PT or NP?

[Catprincess0207]

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Hello all,
I have recently found myself in a pickle, as I've been pre-PT track for so long now and no longer think it's the right fit. I would like to begin by stating the sequence of events for my college career.
1. Entered college as a Exercise Science major because I wanted to take pre-PT route. At the time, I worked at a gym, engaged with health fanatics on a regular basis, and loved everything fitness based.
2. I switched to Health Sciences since the program did not require acceptance, as Exercise Science you had to submit a paper, recommendations, etc. Still thought I wanted pre-PT at the time.
3. I quit the gym, I quit working out, and in the end, I quit the whole fitness mentality. And no, I didn't get fat. I just quit being a little meat head. Still thought I wanted pre-PT, though.
4. Now I'm entering my senior year and am beginning observation hours. My opinion of PT all together is so distasteful that I literally have to drag myself to observe.
In the end, I stayed on the pre-PT route because I love anatomy. I can list every bone, muscle, nerve, etc. in the body. But after realizing that I never considered whether or not my taste for fitness had changed, I feel like I'm out of time.
Do not take my opinions to offense, as I can see how it could be an EXTREMELY rewarding and fun practice for those with an extroverted, motivated, and exercise loving personality. However, that's not how my thoughts work. I felt like the practice was boring. I've been a server at an extremely fast paced fine dining restaurant, so staying on my toes and being an adrenaline junkie are my forte. Seeing 10 patients a day and giving them a 45 minute workout honestly felt like glorified personal training with the exception that PTs actually know what they're doing and are trying to rehab an injury. I hated it.
This makes me question whether my ability and craving to help people to the best of my abilities and then some would ever be met through this profession. I want to so help people in critical and acute conditions, have an active role in their recovery and treatment before they leave the acute and critical stage, and all in all, have more engagement and responsibility for the person I am treating. Which sounds to me more like I needed to go into nursing all along.
Maybe I'm just discouraged after observing outpatient, or maybe it's just not my calling. If anyone from within inpatient acute or rehab can help give me some insight about the volume and scope of their care, please do.

 

[PTtoBe!]

PT is not for everyone: do not feel bad about it.
I don't think you have to be into fitness to be into PT.
I will say that I don't feel that you can make a decision regarding "Is physical therapy for me?" by observing in just a single clinic or a single type of setting.
PT is a very diverse field: pediatrics, skilled nursing, DD Waivers, acute care, rehab, schools, home health... the list goes on. Within these settings, there is a variety of specialties beyond orthopedics: wound care (amazing), pelvic floor, lymphedema, pregnancy and post partum, NICU, etc.
Acute care is going to be much faster paced than outpatient, unless you work at an outpatient clinic that will double or triple book patients in the same hour. I have found university hospitals to be the busiest places for acute care.

To make a real decision about this, you need to observe in more places though. I work with a PT that spends her time split between our hospital's outpatient clinic and inpatient clinic. Yesterday, she and I did two hours in outpatient in the morning and then immediately we went to the intensive care unit of the hospital to do a wound vac. Her day has a ton of variety, and switches between slow and fast pace.
Another PT I work with does full time acute care. Today he saw 23 patients (some patients twice) between 8 and 3.
I hope this gives you a little better idea - PT is a lot more than just doing a workout with 10 people during the day.
If you would like more details/advice/explanation, please feel free to reach out. I typed this in a hurry.

Good luck.

 

[TheDancingWriter]

I was a rehab aide at an outpatient clinic, which was very fast-paced, the PT's working with almost 3 patients every hour. I didn't like how fast-paced it was, but I was also doing more than just helping out the PT's because I had my own job to do and I had to help out the patient coordinator whenever she needed me. But it seemed like the PT's were easily burnt out by the end of the day and had to take paperwork home with them. So PT was just a lingering thing on my mind, but I still loved what I observed and so decided to go the PTA route until the program fell through at the cc I'm currently at. So PT it is. But I've been doing observation hours at an IP facility that also does some outpatient, and it's more my pace and my style. You can do outpatient and inpatient, and that's my ideal career. The point I'm making is one setting is not enough to come to a conclusion about the profession as a whole.

 

[TomJones12432]

Go with NP or PTA, the return on investment for PT in outpatient ortho just doesn't make sense anymore.

 

[GrandeFasciaeLatae]

I wouldn't base your decision on just one outpatient experience. There are some slow clinics out there and some busy and fast paced ones. I was exactly in your position. My first shadowing experience was in a slow outpatient clinic and I hated it because I was so bored all the time. I then shadowed at two other outpatient clinics and loved it. They worked more with higher-level patients and athletes which was cool to see. Also, the PTs I shadowed really took the time to explain to me exactly what they were doing and why. There was so much I thought I knew that I didn't.

However, what really sold me on the profession was working as a PT aide in a pediatric hospital. I primarily worked with SCI kids and helped them learn how to walk again. On any given day we saw patients from 6 mos to 21 yrs and from high spasticity to running. Everyday was different and had new challenges. The PTs had a lot of diversity in their day from working in acute care, to SCI, and then to kids who were returning to sport. I know peds isn't for everyone but I fell in love with the challenge and creativity that is required.

There is a lot of diversity in PT. It's so much more than outpatient ortho. That's really just the tip of the iceberg. I would highly encourage you to seek experiences in other settings and with different populations.

 

[Catprincess0207]

PT is not for everyone: do not feel bad about it.
I don't think you have to be into fitness to be into PT.
I will say that I don't feel that you can make a decision regarding "Is physical therapy for me?" by observing in just a single clinic or a single type of setting.
PT is a very diverse field: pediatrics, skilled nursing, DD Waivers, acute care, rehab, schools, home health... the list goes on. Within these settings, there is a variety of specialties beyond orthopedics: wound care (amazing), pelvic floor, lymphedema, pregnancy and post partum, NICU, etc.
Acute care is going to be much faster paced than outpatient, unless you work at an outpatient clinic that will double or triple book patients in the same hour. I have found university hospitals to be the busiest places for acute care.

To make a real decision about this, you need to observe in more places though. I work with a PT that spends her time split between our hospital's outpatient clinic and inpatient clinic. Yesterday, she and I did two hours in outpatient in the morning and then immediately we went to the intensive care unit of the hospital to do a wound vac. Her day has a ton of variety, and switches between slow and fast pace.
Another PT I work with does full time acute care. Today he saw 23 patients (some patients twice) between 8 and 3.
I hope this gives you a little better idea - PT is a lot more than just doing a workout with 10 people during the day.
If you would like more details/advice/explanation, please feel free to reach out. I typed this in a hurry.

Good luck.

Thank you so much for your time and detail that you put into this post. Since this post, I’ve gathered myself and my thoughts about the field and chose that I’ve worked too long to give it up over one lame observation.

I’ve been observing a different outpatient practice in town and am seeing the complete opposite. The place I’ve been observing lately is the top clinic for the past 5 years in the city over. The PTs there focus on more manual based therapy and see patients for roughly 30 minutes. The PT techs and aides then take the patients before and after the PT or PTA sees them for the exercise portion of the appointment. Which I LOVED that approach. Not only that, but this entire practice thought STIM should be left in the dark ages and forgotten. I really have an appreciation for the ability to heal with hands and this showed me almost exactly what I was looking for. The PTs there used measuring equipment just about everytime they saw their patients (on a 2-3 appointment/week basis) to measure the flexibility and range of motion and document the progress in these areas. I really liked that because I like the science and technical side of the field, as well. They seemed more interested in KNOWING that their patients are on the road to recovery, rather than just judging by the look of things that a patient has gained range of motion back through their exercises. And then I got the opportunity to observe maintenance therapy for a few neuro patients and this was the only side of exercise I was interested in. Very very cool how they got to apply their critical thinking skills for those patients.

I do feel that there has to be an area or speciality within the field that I will be able to compare to NP. I know they are not even close to being similar in practices, but my goal is to find the best approach and practice in being active and present in a patient’s recovery. I’ve got the my entire senior year ahead of me to observe these settings and potentially work in a few. I just really needed this clarity since I have to apply to programs by September-November. Thank you!!