A lot of perks come along with graduating physical therapy school and heading out into the real world; you finally have your certificate and can start helping others in their journey to recovery! However, many downfalls come along with the profession as well. Not so much downfalls such as a bad salary, no benefits, or anything like that…these annoyances, for lack of a better word, come from those around you. For example, how many times have you mentioned to someone for the first time that you’re a PT and they immediately say, “so my <insert body part here> has been hurting…” expecting you to know all the answers and provide them with an instant solution? Another common occurrence in your life may be trying to catch a glimpse of sunlight or having to explain how you do not carry the same duties as an occupational therapist.
Time spend at work can, at times, become a bit dreadful, just like any other daily routine, so if for some reason you haven’t been to work in a little while and you’ve forgotten,
you know you’re a physical therapist when…
- You have a love/hate relationship with OTs.
- At least one doctor has asked you to “pull on their head” because they have a neck pain.
- You always offer to help the elderly up or down the stairs to be certain they don’t take a tumble.
- You smile and nod “yes,” even though you know your patient is lying about how many times they actually did their exercises since their last appointment.
- You automatically start writing “PT” and your license number when signing something, even in public.
- You know the exact length of standard objects and use them to measure people for assist devices.
- Outside of work you forget personal space exists.
- You often notice when the elderly do not have their cane adjusted to the proper height.
- After telling people you’re a PT, they often ask you for a free massage.
- Your friends and family regularly ask for evaluations of their aches and pains along with recommended solutions.
- The most common phrase you hear is “I have a high pain tolerance.”
- You use the letter “c” instead of the word every time you write.
- You can spot an ACL tear from a mile away, especially when watching athletes on TV.
- You frequently do chin tucks during your commute.
- You wrap gifts with theraband instead of ribbon.
- You still get excited every time one of your patients reaches a new milestone.
