Professionalism In A Physical Therapy Program

Colleges with a medical department often have a master’s program for physical therapy. (“Physical Therapists”) Physical therapy students have a required amount of field work in order to complete a program. Each candidate must work in an accredited workplace for the field work assignments. This part of the program is extremely valuable and helpful for a new therapist entering the field. Working one on one can be difficult even with all of the educational tools. (Curtis 37)

I believe impacting the lives of other people positively in the society is a great achievement. As a physical therapist in future, I will leave an impression by helping patients to obtain maximum health care through rehabilitation. Furnished with knowledge from a program of physical therapy specialist, I will help patients to manage pain, improve their movement, limit or prevent permanent disabilities and restore functioning (Porter and Teisberg, 2006). My aim is to offer high quality care that will eventually help patients to promote their health and fitness through active

I believe that my personal and professional growth and behavior as a physical therapist is of utmost importance. I base this firstly on my strong connection to those in society who are disadvantaged when it comes to physical therapy, and also on the movement system, movement being “the key to optimal living and quality of life for all people that extends beyond health to every person’s ability to participate in and contribute to society” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013). This perspective, I believe, is aligned perfectly with the vision statement for the physical therapy profession – to transform society through optimization of movement to improve the human experience (APTA, 2013). After reviewing the vision statement, I strongly believe it will act as my guide by strengthening compassion, reinforcing advocacy, improving quality of service, and strengthening cohesion.

Dr. Winstein’s lecture really spoke to me, as a physical therapy student. There is so much to consider when choosing this career path, as well as so much to strive for. The lecture started with a thought-provoking question:

The DPT physical therapy program at New York Medical College presents rigorous courses with a strong problem based curriculum. Facing challenges allow for personal growth and equips one with the tools needed to overcome more complex challenges in the future. Many unforeseen obstacles will be faced in this intense program, but I am willing to take the first step in overcoming this feat.

Having the ability to optimize the quality of life for clients is essential function of a physical therapist. In order to transform society, physical therapists need to exercise the best practical standard across all aspects of the field. To fully understand the structure and functions of the human body, one must acquire the necessary problem solving, critical thinking, and clinical decision-making skills required to successfully prevent injury and alleviate impairments. Upon acceptance into this program, I anticipate being taught the highest standards of patient care and professional excellence. I would be provided with the necessary procedures for examining, evaluating, diagnosing, and creating interventions for clients. Through obtaining

A student enrolled in a doctor of physical therapist degree program must obtain and exhibit essential values learned throughout their personal life, education, and professional career. They must be able to apply their educational knowledge and clinical experience with certain core values and professionalism for optimal success. Every student enrolled in a physical therapy program will be given the educational and clinical tools needed to succeed, but it is your code of ethics and the manner in which you carry yourself that will define who you are as a professional. I believe that an individual possessing altruism, compassion, excellence, integrity, accountability, professional duty, and social responsibility will demonstrate great professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapist degree program.

As a student in a doctor of physical therapist (DPT) degree program, one is expected to hold themselves above the typical professional standards set by the vast majority of other academic curriculums. There is an array of professional qualities that a student striving to attain a DPT degree should possess. First and foremost, DPT students are required to communicate with others on a daily basis. Therefore, a DPT student’s communication skills should be both effective and efficient. Accountability and flexibility are also pertinent regarding professionalism associated with a graduate student.

During my time as an undergraduate student, I was involved in the Chancellor’s Leadership Council. This involvement, allowed me to network with many types of professionals in the community, such as business owners, healthcare providers, and a multitude of other professionals. They all had a few traits in common: networking, independent learning, collaboration, and time management. When it comes to professionalism in the context of being a doctor of physical therapy student, some of the same concepts I’ve learned from those professionals also apply. Those skills, however, should be complemented by other attributes. As described by the American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapists must apply the following values: accountability,

Every year, students learn more about their choice of career in school. Courses get more difficult, and each level of difficulty requires a new perspective and strategy. My study habits have developed over the years so that I could retain information as efficiently. As an undergraduate student, with exposure of a physical therapy environment, my behaviors and habits have sharpened as well. In this way, I prepare myself to be professional when the opportunity is given, such as a student in the doctor of physical therapy degree program.

Now as I’m faced with the opportunity of becoming a student professional in a physical therapy degree program I am asked to define professionalism. Professionalism, according to the American Physical Therapy Association, is broken down into five core values: integrity, accountability, excellence, compassion and caring, and

Being an aspiring student in a physical therapy program has driven me to embody the core values stated by the APTA and demonstrated by my coworkers. Working in the medical field means the well being of others is in your hands. The level of responsibility and accountability required is monumental, and you must be willing to step up to the task. Whereas many students only hold themselves accountable for their own benefit, as a DPT student, you must demonstrate initiative because your actions no longer affect just yourself. First and foremost, you must be responsible in the classroom. Prior to practice, a solid foundation of education and knowledge is critical. One should exercise due diligence in saturating themselves with the knowledge necessary to care for a patient in a safe, timely, and efficient

Anyone who enters into the medical field should carry responsibility embodied in following the dictum, in the promise, “to do no harm.” They would have to learn the craft as adeptly as possibly educating themselves to help those who are in need. Once the Physical Therapist becomes familiarized with the goals, they take into another consideration with promise, which is “to improve quality of life.” As a Physical Therapist we are given tools to improve someone’s life experience through our education and continual learning. In addition, with all the goals as a Physical Therapist has completed, they are able to optimize a person’s movement. Eventually, physical therapists are able to experience the wonders of helping others by their existence in their lifetime. As a physical therapist, embodying the vision to improve quality of life, we double our number in our goals to improve the human experience with the tools that we learned, and we seek for more knowledge.

Excellence: Excellence is a key component behind the practice of evidence-based care in the profession of physical therapy. As a doctoring profession that utilizes high levels of research, the knowledge invested into care will lead to well-constructed successful outcomes. Physical therapy will continue to expand and excel in the quality of patient centered care. I’ve worked hard to meet goals throughout my undergraduate education and will continue to meet higher standards as a graduate student. As a future professional, I will aim far beyond what is necessary to meet basic requirements, and continually pursue growth.

My teaching philosophy is to create an environment that stimulates learning so that students gain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to become proficient professionals. While teaching foundational knowledge is important, there are other essential skills and abilities that students must acquire in order to successfully transition from being a student to becoming a physical therapy professional. These skills and abilities include thinking critically as well as interacting and communicating effectively with patients and other health care practitioners. I emphasize to students that it is imperative to realize the impact of developing a therapeutic rapport with patients while providing quality, patient-centered care to optimize the healing process. Therefore, when deciding what to teach, I not only consider the content presented, but also how I can foster discussions with students so that they can apply information based on varying contextual factors. I also attempt to provide students a framework for how to achieve professional excellence, which I aim to model as I fulfill my roles and responsibilities as a teacher and provider of clinical instruction. This framework is rooted in five central tenets: