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Physical Therapist Assistant Career Interview
Susan Overman has worked as a physical therapist assistant for 15 years, the last 10 of which have been spent working with special-needs children in elementary schools in Arizona.
Physical Therapist Assistant Career Path
Susan ended up in physical therapist assisting after a career in interior design.
“It was a second career for me,” she says, “as it is with a lot of physical therapist assistants. It was something that I had been interested in for a long time.”
Susan considered physical therapist assisting because her daughter went into physical therapy.
“I decided that I wasn’t going to be a physical therapist because, after one career already, I needed a faster program, and the physical therapist assistant program was shorter,” she adds.
Physical Therapist Assistant Experiences
Susan earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree for her first career, but for physical therapist assisting, she received her associate’s degree in physical therapist assisting from Gateway Community College in Arizona.
After earning her physical therapist assistant degree, she worked in a number of different settings, including an assisted living facility, a hospital, and an outpatient orthopedic setting.
For the last 10 years, Susan has worked as a physical therapist assistant in an educational setting. She has been working in the field for 15 years in total.
Physical Therapist Assistant Degree Programs
Physical therapist assistants need to go through the associate’s degree in physical therapist assisting program, which typically takes two years,” Susan explains. “You don’t need college courses to enter the physical therapist assistant program.”
Physical Therapist Assistant Job Description
Susan works as a physical therapist assistant in an education setting in Arizona.
“I work with children that have special needs in elementary schools,” she says. “I treat the students according to the goals set by the physical therapist’s treatment plan.”
Although it depends on the regulations from state to state, there are two levels of supervision for physical therapist assistants: on-site supervision and general supervision.
“If you work under general supervision,” Susan explains, “you see the patients on your own for several visits. The physical therapist doesn’t have to be on site, but must see the patient at regular intervals.”
“For on-site supervision,” she continues, “the physical therapist has to be present with the physical therapist assistant in order for the patient to be treated. A physical therapist assistant needs at least 2000 hours working under on-site supervision before they can move on to general supervision, per Arizona law.”
Physical Therapist Assistant Daily Routine
Susan spends two days per week treating the special-needs children on her own, and for one day of the week, she works with the physical therapist and the other physical therapist assistant.
“I follow my schedule, and sometimes that means I stay at one school all day and sometimes I’ll go to three schools in one day,” she says.
Although Susan has worked in other settings, she enjoys working at schools the most. It’s a different task trying to teach physical therapy exercises to children rather than teaching an adult, but Susan loves helping children figure it out.
“When you’re teaching adults something,” she explains, “you can show them how to do something exactly, and they can follow you and repeat the exercise. When you work with children, you don’t do specific exercises; you come up with activities that incorporate the exercise that you want them to do. For instance, if you need them to stand on one foot, you don’t tell them that, but instead come up with a game like hopping on one foot.”
Physical Therapist Assistant: Steps to Success
“You have to be really good with people,” Susan advises. “You need to learn to communicate with all levels of people. You have to be patient and understanding of whatever people’s physical problems may be. You have to be compassionate but to a certain degree: you have to be understanding at times and tough at others.”
“You also have to be a good teacher so that you can explain to patients how to do exercises,” she continues. “When you are working with adults, you’ll need to show them exactly how to do it.”
Physical Therapist Assistant Job Opportunities
For most physical therapist assistant degree programs across the country, admission is awarded based on a first come, first served basis, so it is fairly easy if a student puts in the right effort.
“When I started,” Susan recalls, “there were a lot of people in my program in Arizona, There was a slump in demand some years back, but it has recently jumped back up. There is a high demand for both physical therapist assistants and physical therapists. The need has not slowed down.”
Physical Therapist Assistant Favorite Aspect
“Working with kids and watching them grow and progress,” says Susan. “I’ve been working with some of the kids since preschool, and I’ve watched them grow and become more independent.”
Susan also loves being able to help patients through their problems.
“I can help them with something that is keeping them from doing the normal things that they do,” she explains. “It’s nice to help them get back to their normal lives.”
Physical Therapist Assistant’s Future Ambitions
Susan is close to retiring, but she still plans on remaining active in the Arizona Chapter of the APTA.
Advice for Prospective Physical Therapist Assistants
“You should study and learn everything that you can,” Susan advises. “Learn as much as you possibly can about physical therapy even if you think you won’t need it. Get the most out of your education and clinics, and observe evaluations and treatments whenever you can.”
Susan also stresses the importance of knowing exactly what physical therapist assistants do before you get into the field.
“As a physical therapist assistant, you have to be willing to work under a physical therapist and follow the guidelines,” she says. “If you want to be more independent, you should work toward becoming a physical therapist.”
“You also need to be a compassionate and understanding person,” she adds. “You’re working with people with feelings!”
