There are many careers in the medical field you can get into with less than 4 years of schooling. PTA is one of them, and one I have been interested in. I have a few questions & concerns though.
Unlike becoming a LPN or Rad Tech you can’t advance your career & go into another branch of work in the medical field, soo…
1.)Do PTA’s get “burnt out” after 7-10 years and want a job somewhere else?
2.)What is the pay like? (for tennessee)
3.)Is there a lot of “nasty” work, like LPN’s might do? Such as toiletry mess & such.
4.)Are you constantly under supervision by the Physical Therapist?
5.)Is there a lot of physical demand? Such as picking up very heavy people by yourself?
….if there is any other info you can give me it would be helpful, like a typical day as a PTA, if there are any out there that read this!?
Unlike becoming a LPN or Rad Tech you can’t advance your career & go into another branch of work in the medical field, soo…
1.)Do PTA’s get “burnt out” after 7-10 years and want a job somewhere else?
2.)What is the pay like? (for tennessee)
3.)Is there a lot of “nasty” work, like LPN’s might do? Such as toiletry mess & such.
4.)Are you constantly under supervision by the Physical Therapist?
5.)Is there a lot of physical demand? Such as picking up very heavy people by yourself?
….if there is any other info you can give me it would be helpful, like a typical day as a PTA, if there are any out there that read this!?
I want to go into the medical field, but I don’t know if I can handle all the mess LPN/RN’s deal with
And I hear the radiology tech field is over saturated, & I’ve always been interested in physical therapy so it’s another option I’m looking into, I’m just trying to make sure I’m making the right choice!!
1 Comment Received
February 28th, 2010 @11:48 am
1. While I’m not sure of the burn out rate, many PTAs enjoy the flexibility of the career…a chance to work part time, full time or as needed. Many PTAs might work jobs at multiple locations or carry some other type of part time work…I think this can help prevent burn out
2. Pay for PTAs ranges generally between $35-45,000. I’d expect the salary to be a little lower in areas where the cost of living is low, but rural areas and had to fill spots can bring in more money
3. PTAs might have to work with patients in the hospital and, yes, might need to assist them to the toilet…PTs see this too…
4. The level of supervision will depend on your state practice laws. It might range from general supervison (meaning a PT is on site) to distant supervision (PT is available by phone call). PTAs really have more freedom than you think…not like a tech where they are usually under line of site supervison.
5. The physical demand will depend on the setting. In the hospital, rehab and nursing home setting, expect at least occasional heavy lifting. You would never pick up someone yourself if they were a maximum lift.
The APTA has a helpful site:
Leave A Reply