Why did I become a physical therapist?

By Dr. Carly Catanese, PT, DPT, DMT, MEd

My patients often ask me what sparked my interest in becoming a physical therapist. I thought I would share more about what drew me to the field.

I have always had an interest in health and fitness. I always knew I wanted to be in the medical profession, it was just a matter of in what capacity. And like any active kid, I too found myself in physical therapy for various injuries.

I started out in the medical profession as an exercise physiologist, working in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. It was great to work with groups of patients who had recently suffered a heart or lung condition, and even those patients who had heart or lung issues years ago and help them regain and/or maintain their fitness and confidence in remaining active.

I would monitor patients on telemetry, take their heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen throughout the sessions and set them up on equipment. It was rewarding, but I had a desire to do more with patients.

My path to becoming a physical therapist

It was then that I took gross anatomy. It was horrifying to participate in cadaver lab! Though once the fear diminished, I learned a lot about how the human body works and how different one person’s anatomy is from another. As crazy as it sounds, not everyone has the same anatomy!

I realized after this anatomy class that I had the motivation and drive to study hard and learn how the whole body works and how to treat it. I knew after that first class that I wanted to be a physical therapist. So, I applied to the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. I really liked the wellness side of this form of healthcare and was eager to help people feel better.

Being a physical therapist is the perfect job for me. I have a strong desire to not only physically help patients feel and move better, but teach them ways to be proactive in their own health and wellness.

If you are dealing with pain, mobility issues, finding it hard to complete your everyday tasks or want to start exercising but you’re worried about past injuries, schedule an evaluation with a MoveMend physical therapist.

At MoveMend, you meet 1:1 with a Doctor of Physical Therapy every time, with no physical therapy assistants. We are here to help you feel and move better and specialize in hands-on therapy tailored to your body and your needs.