Physical Therapists

patient social interests information treatment diagnosis assessment intervention strength progress

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT), Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT), Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT)

What they do:
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
On the job, you would:
  • Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
  • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
  • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.

Knowledge

Business

  • customer service
  • management

Health

  • therapy and counseling
  • medicine and dentistry

Math and Science

  • psychology
  • biology

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Social

  • looking for ways to help people
  • understanding people's reactions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Hand and Finger Use

  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • put together small parts with your fingers

Attention

  • pay attention to something without being distracted

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Concern for Others
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Social Orientation
  • Cooperation
  • Self Control

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Medical software

  • eClinicalWorks EHR software Hot Technology
  • MEDITECH software Hot Technology

Word processing software

  • Exercise routine creation software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology

Spreadsheet software

  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
doctoral degree or
master's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about physical therapists.