Prose and Essays

7 Benefits of Being a Physical Therapist

"With every positive action comes a corresponding beneficial reaction."

I am a firm believer of the above philosophy. My father taught me very well at a young age that good actions will never go unnoticed. All goodwill produces results that are uplifting. Do good to one person and two or more will do good back to you.

Thinking profoundly of my status as a professional, I am left to wonder why did I ever took the professions I now have. Why not become a businesswoman? Or a supermodel? That way I can become rich more easily. And I wanted to be rich, who doesn't?

But... is richness the basis of success? Can riches bring the silent longings of my soul? Can I be genuinely happy because of what money can bring me?

In that line of thought, I have arrived to the answers that where I am now is a place I wouldn't trade for the world and all its riches thereof. I may have years of hardships, struggles and challenges ahead of me but I know I can surpass them all and learn greatly along the way. I will morph to be someone that my current self will be proud of. I will benefit magnanimously from the experiences my professions will bring me.

As I am inspired to write another article about being a physical therapist (PT), let me share to you 7 benefits that I firmly believe being a PT can give you.

1. You got to be a "doctor".
I have some of my co-healthcare professionals tell me that PT practice is such an easy job. We don't do a lot except tell our patients what to do. We don't wipe their boo-boos, sanitize vomit areas and do things that matter.

They couldn't be more wrong. Well, yes, we don't do the menial and trivial work but we sure do more than what they see. We cannot simply tell our patients what to do if we don't know in the first place why they do it. We think critically and dissect every treatment interventions to be able to prescribe to our patients or clients what they can do to reach their goals. We give rationale of every actions performed and explain the kinesiology of every motion.

Simply put, we got to become "doctors" of our own right. And people would even call us that.

2. You can be the boss.
Unlike some of the allied medical profession that I know of, physical therapists can somehow work independently. Independent in a sense that we can be the boss in the care of our receivers. We can decide what treatment to give or what regimen should be terminated. We can even build our own clinic and only need the services of a physiotherapist once a week or depending on our agreed consultation hours.

And this is such a freeing feeling. We can have independent practice, which, in some forms, I am already personally employing in my home care patients. Resulting to them healing faster than those in prescriptive care. No bragging involved.

3. You can smile despite the stress.
PT work can sometimes be overtaxing. Most especially if your patient load is going over the chart. Plus the rigorous note taking in the start of treatment involving the initial evaluation notes, progress notes, initial PT notes, different assessment tools and outcome measures and many other forms of note taking. Thus, being a PT becomes stressful.

However, despite the pressure, a simple thanks from a treated and relieved patient could take away the tiredness. Adding on the mix are the gifts and tokens of appreciation from overjoyed patients or clients--satisfaction at its finest!

4. You form partnerships.
Patients of physical therapy are not merely treated as passive receivers of care. They are the active part of the treatment program. They are partners.

I would often tell my patients when I rehabilitate them that they are the 80% component of their improvement while I'm only the 20%. They will get better not because of me but because they worked hard for it. And I can say that it is one of the reason why they improve faster--they realize their importance in the process. Not my importance but THEIRS.

5. You receive genuine smiles.
Packaged in the treatment plan is the conceiving of the goals of the therapists and the management from the onset of treatment up to the discharge. Along the process of achieving the goals, patients would say their thanks and express their gratitude.

One of the moments that is heartaching for me is when we achieved a goal and a patient would break out in his brightest smile (some may even have tears) and would repeatedly thank me. And it is priceless. The moment is inestimable.

6. You got to be creative and inventive.
One of the joys I am having as a physical therapist is that I am able to be creative and inventive of the methods of how I deliver my plan of care. No patients are alike. Each is different and so are the approaches that I use in dealing with them. Some may be elderly; others young adults; few are children; and the rest are middle aged. The spectrum is varied and the challenge to adapt is required. Thus, not only am I asked to be scientific but be artful too.

7. You can build yourself.
In every pain that my patients endure, I see myself somewhat suffering them. And in every success they achieved, I do enjoy as well.

In the process of healing and me treating, not only are my patients learning from me but I am also learning from them... A LOT. One of the prizes of the services I render is me becoming more formidable and better. The experiences through them are beyond rewarding that no amount in this world can pay. While my patients are healing, I am building myself.

The things I just shared to you are only a few of the super many benefits one could have by being an awesome physical therapist. While we have diverse scopes, one thing is a fact: there is a benefit. Do good, do better and do best. You may not know when but the benefits may be just lurking around the corner to get to you.

Enjoy being the amazing PT that is you!

100917, Monday, 08:29
09:53, Monday, 100917

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