Physical therapy assistants work in an extremely competitive career field.
To become a physical therapy assistant you have to earn a certificate from any of the accredited physical therapy assistant schools. In most cases you will also need to get hands-on experience in a hospital or clinic that offers a physical therapy program.
As part of the curriculum, physical therapy assistant schools teach basic skills such as sterile technique, wound care, and vital signs monitoring. Students are also trained in procedures using cryotherapy, radiant energy, paraffin, and hydrotherapy. Rehabilitative procedures such as exercise, patient positioning, and transfer activities are also taught.
The coursework at physical therapy assistant schools typically includes physical therapy science, therapeutic exercise, hydrotherapy, orthopedic therapeutic exercise, neurological therapeutic exercise and electrotherapy.
The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) curriculum is designed to prepare the student to work as a skilled technical health worker. The Physical Therapist Assistant works within a physical therapy service under the supervision of a professional physical therapist.
He/She helps the physical therapist in performing selected procedures related to the physical management of illness, injury, and wellness throughout the lifespan.
So as you can see marketing or for that matter any business skill dos not form part of the curriculum at physical therapy assistant schools. Since physical therapy assistants work as part of a physical therapy clinic it is crucial for them to learn about how they should market themselves, about managing referrals, how they should position themselves and how they can attract more clients. Just being well trained physical therapy assistants is not enough.
Physical therapy assistant schools need to equip their students with skills that will help them to tackle the issues that they may face in the real world. They should aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice in order to make their curriculum more meaningful and current.
Physical therapy assistants who are well-versed with marketing skills will be in a better position to add value to a physical therapy clinic and will know how to educate clients about physical therapy services. Such students will also find themselves more employable once they graduate as they will have more than just technical knowledge.
