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PHYS THER
Vol. 87, No. 9, September 2007, p. 1255
DOI: 10.2522/ptj.2007.87.9.1255.1
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Book, Multimedia, and Software Reviews

Physical Therapy: The Truth For Students, Clinicians, and Health Care Professionals


Phillips M. Bloomington, IN 47403, AuthorHouse, 2006, paperback, 100 pp, ISBN: 1-4259-2464-6, $20.81. This book was self-published.


Integrity, quality, and accountability are stated to be at the core of this book, and the author challenges the reader to choose, or solidify, his or her choice of physical therapy as a professional career after taking into account the expectations of the field. He frames the expectations with knowledge that the rules and regulations of Medicare and Medicaid, clear goals for patient progress, and outcomes demonstrating an improvement in the patient's performance will drive the work of the physical therapist.

As a 1996 graduate, the author states that he has experience in most health care settings, with the exception of pediatrics and sports. He indicates that 5 years were spent working in state facilities that served individuals with developmental delay and that he is currently working in an acute care setting as the director of rehabilitation services. The author's focus is to present a view of physical therapy as seen through his personal experience and to provide advice to the reader based on that experience. His intent was to present this information in a genuine manner. His target audience includes the physical therapy education program applicant, current students, and practicing physical therapists.

This book is organized into 16 chapters, and the first 5 are an overview of thoughts on the preparation for a physical therapy education or the educational experience itself. The author's experience is related through stories from his own education, and he emphasizes that the student must have passion for physical therapy, first to get into a program, and then to survive the academic and time demands that are placed on the successful student.

The next 7 chapters provide an overview of different clinical practice settings, such as nursing homes, acute care hospitals, outpatient/inpatient rehabilitation, home health, and state facilities for individuals with mental retardation and developmental delays. Within the practice setting chapters, the author presents several personal notes and letters that he wrote to challenge issues he encountered in that setting. The last 3 chapters address salaries and potential interview questions for applicants to various practice settings.

Considering the target audience and the low number of pages in this publication, this book has a broad scope with minimal or superficial development of the concepts. Many portions of the book appear as a free-flow conversation with the author, where he makes a statement only to recant it as a joking statement a few sentences later.

For an individual who is seeking information on physical therapy as a profession, this book is not a recommended source. It does not provide factual information on the scope of practice, does not direct the reader to seek additional information from the professional organization, and presents a disjointed view of the field. The portions that appear to be directed to the physical therapy program applicant are out of date and do not take into account the admissions expectations for someone entering a clinical doctorate program. Chapters on the clinical practice settings are full of stereotypes, with personal opinions that are not substantiated by facts. Lastly, the segment on salary provides no useful information to the reader. There are no references cited in this book to substantiate any of the information that is presented. This book does not meet the goal of the author and did not challenge me to think about why I entered this profession.

Linda J Tsoumas

LJ Tsoumas, PT, EdD, is Professor of Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass





This Article
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Copyright © 2007 by the American Physical Therapy Association.