Interview Questions

[jos15]

Hello everyone, I am entering the interview portion of the admissions process in the next couple of weeks and have been informed by others that my interviewer will ask questions regarding contemporary issues in Phyiscal Therapy. I have been trying to do research on the APTA website but in order to view the Health Care Reform section I must be a member and since I have not yet been admitted into school, I am not. Other than the obvious issues of patients willingness to participate in the therapy I was wondering if anyone had resources I could peruse in order to be prepared.

During my observations I had the opportunity to shadow a therapist that was still certified to do EMG testing and another that had attended a conference at which he was taught spinal manipulation. As a second question I was wondering if these two things are common among the community as they eluded to the fact that they are not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time!

-Jos15

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[markelmarcel]

... my interviewer will ask questions regarding contemporary issues in Phyiscal Therapy.

I would wager that, for the most part, the things that will be brought up will be Vision 2020/direct access and how/why the profession is changing to the clinical doctorate degree. All that information you can find on APTA without being a member.

 

[dizzy88]

In addition to what the previous poster suggested, I would also educate yourself about Medicare caps, spinal manipulation in state practice acts, POPTS.

I'm not sure as to how common EMG testing is outside of the research realm. From my experience, it doesn't seem to be used much in the clinic? Spinal manipulation, on the other hand, is taught in school. It's a part of our scope of practice. However, there are a couple states who have it in their practice act that spinal manipulations aren't to be done by PT's.

 

[NewTestament]

Keep in mind that the interview isn't going to last that long, so don't get bogged down in research. They're probably trying to see how much you know about the profession.

When I interviewed a few days ago at a school, we discussed direct access to PTs. This is a huge problem for the APTA. PTs have been unable to organize themselves and unite. On the one hand, this keeps PTs focused on thier specialty: rehabilitation, not politics. But either you deal with politics or politics will deal with you. In the case of the APTA, the latter is true.

Most states do not allow direct access to PTs. Instead, you have to go to a physician to get a referral. This hurts PTs, but ultimately the patient. The AMA supports the status quo, as do chiropractors, who are surprisingly well organized and influential.

Kevin