What a physical therapist really does
You figure out why someone cannot move well, build a plan to get them back, and coach them through it visit after visit.
FieldHealth
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Extensive preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for physical therapists, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Read referrals and records before each new patient arrives
- Run initial exams: history, strength, range of motion and movement tests, then a PT diagnosis
- Treat patients with exercise, hands on techniques and education, sometimes with visits overlapping
- Measure progress and adjust the plan when something is not working
- Write daily notes, goals and progress reports that insurance will review
- Direct physical therapist assistants and aides on the plan of care
- Refer patients back to their doctor when findings fall outside physical therapy
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- You are physically close to patients all day; this is a hands on, people dense job. Physical Proximity: 93% very close (near touching); Contact With Others: 94% constant contact (O*NET Work Context)
- The schedule is tight and the clock is always running. Time Pressure: 51% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Your body works hard too: standing, bending and repetitive motions are part of every day. Spend Time Standing: 61% more than half the time; Making Repetitive Motions: 46% more than half the time; Bending or Twisting: 35% more than half the time (O*NET Work Context)
- Documentation is a major part of the job, not an afterthought. Task rank 3, importance 93: record prognosis, treatment, response and progress; rank 12, importance 89: document goals and reevaluation plans (O*NET Tasks)
- Frustrated or difficult patients are a regular part of the day. Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People: 32% every day (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
Job Zone 5: extensive preparation. Today the entry degree in the US is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (about three years after a bachelor's degree with science prerequisites), including full time clinical rotations, followed by the national licensing exam and a state license. Some PTs later add residency training or specialist certification.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial cannot show the hands on core of physical therapy: palpation, manual therapy, joint mobilization, guiding a patient through exercises, measuring with a goniometer, guarding someone at risk of falling, or the physical demands of standing, bending and lifting all day. Movement test results are given as text and video descriptions. You act as a DPT student on a clinical rotation with a licensed supervising PT. It also cannot show building rapport over many weeks of visits.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 29-1123.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.