Professional Frustrations

It's frustrating that an entire field can be downplayed by one type of person in that field not doing their job appropriately. Physical Therapy has been around since then end of the first World War (if memory serves correctly) and has really come a long way. From being a 6 week course to being a doctorate (if you're a Physical Therapist) or an Associates of Applied Science degree (if you're a Physical Therapist Assistant). The field has gone from being semi-holistic as far as the medical community is concerned to being a primary reason for a person getting into a skilled nursing facility. And most recently the field has gone from requiring a prescription and referral from a doctor, to no prescription required and a patient can walk in off of the street and ask for therapy. This is the reason that our therapists are now required to take classes in differential diagnosis, so that they can tell if the person's problem is nerve or musculoskeletal related and therapy will help, or if it is a problem that arises from a much more serious problem. However, there are some "old school" therapists that seem to be dismantling this. Afraid to stand up for the rights they have in the field. Just because a doctor orders therapy does not mean a person is appropriate nor does it mean that we HAVE to work with that patient. And, most doctors will respect what therapy has to say. Why do these clinicians want to downplay our role and moreover downplay their own knowledge?! Not to mention that treating a patient who does not have the ability to progress (and hasn't shown progress) merely because a doctor orders it is bordering on fraud! OK, not even bordering, it is.

Sigh, rant over. It's hard to be low man on the professional totem pole and get your point across.