"future hot jobs" : physical therapist

Although the United States added the recent decline in unemployment, but the national unemployment rate remains high. Experts estimate that the recovery of the U.S. job market at least one to two years. Nevertheless, some work is still optimistic about employment prospects. In today's "future hot jobs" series report, we introduce you to: physical therapists.

Physical therapist physical therapy is the use of methods to help disabled or injured patients to reduce or remove the pain, gradually restored the patient's physical or health professionals. As with nurses, physical therapists is a shortage of the U.S. occupation of the labor market.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, as of 2008, the U.S. estimates that about 185,500 physical therapists. By 2018, the industry is expected to expand 30%, much faster than average growth rate for all occupations.

Association of American physical therapist Jennifer 尼特贝兹纳, executive vice director, said: "We have jobs in all occupations of the top 10 or top 20 list. Health care industry as a whole is developing very fast now. One The reason is that an aging population, and most people still want to remain active in old age life, which is in the World War II baby boomers now 50 years old or 60 years old in particular. So now there are more people in need of physical therapists demand is growing very fast. "

尼娜卡普隆, Indiana elderly care center, a physical therapist. She is an immigrant from the Philippines, a former architect. When she immigrated to the United States in 1991, the decided to change when the physical therapist.

She said: "I'm in the Philippines completed a degree in architecture, and then to the United States, as have children, can not immediately go to work. So I decided to change into the health care industry because the industry has more jobs in the future are stable, so I decided to go to physical therapy school reading professional. "

Kapu Long said she read a daily average of ten patients. She needs to visit the elderly wards or at home, because they some difficulties in walking and need a wheelchair. Her physical therapy for these elderly people to develop plans and take them to the physical therapy gym for exercise therapy.

"See the rehabilitation of these elderly people, and sometimes you might think, old age, they can not recover so quickly, they did recover a little less fast, but they will eventually recover, and this is the role of physical therapy. Sometimes they just to walk when they are not their own, but when they return home, they can walk their own, may need the help of walker or crutches to help, sometimes do not need anything, because physical therapy to help them to become independent again, it makes me feel great sense of accomplishment. "

In addition to physical recovery to help the elderly, the therapist can actually help from newborns to people of any age to reduce due to illness, injury or movement caused pain. In addition, the therapist also provides ergonomics consulting services.

American Association of Bei Zina physical therapist, said: "We provide ergonomic consulting company, will assess the work environment to the company's safety and suitability for the work environment designed to help reduce pressure on staff, reduce staff the possibility of injury. More and more employers want to control employee health insurance costs, both in better health for employees or for employees to avoid injuries, will need physical therapist. "

Bei Zina said, physical therapists can be employed in enterprises, hospitals and clinics, long-term care centers, home care and nursing homes, as well as kindergartens, schools, fitness center, also with the doctors, many therapists are private practice.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, in 2008 the median annual salary therapist is $ 72,790. The United States before, as long as a bachelor's degree in physical therapy and occupational therapists to obtain your state license can become physical therapists. But now, higher barriers to entry in this industry, the need of physical therapy professional degree or doctorate. In the United States with 212 professional schools, physical therapy, only 12 schools offer a master's degree, the other 200 schools are only doctorate. Therefore Bei Zina said that now the competition is fierce.

He said: "Every time a school of physical therapy professionals may only enroll 40 to 50 students, but the application may have 250 people, so competition is fierce, the higher your score, the stronger your commitment to practicing, you are in the relevant experience in the field, the more you more likely to be admitted. "