JOB=Passion?

[chancer]

Hello,

I am actually trying to get into OT school, but seems there is more activity on the PT thread so I will post here....


My question is, Is Physical therapy your passion? Meaning, we are all told from a young age to follow our passion. Often times however, this doesn't pay the bills. I am just curious are there more people going into PT because it is TRULY what drives them to get out of bed, or is it a good job, with good pay, security ect.

I find myself at a crossroads, or at least looking back at the crossroad and wondering if I am making the correct choice. I am choosing OT because it seems like a good job, 9-5, job security ect. But....I am not waking up early every morning because I can't wait to get into occupational therapy.

Thoughts???

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[PTtoBe]

I'd say that Physical Therapy is one of my passions, definitely.

However, it's the fact that it's an 8-5ish job with good demand and decent pay that is genuinely helping people get their lives back on track made it a big draw for me originally. The fact that it's a non-desk job was also appealing. In fact, I would say that these were the qualities that drew me to the field to start with, and now as a student it's risen to actually become a top passion of mine.

I don't roll out of bed thinking 'it's gonna be a GREAT day of PT!!!', but I do find 85% of the classes interesting on some level, and at times fascinating.

I don't think that OT necessarily needs to be the thing that you live and die for in life, but I think it'd be good if you were at least interested in it. As future therapists the ability to think creatively will sometimes help us to go over the top in meeting a patient's needs, and I don't think you can think creatively if you're indifferent to your profession.

 

[mac_kin]

I love PT but there were definitely days in school where I disliked it, a lot! You are not always going to LOVE every singe thing you have to learn and do at work.
The key is that overall the job brings you satisfaction as well as finanical security. I enjoy the fact that I can help people overcome their challenges and see them progress from their worst. The interaction is more satisfying than sitting at a desk all day typing reports. And in health care you can always change your area of practice if you find an environment is too slow or too fast. I think we are pretty lucky because we can work in a large variety of settings in our fields, whereas the 'finanical accountant' or 'IT' will spend their career at a desk/computer.

 

[chancer]

Thank you for both the posts.

Both ring true and act a good reminder, not only about life in general but also why I have chosen to pursue OT.

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

OP, I know how you feel. I love PT, but recently I am losing all motivation. Maybe because I've already been accepted into school and I still have 2 classes left to take and I ready to move on and don't feel like doing the classes. I find myself looking for jobs in my undergraduate field that I can do until I go away to school, just to test it out. I know I want to do PT, but the thought of paying for 3 yrs of school is a commitment I'm not totally comfortable making yet. I tend to change my mind about everything really frequently, and I don't like the idea that I can't change my mind once I get locked into it.

But then I go to work at my part-time job at the PT place and love it, so whatever. haha.

 

[johncronejr]

Some advice I got once.....

"Find what you love to do and make that your hobby, find what you like to do and make that your career"

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

Some advice I got once.....

"Find what you love to do and make that your hobby, find what you like to do and make that your career"

that is amazing. definitely good advice.

 

[Danae00]

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[WillWords]

I can honestly say that PT is not my passion. Here's how I look at it: your job does not have to be your life. It is one aspect of your life. I don't think it's realistic that everyone finds their "dream job." Considering that 99% of the public lives for the weekend, I think it is a reasonable conclusion that most people don't find their jobs to be their passions. I'm happy with just knowing that I'll be working in a field that I think is interesting, and that my life won't be reduced to being "paper pusher" trapped in a cubicle.

 

[redmolly]

Some advice I got once.....

"Find what you love to do and make that your hobby, find what you like to do and make that your career"

I haven't heard this before, but I love it - sage advice. I am a career changer and am going to PT school come June (can't wait!). I spent nearly 20 years of my life in media & music - and it was fantastic for the most part. However, the intensity of these industries have quashed my passion - what I see as a huge part of my self and my soul. I think it'll come back eventually, but I understand that I have be with what "is" and not strive to the past, especially when there's an exciting unknown future ahead, ripe with potential and possibility.

 

[vinganca]

Some advice I got once.....

"Find what you love to do and make that your hobby, find what you like to do and make that your career"

Brilliant advice.

I am also going into OT school, after having been a professional opera singer for ~6 years. I was fortunate enough to get a lot more work than most, but still found myself scraping financially and getting burnt out. I have always loved singing opera and always will, but the "business" side of it has gotten ridiculous.

It took some time and a lot of mental/emotional grappling, and I felt horrible for awhile. But eventually I realised I could be just as happy working as an OT by day and trodding the boards with local/amateur opera and theater groups in the evenings. Actually, I think this way might even be a bit better. The first audition I did for a local amateur opera company was exhilarating. For the first time since high school, I had FUN with it and could just SING instead of being anxious thinking "ugh I need to get cast or I won't be able to pay my rent". I found that personally, trying to make a stable profession out of my passion was wringing all the enjoyment out of it.

Also, I think our culture has got the wrong mentality when it comes to work. This idea that you MUST be head-over-heels in LOVE with your profession (or you're doomed to feel miserable your entire life) is ridiculous.
Our society is very good at painting things in absolutes, very all-or-nothing. As if for every situation, only two completely opposite ends of a spectrum exist, nothing in between. As with almost everything else in life, there is a vast space in between "I'm miserable and I hate my job" and "I love my job so much I'd do it for free".

And God keeps finding ways to remind me that everything in life is connected anyway. The second week of my hospital shadowing hours, we saw a patient who was in for a knee replacement...and he was a Wagnerian tenor, and we sang an impromptu duet from La Traviata for the floor nurses.

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

Brilliant advice.

The second week of my hospital shadowing hours, we saw a patient who was in for a knee replacement...and he was a Wagnerian tenor, and we sang an impromptu duet from La Traviata for the floor nurses.

haha that's awesome. I doubt that'll ever happen with me - I doubt too many knee replacement patients will want to bust out a tango or salsa duet