Career decisions: therapeutic options

These are tough economic times. People are reflecting on just what is of real lasting value in life and seeking to make career moves based on their revelations. Financial considerations and job security are important, of course, but it also becomes quite apparent that, when the chips are down and material gains become scarce, the value of those rewards that cannot be measured in dollars and cents are really what enriches our lives the most.

There are, of course, many paths one can take in applying this insight. Whether you are a university student considering which direction to take you studies or a more mature person such as myself considering a career change, I would like to offer up to you the option of embracing therapy as your next direction in life. Below are three great options for undergrad and graduate candidates.

Occupational Therapy

Extraordinary people restoring and enriching everyday lives

Looking to draw all your talents into a broader, closer, more functional therapeutic experience? Check out the website below and the personal reflection of occupational therapist Deb Kelly that follows.

http://www.aota.org/Consumers.aspx

"Being an OT is the best career I could have chosen as I have truly impacted others and made people’s lives better and they in turn have enriched mine.
I have been an OT for 30 years and have worked in many different and wonderful settings. I started out at New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Woburn Massachusetts where there were many OT’s to learn from and work alongside as well as learning a lot of wisdom from the older people that were there. The younger patients in rehab often achieve results from sheer determination and hard work that the OT’s and PT’s can help happen. I then worked in an acute care hospital for a short stint before going into Pediatrics. In Pediatrics you can work in regular education or special education and both are wonderful experiences. Imagine helping a child learn how to do something that is very hard and frustrating; just imagine the wonder of finally being able to tie your shoe or cut out a shape without help. The flexibility of hours makes it career that you can easily work either part time or full time. Helping others achieve daily successes is very rewarding!"

Deb Yoerger Kelly, OTR/L
Boston School of Occupational Therapy
Tufts University - Class of 1981


Physical Therapy

Restoring hope, fulfilling dreams

Love being cutting edge? Crave the latest research, being ahead of the therapeutic curve and recognized as such by the medical community? Physical therapy may be for you! Click the link below for more information and then read what two of the finest physical therapists I know have to say about the industry.

http://www.apta.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

In a hospital setting

“The physical therapy path seemed to fall into place for me. Looking back, I had no idea what I was getting into. A cardiopulmonary course my first year of grad school sent my head spinning and I have never looked back. Here is a system of pumps that, depending on flows, volumes and hundreds of physiologic factors can make someone feel wonderful, terrible or even mean the difference between life and death. It still sometimes surprises me what an effect exercise can have on that system.

As an inpatient physical therapist on cardiothoracic service of a world-class hospital, I have the pleasure of taking the knowledge I have about physiology and the effects of the right types of exercise and a patient with his or her goals and aspirations and marrying the two. Sometimes it is the simplest of interventions that has the greatest impact. Sometimes I am applying the world of the known to the unknown: a patient with a new type of circulatory assist device undergoing clinical trials
I work with some of the most brilliant minds in physical therapy, medicine, nursing, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, occupational therapy and numerous other disciplines. Each day we push each other toward new horizons to help the patients for whom we work”

Abby Folger, PT, DPT, CCS
Board Certified Specialist, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy
Simmons College, class of 2005

In a clinic setting

"I had always loved helping people and I knew I wanted to work directly with people. I was drawn to the medical profession though I wasn't sure that medical school or nursing were my calling. My cousin is an occupational therapist and I spent some time with her, a speech pathologist, and a physical therapist to help me learn more about these professions. I really enjoyed what physical therapy was all about, particularly orthopedics and sports injuries. I played all kinds of sports growing up and though I'd had my share of stitches, broken bones, etc. I'd never needed physical therapy. I found that physical therapists worked directly with many different people in a variety of settings. I was lucky to choose physical therapy as a profession upon entering college and truly love it. It is a very challenging as well as satisfying and rewarding. It's a job where you can continue to learn more and find the best ways to help people achieve their own personal goals to return to full function and recreation"

Kim Mace, MSPT



Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)

Saving lives, restoring dreams - the crucial link between medicine and therapy

Do you enjoy working in an exciting environment, take pride in your technical expertise, and are fearless in making quick, perhaps life saving, decisions? ATC may be your road to fulfillment! I hate to show bias, but this is where my heart lays, the direction in which I’d love to go. You are the physician’s right hand. You are on the field, the first to respond to trauma, and in the treatment room, guiding patients through rehabilitation. Prehabilitation, prevention, intervention, rehabilitation are all in your scope of practice. Pretty exciting stuff! For more information on athletic training, click the link below. The reflection on the life and career opportunities of ATCs that follows was donated by one of the sharpest athletic trainers in the industry. They have exercised their background as an ATC in a variety of environments and they provide a valuable, unbiased perspective on what to expect from the degree and the industry. A must read!

http://www.nata.org/

“Athletic Training requires at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, and most do go on to receive a Master’s degree. Alternately, one can pursue an entry-level Master’s degree if they already hold a Bachelor’s in another area. To practice as an athletic trainer you must also pass a national certification exam and apply for licensure in the state in which you will be working. ATC’s can practice in a variety of settings including traditional high school or college positions, as well as clinics, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and corporations. Our main responsibilities include the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries acquired by physically active individuals. It is a very rewarding career as days are spent helping others overcome injuries and other physical challenges. Rarely does a day go by where we do not feel gratification, and most ATCs truly enjoy what they do. Perhaps the best feeling is seeing an athlete succeed back on the court/field after they’ve suffered a serious injury, and spent many grueling hours rehabilitating under your supervision. But beware, no career is perfect! Athletic trainers are often overworked and underpaid. Night and weekend work is a must, as well as flexibility in scheduling. Overall, the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks; there are few careers where people can say they spend their days helping others achieve their goals and dreams, and athletic training is one of them.”

Anonymous, BS, MS, ATC, CSCS


This is indeed an exciting time for all of us considering new career directions. Good luck to all of you seeking new horizons and I hope to see some of you walking the therapeutic path with me.