How did you get your first internship/PT job?

[ged0001]

I am seriously considering PT as a profession and know that i need to have some experience working in the field to be considered by many PT schools. I just moved to San Diego and don't know a whole lot of people down here, thus making networking rather difficult. What kind of jobs can one get at a PT office with my experience level?

I have been a personal trainer for the last 3 years, with a considerable amount of knowledge about human anatomy and basic kinesiology. I am majoring in Kinesiology right now, so I am constantly educating myself about the human body and its many dynamic movement patters.

Is it possible for me to be hired as an assistant, as in assisting with rehab exercises etc? What other jobs can you get in a PT office/hospital (besides answering phones, I want to know what the PT life is all about). What is the best way to go about contacting these offices, and what is the best way to find out the best offices to work at...just go in and check them out.

I guess what i would really like to know is how you guys went about getting your experience in the PT field before you applied to schools and really knew that this is what you wanted to do. Thanks in advance.

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[_FNG_]

I am seriously considering PT as a profession and know that i need to have some experience working in the field to be considered by many PT schools. I just moved to San Diego and don't know a whole lot of people down here, thus making networking rather difficult. What kind of jobs can one get at a PT office with my experience level?

I have been a personal trainer for the last 3 years, with a considerable amount of knowledge about human anatomy and basic kinesiology. I am majoring in Kinesiology right now, so I am constantly educating myself about the human body and its many dynamic movement patters.

Is it possible for me to be hired as an assistant, as in assisting with rehab exercises etc? What other jobs can you get in a PT office/hospital (besides answering phones, I want to know what the PT life is all about). What is the best way to go about contacting these offices, and what is the best way to find out the best offices to work at...just go in and check them out.

I guess what i would really like to know is how you guys went about getting your experience in the PT field before you applied to schools and really knew that this is what you wanted to do. Thanks in advance.

Rehab techs do about the thing you're talking about. Very little training and gets hands on work. Ask around the clinics to find if they're looking.

 

[PTbecomingDDS]

You can become a PT Aide under the direct supervision (varies state to state) of a PT...you can supervise exercise programs which sounds similar to what you are doing as a personal trainer...

 

[PT2MD]

I had my master's in exercise science and got offered a job with an outpatient clinic as their exercise physiologist. After working their for 3 years, I knew I could do what those guys were doing.

You will likely need volunteer hours heading into school, but you can't beat actually working in a particular setting. You get a thorough view of what life is like in the clinic. I've been practicing in outpatient ortho since I graduated and it feels like second nature.

 

[gbalajee]

I am a physiotherapist ie BPT from india and i have applied for credentials with ICDEL in
USA and they have given me 82 points and I have to score another 38 points more in general
science as per them. I have done 3 1/2 course.I would like to know how to score this
points? Should I do some courese or need to wirte exame? please let
me know.After this i want to write physical therapy exame in US. Once i complete the exame i
want to apply for a job and find a employer to process my H1.
Please help out on this . My mail id is
[email protected]
Thanks,

 

[Buckeye4life]

I fell into PT school after undergrad. I volunteered for 2 weeks in an outpatient clinic with a little in acute care to get my 40 volunteer hours. I didn't know at the time if I wanted PT or not, but I just went on blind faith that this is what I wanted to do. It turned out not to be the best fit, but gave me great experience and resolidified my desire to want to go to med school.

 

[blast7]

I shadowed a PT in sports medicine outpatient clinic and I also worked as a PT Aide for a year while transferring into PT school. I recommend at least shadowing a couple of settings and asking questions.