Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a physical therapist? Or what a day in the life of a physical therapist looks like? To celebrate National Physical Therapy Month, we talked with Dr. Dashaé, PT, DPT, aka @thecurlyclinician, about her experience as a pediatric physical therapist.
A: I am an Early Intervention Pediatric Physical Therapist (PT), which means I see all of my patients in their natural environment. This could be their home or their school! I essentially work in a “home health” setting, which is pretty unique.
A: As an early intervention PT, I work with children ages 0-3 who have an established disorder/condition or developmental delay. A few common diagnoses I see include children with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Muscular Dystrophy, plagiocephaly, and congenital heart defects. I also treat a lot of children who were born prematurely/have spent time in the NICU or have had a prolonged hospitalization for another reason. I LOVE working with infants though, they are definitely my favorite patient population! Who doesn’t love baby cuddles?!
A: I typically see around five to seven kids a day and each session is between 45-60 minutes long. I typically leave my house around 7:30 am and get home around 5 pm. Once I’m home for the day I spend around 30 minutes to an hour finishing up documentation, although I try to fit most of it in between patients. I drive to all of my patients’ homes/schools, so my car is my “office." Podcasts and music are definitely my saving grace throughout the day! If I have a break or cancellation, I love spending that time in a coffee shop (or at home if I’m close!). Every day is different, but I love the variety!
A: My day looks VERY different working in home health. As a PT in a hospital setting, your patients typically vary day to day, and sometimes there isn’t much carryover. As an early intervention PT, I see the same patients weekly. I work with my patients for six months plus, so in each session, we are building on the skills from the previous session! I also don’t have immediate access to other healthcare professionals (other PTs, OTs, SLPs, physicians, PAs, NPs, etc.) like I would if I were working in a hospital. If I have a question or concern for another provider, I have to contact them on my own time. My patients are also typically more medically stable (less equipment) since they are in their home/school.
A: I don’t currently have any as I just graduated in May of 2021, but I plan to become a Pediatric Certified Specialist in the future! To sit for the specialization exam, you must submit evidence of 2,000 hours of direct patient care as a licensed U.S. PT in pediatrics within the last 10 years, 25 percent (500 hours) of which must have occurred within the last three years. The other option is to complete an APTA-accredited post-professional clinical residency. Since I am already practicing, I plan to sit for the exam once I have completed my 2,000 hours of patient care!
A: Children are the future, and pediatric PTs help children improve their balance, coordination, gait, range of motion, strength, flexibility, and movement patterns. Our goal is to foster independence, making everyday activities easier for them. Early intervention is KEY, and every child deserves to live a fun and full life!
A: As a pediatric PT, I get to help children move their bodies WHEN and HOW they want to the best of their abilities. Working with children as they develop, grow, and meet new milestones allows me to empower and teach families how to best help their child meet their goals, and I LOVE the connections and relationships that I get to build with my families! Children are incredibly adaptable and resilient, and nothing beats that feeling of seeing a child sit, crawl, or walk for the first time. I also love that you get a little bit of everything (neuro, ortho/MSK, cardiopulm, etc.) in pediatrics! I am truly a “big kid” at heart, and enjoy the collaboration, fun, and creativity that comes with working in pediatrics.
A: I have pretty much always known that I wanted to work in the healthcare field! My Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is ESFJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging) aka “The Caregiver”, so this totally makes sense! I had considered becoming a pharmacist, a pediatrician, and an athletic trainer (and many other careers that I can’t remember) before I finally discovered and chose physical therapy.
The first time I shadowed a physical therapist was in high school. It was my senior year, and my health professions class required us to shadow a healthcare provider for 10 hours. I had recently taken a sports medicine class earlier in the school year that I thoroughly enjoyed, so at that point I was interested in both athletic training and physical therapy. At the time, my mom worked in an orthopedic physical therapy clinic, so she helped me secure a shadowing experience. After observing just one treatment session, I knew that physical therapy was the career I wanted to pursue.
I even ended up having a few treatment sessions at that location myself to help manage my back pain (due to my minor case of scoliosis). As a patient, I really got to reap the benefits of physical therapy, and experience what my future patients would experience. Fast-forward to college, shadowing for longer periods of time solidified my decision to pursue physical therapy. I would always look forward to seeing and talking to the patients, and it was so rewarding to watch them progress!
The large amount of patient interaction you experience as a PT was probably the number one reason I chose this profession. You have the opportunity to work with someone for an extended amount of time (weeks, months, even years!), and see them reach their goals and do things that they never thought they could do! You’re with this person almost every day for at least 30 minutes to an hour, so you really get to know them personally.
I have always loved talking to and forming relationships with people, so becoming a physical therapist was the perfect fit. After working as a summer camp counselor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in college and shadowing a pediatric PT after graduation, I knew that I wanted to work in pediatrics!
A: My number one piece of advice would be to shadow different types of PTs AND other healthcare professionals! There are many ways to “help” people in healthcare, so you want to make sure you are choosing the right career for YOU. Shadowing is how I confirmed my passion for PT, and subsequently decided on the patient population I wanted to work in! Getting a job as an aide or tech in a PT clinic is also a great way to gain more experience within the profession.
A: Marketplaces gives healthcare professionals the control they deserve over their careers! With the current state of healthcare and the student loan debt crisis, Marketplace allows us to choose the jobs we want to pursue based on our unique needs. It’s a “one-stop shop” allowing you to easily browse jobs across multiple agencies all on ONE site, and filter/sort them as needed. Travel therapy is very popular right now, so if you value freedom, flexibility, a high earning potential, independence, and new experiences, Marketplace is PERFECT for you!
Dr. Dashaé Smallwood is a new-graduate Pediatric Physical Therapist and lifestyle blogger who loves affordable fashion, wellness, home decor, and advocacy. You can keep up with her on her blog, Instagram, or Facebook.
Interested in learning more about physical therapy or how to become a traveling physical therapist? Check out our blog on Top Interview Questions for Physical Therapists and stay tuned for more physical therapy content coming throughout the month!