Physical Therapy Assistant Profile

Interviewee

Todd Bedward
Long Beach Memorial Hospital, CA
Years in Field: 10 years

Why did you become a PTA?

I was injured in the service and I had to go through physical therapy. I really enjoyed it. I had already taken physics and chemistry, so I decided to enroll at the University of Wisconsin to get my associate's in physical therapy assisting.

Physical therapy is an easy going field. Physical therapists are a fun group of people to work with. There isn't a lot of stress, as there is in the business world. Here, there is no corporate ladder. You are what you are. You try to do the best you can. If things go well you can move into research.

On a daily basis what do you enjoy about being a PTA?

I love the fact that I can help people almost instantly. It's like a puzzle. You break things apart and help put them back together. Like Sherlock Holmes with the body.

I work with people who have balance problems stemming from inner ear disturbances, knee or hip injuries, and brain injuries. We also see people with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Lou Gherig's disease. I love the fact that when we're done with them they're fine. They're back to their lives.

What are some of the biggest challenges of being a PTA?

The limitation is the title itself. As an assistant you're limited to PTA duties. There are three PTA levels. I've been a PTA Level 2 for years, but I'm still at the bottom of the food chain as far as PT field goes. But if you like what you do, that's not a problem.

A PTA Level 2 has to have certain hours of education, you have to have a student.

Eventually I would like to do research and run a lab. There's no stress for PTAs. Right now I'm doing a bunch of paperwork, but I don't have to. I'm just doing it to help out the PTs. A good PT will anticipate what the PT wants, you have to be a couple steps ahead of the clinic.

Why did you choose to work in a hospital?

Hospitals usually pay less hourly, but the job security is greater. If you're in a private clinic, you may get sent home without pay if there aren't enough patients that day. If things are really slow you may get laid off. I also like the variety of working in a hospital, I work with acute or recently injured people who are staying in the hospital. We also have an outpatient clinic.

What are your job responsibilities as a PTA?

I always work with a physical therapist. I assist with treatment, but I can't do anything privately or on my own. The law requires one physical therapist for every two assistants. In my job I oversee PT technicians who do clerical work and maintain the facility and the clinic. They order supplies and do all the billing and paperwork. It's a hard job.

Any common misconceptions about physical therapy?

It seems like everybody thinks that massage therapy is the same as physical therapy. If you get massage from a PT, it's going to be painful. They use it to break up adhesive tissue. We expect people to hate us.

What is your advice for people who want to become physical therapy assistants?

Have a set plan about what you expect from yourself. Are you ok being a PTA until you retire? If you want more responsibility, it's not the route to go. For instance, it's not true that you can use your PTA degree to become a PT. You have to start fresh and start over. If you think you want to be a PT, just get your master's or doctorate right away.

I chose to become a PTA because I wanted a job that paid reasonably well and now I'm making $25 an hour. From 2 years of school that's not too bad. Still, in California, $25 per hour doesn't do much for you. I've reached the top of the payscale.

What type of personality is a good fit for a PTA?

You should be sports minded and physically active. You should like the outdoors. You can't be out of shape and overweight, that's not a good fit.

You'll get a lot of personal satisfaction out of this job. You see quick results. You get to meet interesting people. But if you're going into PT to get rich, then this isn't the job for you.