Entertainment- $300
Car payment- $350
Car insurance- $80
Gas- $250
= $3,855
Left over: $1,363