More Proof that PT is a Booming Career

In case you need more proof, here is another article (this one from Business Week) stating that Physical Therapy is a growing and fruitful career.  The arguments laid out here are not new – especially as Baby Boomers continue to age, and while concepts of “wellness”, and “preventative care” grow more and more popular in our nation, Physical Therapy will continue to be a sought-after approach for health and rehab of the musculoskeletal system.  If you find other articles supporting this claim or otherwise, please pass them on.

On a related but different note, I attended the APTA National Student Conclave last week and was thrilled to meet so many enthusiatic and dynamic PT students.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth.  It’s exciting to consider all of the wonderful people who are on their way toward a career in PT.  Of course, as a health care profession we rely on people who are not only critical thinkers and ethical, but as a particularly ‘human services’ driven field within healthcare, we need therapists who have compassion, excellent listening skills, and a way of relating to their patients.  I left the Conclave feeling inspired that so many of our future therapists absolutely seem to fit that mold.

National Physical Therapy Month

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already know that October is national PT month.  Sponsored by APTA,  it’s a way to observe and honor our profession, but it also provides us with a great platform for continued education about Physical Therapy to the general public.  According to the APTA, this year’s theme, “Move Forward: Physical Therapy Brings Motion to Life” reflects the physical therapist brand, “Physical therapists help you restore and improve motion to achieve long-term quality of life.”

The APTA has been celebrating all month, with educational campaigns, media opportunities (apparently some PT students from NYU were on the Today Show this morning, introduced by Al Roker…still looking for a video clip of this!) and, of course, political action (APTA has been actively “at the table” during all phases of the current health care reform bill’s development).  Next week, APTA will host its annual National Student Conclave where hundreds of physical therapy employers (like Therapeutic Associates!) have a chance to meet PT students from all over the country.  I look forward to this event every year and consider it an awesome way to wrap up this exciting month

While our clinics are promoting National PT Month in different ways, one of the biggest things that our company has done this month is launch a brand new website!  Same address – www.therapeuticassociates.com – but an updated design and many new features, including several new patient education elements that fit right into some of the goals of National PT Month.  Check it out…and please share your feedback and comments!

Great PT Links

I’m always on the look-out for helpful resources for physical therapists (present and future ).  I recently stumbled across a few great links that I want to share:

1.) This “elevator pitch” promo video was apparently the winner of last year’s First Annual Elevator Pitch Competition held by Evidence in Motion.  It successfully summarizes the vision and sentiment of our profession right now and I admire its simple and yet powerful, effective message.

2.) ADVANCE  produces a number of products and services (perhaps most notably, print and web publications) that focus on healthcare professions.  Through their website I found three great blogs:

• A Day in the Life of a Student PT is written by Veronica Haywood, a PT student in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The topics she addresses seem not only meaningful to other students, but also shed light on the kinds of issues and conversations that are relevant to our profession now and in the future.
• Life with a New PT Grad takes this concept once step further and is written by a recent grad who just started her career journey, working in an acute care setting.  Her posts share, in a very sincere fashion, the challenges, thrills, and everyday thoughts of a new therapist.
• Toni Talks about PT Today is written by an experienced PT in Texas.  Her experience lends to a breadth of post topics – everything from technical advice, to ethical ponderings, to philosophical debates.

If you come across interesting physical therapy resources, I’d love to hear about them – please share!

PT as a Career – growing, growing, growing

TAI Marketing Director Scott Wick recently passed along an APTA press release from June that announces that the President’s Council projects growth for the Physical Therapy profession in the years ahead.  It makes sense, given that the need for PTs already outweighs the number of licensed professionals out there.  If/When health care expands to meet the needs of a national plan, that will mean that many more people will presumably be seeking medical care, including physical therapy services.  Good news for the profession and those of you considering a career inPT!

This topic already is, and will continue to be, discussed thoroughly within and outside of the PT profession (e.g. here is a recent article from TodayinPT.com).  In fact, Scott has already been asked by some media sources to comment on it from our company’s perspective.  Here’s an excerpt from one of his recent discussions:

Are there more practitioners now than ever before?

Scott:  According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 173,000 Physical Therapists employed in the US in 2006.  That number is expected to increase to 220,000 by 2016, or increase by 27%.  For our company alone, we have seen PT employment increase over the last five years by about 56%. 

Is there a greater demand for PT than ever before?  Why?

Scott:  I believe there is a much greater demand for PT services for a number of reasons:

1. Increased Awareness of our Profession:  This profession has come a long way since WWI and we have been evolving to become more of a mainstream medical provider.  Patient and Consumer awareness and understanding of the scope of practice and services provided by Physical Therapists is at an all time high and continues to grow through the efforts of the APTA, other state and local associations, and the efforts of individual companies like ours.   
2. Push for wellness:  With the epidemic in Diabetes and Childhood Obesity, awareness of “wellness” has increased across the country.  Examples of this include Washington State’s “Healthiest State in the Nation Campaign”, new Physical Activity Guidelines developed by the CDC, the “Exercise is Medicine” campaign asking all primary care doctors to focus on physical exercise during routine examinations, etc. 
3. Baby Boomers:  76 Million strong are now reaching Medicare age starting in 2010.  That is important not only because of the Medicare issue, but also to acknowledge the huge number of active adults in their mid 50’s to early 60’s.  This group is trying to stay active as they age.  Physical Therapists have been treating this group for decades already and they have a better understanding of our profession and how we can help to maintain and even improve their physical health.
4. Shortage of Primary Care Physicians:  There is a shortage of primary care doctors in our markets and not many entering this specialty.  Their training on the Musculoskeletal System is limited and due to the volume of patients they are seeing, they tend to rely more on Physical Therapists to diagnose and treat Musculoskeletal Issues than ever before.

How has TAI grown in the recent past?

Scott: Over the past five years, our company has certainly grown.  Our growth rate of New Clinics is about 16%.  We have seen an increase in New Patient volumes of about 18%.  Visits have gone up by 21%.  We expect these trends to continue in the years ahead.

If you’re considering a career in PT but don’t know where to start your investigation, APTA has some excellent resources.  If you are a PT (or on that path) and would like more information on career options with TAI, visit our website.

 

 

The Value of Being a Clinical Instructor

I recently read an article on the APTA blog about how their Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program (CIECP) reached a new milestone – more than 25,500 PTs and PTAs (and an additional 1,000 non-physical therapy health professionals) have now completed the course.  Amazing.  What a wonderful indication of passion for, and dedication to, advancing the profession.  Whether or not a Clinical Instructor (CI) completes this course, it is commendable that so many therapists devote time to mentoring the next generation of clinicians.  And after querying a few of our own CIs, it sounds like the learning aspects of this relationship go both ways.  

As with many medical professions, physical therapist students must do hands-on work in the field prior to graduation.  These clinical rotations not only help students identify which settings and specialty programs might be a good fit for them, but they give students exposure to a variety of diagnoses and situations and a chance to work with real patients, under the direct guidance of an experienced mentor.  

The vast majority of TAI’s clinics work with students at various stages in their schooling and, as a company, we value and encourage this practice.  We have dozens and dozens of CIs in the company (many of whom have completed the CIECP) and typically host more than 50 students in a given year (some who spend a few weeks in a clinic and others who spend 6 months or even a year in a clinic!).  David Deppeler, PT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Clinical Education Director, has said:  “The educational environment created by working with students helps keep us thoughtful and dynamic in our practice.” 

This sentiment was reiterated by every TAI clinician who I talked to about why he/she is a CI.  Matt Booth, DPT, OCS, Director of TAI-Boise Parkcenter stated:  

I regard the CI position as highly valuable for many reasons: 1.) Students bring new ideas into the clinic and keep me on my toes so I don’t get stuck in a treatment rut; 2.) Taking students for years has allowed me to have a “pipeline” of PT’s interested in working for my clinic, 3.) I am giving back to my profession by sharing my knowledge, and I promote this with my patients and referral sources; and 4.) When a good 3^rd year student is in their last affiliation, they can be a valuable asset in the clinic through their final projects, as well as helping with a caseload.   

Nicole Smyth, DPT, OCS, therapist at TAI-Fairwood PT said: 

I take interns for 2 reasons: 1.) I feel that being a “more recent” graduate I still remember the struggles of being an intern.  I can sympathize with their struggles but also have the experience and extra education to help them attain all their goals; 2.) I feel that if we want to continue to see advancements in our profession we need to support the schools that are producing the new physical therapists.  As a company Therapeutic Associates offers more highly skilled manual therapists, which is an area that all new grads seem to struggle with.  We have the education to help grads with these very important skills.   

Kudos to APTA for leading the way with important edification for experienced therapists who want to mentor students and BRAVO to all of the therapists out there who make time for supporting PT students as Clinical Instructors.

The Interview

Spring is in the air!  For alot of you 3rd year PT students, that means graduation is just around the corner and you’re likely in the midst of interviews for your first PT job out of school.  For some, this is your first formal job interview ever.  Don’t fret – school has, no doubt, prepared you well for this moment.  Some solid preparation, a dose of diligence, and a little confidence will go along way in ensuring that you feel good about your interview.

How Should I Prepare?  

Doing some research on the company is always a good thing.  You will want to be able to articulate why you think they are a good match for you and what you are looking for in a future employer.  You should ask questions that specifically pertain to what they do and what they offer.  For example, when a candidate not only expresses interest in outpatient orthopaedics and manual therapy, but also an Ortho Residency Program, I know that they have done their research on TAI and are really motivated by what we can offer with regard to their professional development.

Make sure to arrange a day, time, and place that will work in your schedule.  You want to ensure that you can be there on time (or a little early) and not arriving with the stress of traffic or a tight timeline hanging over your head.  Also, even though our company is relatively casual, I always prefer when candidates dress appropriately – business casual attire shows your professionalism and respect…for yourself and your future employer.

Be ready to talk about yourself and what drives you.  More than anything, I like to use the interview as an opportunity to get to know someone better.  It’s impossible to do this in one visit, or even a few visits, but the more I can learn about how a candidate thinks and works, the better I know if that person might be a potential fit for our company. 

What Can I Expect? 

Interviews will vary from place to place.  Doing your research on the company may help you better determine what to expect.  And feel free to ask the person with whom you will be interviewing as well – while he/she will not provide you with all of the questions in advance , more often than not, they will be happy to share interview format  or structure at the least.

The trend in a lot of industries is to ask  behavioral-based questions (sometimes referred to as the “STAR format”: Situation, Task, Actions Taken, Results).  The goal here is to dig into your behavioral trends – how do you make decisions, work with others, develop processes, etc?  Regardless of the format, all interviewers are going to ask questions to ascertain a level of clinical competence and personality-match.  The best thing you can do is be yourself and have a conversation.  Truly listen to the questions being asked and answer them as authentically as possible.  This sounds obvious, but it’s not uncommon to interview someone who relays “canned” answers or never really answers the questions at all. 

What’s Special About a PT Interview?

Again, this is going to depend on the company and the setting of the employer, but I think that Physical Therapy is unique is that we work with and around people on a daily basis.  In many industries nowadays, you can work full-time without ever engaging with another human being face-to-face or even by phone.  Our field not only requires it, but the success of what we do relies on our ability to listen to and meet the needs of people and their bodies.

I appreciate getting a sense of a person’s individuality.  I am always looking for real people, who can relate to other real people in a meaningful, caring, competent, and fun way.  I often put my patient “hat” on during interviews.  As a patient, when my therapist is genuine and kind and motivating and smart, it makes me want to work harder…and continue coming back.  Think about this while you’re interviewing.  Why did you go into PT?  Who was that role model who inspired you to endeavor upon this journey?  Now don’t attempt to replicate him or her, but take what you loved about them and make it your own.

Good luck…I hope to be interviewing with you soon

TAI at CSM

If you are going to be at APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting this week, please stop by the Therapeutic Associates booth!  We will be located in the Career Center section of the exhibit hall.  I’d love to chat with you and share more about TAI, answer any questions, and get any feedback on the blog.  The conference is set to break records for attendance…

See you in Vegas!!

Physical Therapist among “Best Careers for 2009″

Nowadays it’s nearly impossible to turn on the radio or TV or any internet search engine without being overwhelmed with messages about the troubled economy. Admittedly it’s a scary time for all of us and, for the baby boom generation and younger, the first time ever in our lives that we’re dealing with an economic meltdown of this magnitude.

And yet, I was inspired by this recent post by R Scott Ward, PT, PhD, for APTA’s blog Moving Forward. It cites a recent US News and World Report article that names ‘Physical Therapist’ one of the best careers of 2009. Not only is healthcare in general seen as a more “recession proof” industry, but the article specifically sites extremely high job satisfaction and patient results for physical therapists. While there are certainly no guarantees that PTs will manage these tough times without any challenges, it does bode well for all of us in the profession as we navigate our way through what will definitely be an interesting year.

In his article, Ward goes on to mention the APTA’s recent campaign “This is Why”, which profiles therapists and what brought them to the profession. TAI started a similar campaign about our Key People this past fall and will build upon it in the months ahead. Enjoy reading these awesome stories about some truly incredible people. While the economy may be a concern for these clinicians, it is clear that all of them are are focused on one bottom line…to help people.

Physical Therapists Make U.S. News “Best Career” List for 2009

Posted by R Scott Ward, PT, PhD on Thursday, December 18, 2008 at APTA’s blog, Moving Forward

Despite the glum economic and employment forecasts we continue to hear about every day, the outlook is bright for physical therapists, according to U.S. News & World Report’s list of the 30 best careers for 2009. In addition to high job satisfaction and the growing number of active and aging baby boomers needing treatment, one of the reasons stated in the article for the high ranking is that “you usually see real progress.” The article continues, “For example, it’s touching to see a patient, who came in on a stretcher or in a wheelchair, walk out at the end of treatment.” The recognition in U.S. News is the latest in a growing list of media organizations recommending the physical therapy profession to prospective students.

I read about the U.S. News ranking just before picking up my latest issue of PT Magazine and turning to the monthly “This is Why” column, which spotlights a particular moment or incident that propelled the writer toward a career in physical therapy. Ask most physical therapists and physical therapist assistants today why they’ve entered the profession, and their answers are likely similar.

Treatment Times

I am often asked about our company philosophy on the amount of time a therapist works one-on-one with a patient.  My answer?  It depends…and for good reason.

TAI prides itself on putting most of the operational decisions for each clinic in the hands of the location’s Director and staff.  Thus, each practice shapes itself to maximize the needs of its community and patients and the strengths and interests of its team.  Treatment times are among those decisions made at the clinic level.  The majority of our clinics follow the 1-hour initial eval and 30-minute follow-up visit timeframe (direct therapist-to-patient care).  Not only does this seem to satisfy the needs of the therapists and patients, but it’s also found to be pretty common for most outpatient settings.   

That being said, I am compelled to mention that we also pride ourselves on treating each therapist and each patient as an individual.  If you’re a new grad you may need more time initially as you cultivate your personal practice.  If you have a patient with multiple or complex diagnoses, or for whom English is a second language, or who has never been to physical therapy before and holds apprehension, you may need more time.  Maybe the staffing at your clinic reflects a diverse set of specialty skills and you want to treat collaboratively.  We are real human beings dealing with other human beings and that requires flexibility and care.  While each therapist may follow a structure, the first priority for anyone is to meet the needs of the patient – and the other clinic team members.

Ortho Residency Program

It has been argued that the advancement of the physical therapy profession will rely, in part, on post-graduate education and therapist specialization.  One path for this professional development is designed after the medical school model - to involve clinicians in a Residency Program.  Residency programs train therapists in a defined specialty area, providing significant one-on-one mentorship in a hands-on environment and through a structured program that ensures optimal growth and development in the specialty area for each resident.  The goal?  Well, one big one is to make PTs stronger, more confident, and more skilled so as to further demonstrate that they are musculoskeletal experts (hello, direct access).  You can find many other arguments for residency program advantages, including those articulated in an August 2006 article for an APTA newsletter.

Therapeutic Associates’ Orthopaedic Residency Training Program is APTA-accredited and one of the only private practice-based ortho residencies in the entire west coast area.  It is an intensive, comprehensive, and individualized program designed to enhance a therapist’s clinical and leadership skills in orthopedic, manual therapy in a private practice setting.  Comprised of some didactic learning (including NAIOMT Levels I and II), clinical mentorship, and direct patient care (as each resident is a salaried, benefitted TAI employee), it will not only make you a better and stronger therapist, but will also prepare you for the OCS exam or the NAIOMT Fellowship Program.

Our Residency program is most suitable for new grads or therapists earlier in their career, but is open to any TAI therapist.  There are two entry dates per year and an application process, all of which is described on our Ortho Residency webpage.  On average, most residents complete the program in about 2 years time.  You can be a resident and practice out of any of our clinics in the company.  An important thing to keep in mind is that we work with each resident to design a timeline and budget individually. 

The APTA is a great resource for general information on Residency and Fellowship programs.  To chat more about Therapeutic Associates’ Ortho Residency Program, receive one of our Residency brochures, connect with our current residents, or ask questions of our program faculty, email me at ldillon@taiweb.com.