A physical therapist is a health care professional who diagnoses and treats individuals who have physical disabilities. Since physical therapy deals with the physique of the human body, a therapist must have an excellent sense of professionalism. Lack of proper training, knowledge and professionalism in this field may complicate the disabilities or ailments of the patient, thus making it hard to treat the patient.
For one to become a Physical Therapist, you should have an undergraduate degree in biology. Biology is simply the 'study of life'. As a Physical Therapist, your work is to deal with different people. Biology will help you understand the human body and the interconnections between the internal organs. This study will ultimately help one understand how the body works and functions. Therapeutic procedures are also vital in this medical field. These procedures are usually essential in evaluating the patients' progress as they continue with the therapy. The procedures include therapeutic massage and exercises.
Knowledge in human growth and development is also required for one to become an effective physical therapist. You need to understand that the human body develops with time. With this in mind, you should be aware of the reality that the way you deal with a child less than five years old differs from the way you treat an adult patient of over forty years of age. In physical therapy, some patients may need to be screened to determine their illness like born fractures.
To be able to operate the screening equipment and to analyze the results accurately, you need to obtain a course in medical screening and radiology. A degree in physics is necessary to help you understand the concepts of radiations, X-rays, and etc. A degree in counseling is also necessary. This will help you know how the brain controls the rest of the body organs. Sometimes, the patient may have recovered but the mind still has the feeling of being ill. In such a case, you may need to use your skills in counseling to help clear your patient's mind positively.
The way you deal with your patients and the language you use should not demoralize your client's status; a word of encouragement plays a better part in their healing process. Therefore, you need to study ethics and values to be able to understand your patients. Getting into this field would require a masters or doctorate in the physical therapist educational program. You also need to pass the national licensure examinations to receive a national license for operation as a legal and qualified therapist. Apart from the educational qualifications, you need to have the interest, patience, and ability to persevere all challenges in serving your patients.
