Terri+Carry

Good luck and let me know if I can help!
 * 1)   What is the most fulfilling part of your job?    : The interactions with the patients and their families and the knowledge that you may have done something to impact the qualities of their lives. I also love working with kids, I would have a hard time working with adults now.
 * 2)      How long were you in school?   When I went to PT school it was an undergraduate program but required a more intense last year with 3 extra months of internship. It is now a doctorate program. Some programs start as an undergraduate and continue as graduate programs so you are actually admitted while and undergraduate. Others are strictly post-graduate and take longer to finish.
 * 3)   Was it worth it?    Absolutely!. (one word of caution: because the program now is so long there is concern by the financial counselors at schools that PT students will never actually get out of debt. The salaries have not increased to reflect the new level of education so with more loans and if you also tried to buy a house, your debt would be substantial. (I guess that means you need to marry a rich husband!)
 * 4)   What was the hardest part of school?    It is a very strong science based program including anatomy (with dissection of actual bodies), neuroanatomy, physics, genetics, etc. I loved those classes but they are hard and require a lot of study/memorization.
 * 5)      If you could change any part of your career, what would you change and why?   The insurance problems and paper work involved with authorizations is huge. We do lots of documenting (now all computer based) but this often takes as much time as the actual hands on patient time.
 * 6)   To what extent is the importance of reading and writing in this career?    Huge, see above. Every day I spend about an hour reviewing the updates of my patients, there is always research that needs to be reviewed as things are always changing in medicine and it is our responsibility to keep up to date. We communicate with physicians via written notes on a regular basis.
 * 7)   How long have you been a physical therapist?    32 years!
 * 8)   What made you want to become a physical therapist?    I started out wanting to be a social worker then got involved with volunteered with a special needs PE class while at CU and I decided to change to PT
 * 9)   When did you discover this?    See above
 * 10)   What goals did you have as a senior in high school?    Not many, I knew I wanted to go to college but I don’t think I was nearly as forward thinking as students today have to be
 * 11)   Did any of them include being a physical therapist?    No
 * 12)   What is the most difficult part of being a physical therapist?    There is pain involved in the lives of many of our patients, sometimes we actually contribute to this as part of their long term rehabilitation. The very most difficult is when patients die. We develop very close relationships with them and it is ofcourse devastating when they die.
 * 13)   What degree do you have as a physical therapist?    Now a DPT (doctorate in physical therapy)
 * 14)   What is it like working with special needs kids?    Great, for the most part kids have great attitudes and are motivated to get better. Plus you get to play because in treating kids play is a necessary part of most every treatment.
 * 15)   Do you have to be in shape to be a physical therapist?    There is a considerable amount of lifting required and you often have to move as quickly as the patients to keep up.
 * 16)   Have you ever been injured and in need of a physical therapist for yourself?    Some infrequent back problems and ankle injuries, none that required PT.
 * 17)   Who was your greatest mentor in your life?           Several: my grandmother because she had such a great attitude and zest for life; my first boss because she was such a caring, giving person and now a coworker that continues to have a positive attitude and generous, caring persona as she struggles with cancer herself.
 * 18)     Do you have any advice for me in my future desires for this career?       Do what you love and love what you do and you can’t go wrong.