Physical Therapist (sports medicine) Carlie Craven CTF hr.3 10/6/09

Introduction to Physical Therapy “Carlie, I’m so mad at myself! I hurt my back working out and now my doctor won’t let me play this season. My coach is mad now because I’m one of the better players. Now I have to go to physical therapy…if I don’t then I won’t be able to play football for the rest of my life!” My cousin, Nic loves football but can’t play unless he visits a physical therapist…what’s a physical therapist, you ask? In order to get a thorough understanding of this career I’m going to use the Occupational Outlook Handbook to do formal research to inform myself of what kind of career I’m currently planning to go into. I will be researching topics like; slarary, work environment, job outlook, training, education, and qualifications.

Nature of the Work R.I.R- restore, improve, relieve Prevent/limit permanent physical disabilties Many different procedures medical history, test and measure, devise and follow out a plan for recovery. Tools cold compresses, hot packs, electrical stimulation, and measurement tools. Deep tissue massages, stretching, working out.

Working Conditions Both physical and mental Indoor Hospitals, clinics, private offices, homes, schools Full time-40hrs. 1/5 part time Physically demanding Lifting patients/equipment, kneeling, crouching, etc.

Training, Qualification, & Advancement Masters(6) PHD. or doctoral(8) U of M Chemistry, biology, physics, & supervised clinical experience.

Job Outlook & Employment Expected increase of 27% 2006-2016 Non-competitive Any location Private office

Earnings Lifestyle goals Average earning- $69,173 2 cars, house and cabin, husband and 2 kids, no debt Average earning- $69,173 My average yearly income does fit my lifestyle goals. The first thing I plan on purchasing with my money is a Chrysler Crossfire.

Backup Career Personal trainer Motivating/instructing cardio, strength, stretching Part time/night and weekend hours Health clubs, country clubs, gyms, studios, resorts, homes Outlook is good 27% increase from 2006-2016 $30,000 annually I chose this backup career because I love being active and working with people.

Summary After all of this research, I learned that physical therapists need to be able to handle physically demanding tasks and get along with people. They make around $70,000 annually and get the chance to help people cope with injuries and/or permanent disabilities. My feelings toward this career are still the same. I’m ready to start learning in preparation for my future and can’t wait to get out into the working world. I’m very excited to work with individuals and certain tools. I’m not that excited for all the analyzing and collecting of data. I’ll work through it because all the other things about this job make up for it. My overall learning experience about this occupation was fun and

Works Cited http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm