Physical Therapy Personal Statement

Everything I am and have accomplished so far in my life can, at least in part, be credited to my parents. My mother, a professor of chemical engineering, and my father, a healthcare automation and systems integration engineer for a major healthcare provider, are my biggest role models and who I try to emulate in both my work and academics. They instilled in me the hard-working and determined attitude that enabled me to be successful in my studies, as well as the compassion, leadership qualities and self-confidence that I try to apply to my dealing with others and in my day-to-day life. Furthermore, my love of sports and physical activity that persisted throughout childhood, adolescence, and remains with me even today can be attributed partly …show more content…
When I was younger, in late-elementary or early-middle school, my father dislocated his shoulder in a roller hockey game, and was consequently referred to physical therapy. This was my first time being introduced to the profession, and I can clearly remember the difference in his attitude and pain that resulted from his treatment. After seeing him in pain and barely be able to move his arm for days, the progress he had made just two weeks after starting therapy was amazing, and soon enough he could go back to playing hockey and horsing around with me and my brother. Until this point, my idea of healthcare was taking pills and getting shots, and the concept of physical therapy was completely foreign to me. As a child who played sports his entire life, the profession appealed greatly to me because it combined my love of sport and fitness with helping others, and improving the lives of people just like my dad. I remember thinking that being responsible for making such a difference in someone's life must be one of the most rewarding experiences possible, and from that moment on I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in physical