Making a decision to work in physical therapy is just the first in a series of choices that can lead professionals to very different places. Pretty quickly after that initial decision, there are more to make. What kind of people do you want to work with? Where do you want to practice? How specialized do you want to get?
Physical therapists work with all types of people – sports physical therapists work with athletes, helping them recover from injuries and improve performance through exercise and hands-on techniques. Orthopedic physical therapists work in various settings and treat all musculoskeletal injuries. Geriatric physical therapists work with elderly patients on mobility problems, pain or managing chronic conditions. Pediatric physical therapists work with infants and children providing developmental assessments and helping them improve their gross motor skills. Rehab therapists work with head trauma and stroke patients. Physical therapists are also part of the team in wound and burn care, pelvic floor issues, chronic edema and long term Covid care.
They also work in all types of places – there are physical therapy jobs in nursing homes, hospitals, outpatient clinics and schools. Physical therapists will provide care wherever the people are who need it. An even more specialized professional may work only in the ICU with critical care patients, in a factory doing industrial rehabilitation and ergonomics, or in a women’s health clinic.
Most physical therapy careers start in a general role, working with all types of different patients. In a large health system, you may even rotate between settings. But as therapists find the people and setting they prefer, they may focus on a specialty area of practice. Working in physical therapy doesn’t just cause people to grow professionally, it creates personal growth too. You have to have compassion and empathy when you work with ill or injured people. You have to work as a part of a team. You need sales skills – most people aren’t going to want to make changes in their routines, or do the prescribed exercises at home.
PTs can also improve their business skills. Many advance out of the clinical setting and into a management role. Some start their own practices, or a company in a field related to physical therapy like wellness, performance, injury prevention or population health for large corporations.
Wherever people start in physical therapy, there are a lot of options on where they could end up. Most people explore more than one path. That’s OK, the ability to grow and change is part of what makes PT such a great career.
