Pivoting careers can be daunting. However, for two students in the George Washington University’s (GW) School of Medicine and Health Science (SMHS) Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, taking the leap into the field of physical therapy paid off.
Becky Paris is a second-year student pursuing physical therapy after two previous careers. Paris earned an undergraduate degree in journalism, which led her to pursue roles in public radio broadcasting and production assistance on a courtroom television show. However, it was Paris’ part-time work as a yoga instructor that transformed into her passion. She transitioned to teaching yoga, leading retreats, and building yoga programs full-time. As a yoga instructor, Paris often helped her students–many of whom were also physical therapy patients–incorporate home exercise programs into their yoga practice.
Paris noted, “I would get really excited to creatively instill these intentional exercises into their yoga practices and was eager to learn more about anatomy and therapeutic movement.” After picking up work as a front desk manager at a physical therapy clinic, Paris witnessed a different type of care. “It became clear to me that this was the high-level of therapy I wanted to offer, so rather than continuing my education within the world of yoga, I opted to shift towards a Doctor of Physical Therapy,” Paris explained.
With twelve years of experience with teaching movement, Paris found much of her knowledge and experience in yoga translated to her success in physical therapy. “Leading exercises, explaining interventions in patient-friendly language, and providing hands-on assistance feels natural,” says Paris. The transition to physical therapy was not simple, however, in terms of finances and time-management. Paris went on to explain that stepping away from full-time income and into a doctorate program “required careful financial planning and realistic expectations around long-term return on investment. It was important for me to be clear about my motivations and to pursue PT knowing the decision was driven by professional fulfillment rather than income alone.” Paris advises that prospective second-career physical therapy students should utilize the value of observation hours or work as an aide for exposure to the profession and preparation for a DPT program.
Julie Wagner, a current third-year student in the GW DPT program, decided to switch paths after ten years in her first career. Wagner graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in American Cultural Studies. She utilized this degree in her work with educational nonprofit organizations that provided supplementary programs for students and families requiring extra resources. Wagner additionally graduated with a minor in Spanish, which propelled her to work part-time as a medical interpreter. Wagner eventually found herself accepting a job as a multilingual physical therapy aide, where she was able to utilize her Spanish knowledge and incorporate her interest in personal training. It was this role, Wagner said, that sparked her interest in physical therapy.
Now in her final year of physical therapy school, Wagner recognizes the biggest challenge of her career was returning to an academic mindset after ten years in the workforce. “I spent the first year at GW not only learning the course material but also relearning how to learn,” Wagner recalled.
Through physical therapy school, Wagner pushed herself to adopt a growth mindset and appreciate the challenging, yet rewarding, process of developing into a great physical therapy clinician. Wagner reports, “physical therapy school gave me clinical critical thinking skills, while my degree and prior career gave me cultural clinical thinking skills.” She appreciates how the GW DPT program incorporated topics from her background in American Cultural Studies, with discussion of social determinants of health and cultural humility throughout the curriculum. When asked what advice she had for others interested in pursuing physical therapy as a second-career, Wagner said, “if you’re considering it and your gut is telling you to go for it, you should do it.”
Paris and Wagner hope to serve as an inspiration for prospective physical therapy students considering a career shift. Wagner reassured others, “do not worry about having a different background and skillset. If you observe physical therapists and can picture yourself in that role, go for it and the rest will fall into place.”