Physical Therapy Personal Statement

As a child, I knew I waned to become a healthcare professional almost as soon I was
able to understand basic medical concepts. I originally wanted to be a physician. However,
my grandmother’s chronic illness made me realize that being at the bedside of patients and
alleviating their pain and suffering is where I wanted to work. I wanted to be the person who
provides care and comfort to patients throughout their diagnosis and treatment course. With
that realization, I set out to become a nurse. I first got a certificate as a medical assistant,
acquired a degree in health care administration and then later on completed my Bachelor of
Science in Nursing studies. Upon completion of my studies, I became a registered nurse.

Being a nurse was an achievement of a dream that I had long held. I enjoyed caring
for patients and ensuring that they were comfortable during their stay at the hospital.
Although tiring, my job was fulfilling because it involved doing something that I love and I
had wanted to do since childhood. However, just a year after becoming a registered nurse, my
cousin suffered from bilateral patellar tendon rupture, a serious injury that involves full
rupture of the patellar tendons on both knees (Kamienski, 2017). It was such a serious injury
that we feared that he might take over a year to recover. Luckily for him, it took him slightly
under half a year to make recover. Watching the agony that he went through during his
recovery and the agony of other patients in similar situations, I was so touched that I decided
that I would serve humanity better as a physical therapist.

Having decided to become a physical therapist, I became a frequent visitor in the
physiotherapy department. I observed the appointment of different patients. They came with
problems such as torn Achilles, whiplash injuries, and sprained ankles. The physical therapist
had different treatment techniques and exercise plans for each patient since different patients

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have different needs. Often, patients left the place feeling much better or more hopeful about
their situation than they had come. Even though I had close to a decade of experience as a
healthcare professional, I still could not stop to marvel at how big a difference the physical
therapist made in people’s lives. The observations strengthened my determination to become
a physical therapist.

I believe that my nursing studies and experience have given me strong foundation
knowledge to study physical therapy. In my bachelor of science in nursing studies, I covered
many sections that are relevant to physical therapy studies. They include physiology,
anatomy, and issues related to mental health (Hinman & Brown, 2017). My nursing
experience has also given me to a lot of the functions that physical therapists perform. As a
radiological consultant at Fairfax, I was involved in preparing patients for surgery and
maintaining a safe and secure environment for their treatment and recovery. I also performed
similar functions at Inova Urgent Care. As a registered nurse at American Care Partners, I
have cared for many patients receiving treatment from physical therapists and helped them to
get well.

My nursing background provides me with strong foundation for a successful career as
a physical therapist. However, more important in my goal of becoming a physical therapist is
my steadfast desire to help people live a full and healthy life. It is the desire to serve others
and to help those in pain that made me to become a nurse in the first place. My new goal of
becoming a physical therapist is still grounded in the same desire.

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References

Hinman, M. R., & Brown, T. (2017). Changing Profile of the Physical Therapy
Professoriate—Are We Meeting CAPTE’s Expectations? Journal of Physical Therapy
Education, 31(4), 95-104.

Kamienski, M. (2017). Bilateral Patellar Tendon Rupture. Orthopedic Nursing, 36(6), 379-
382.