Physical Therapists Interview Tips

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To become a physical therapist, one needs to undergo years of training. But some people fail at the final step to becoming one. They fail at their interviews and thus do not get a job. it is always a good idea to prepare for any interview before you go to one. Here are a few tips and some common questions during a physiotherapist post interview

Stay relevant
A common practice of an interview is to ask questions like “Tell me a bit about yourself” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses”. These questions are usually meant to find out the qualities that you may have that will help will the job. Keep all your strengths and weaknesses relevant to being a PT. For example, being able to cook well might be a strength but has nothing to do with physical therapy. You could include that you love to work out in the introductions and mention that you are disciplined in doing so as a strength. For weaknesses either mention something that might be a strength instead like “ I am a workaholic” or something that may not affect your job as a physiotherapist.

Be prepared
It is important to be at your best during an interview. Wear your best suit and formals and attend the interview. Reach 15 minutes early and rectify anything hazardous that may have been done to your appearance during the commute. Be prepared for the simple questions that one might ask during the interviews. Keep a list of interests, strengths etc. that are relevant to the job ready. Be calm and composed throughout the entire interview and as polite as possible. listen to every question intently and think for a second before answering. A few success stories in your previous jobs might help too.

Keep a positive outlook
As a therapist, it is extremely important that you are enthusiastic, friendly and have a positive mental attitude (PMA). If you show all these traits during an interview, then the chances of you getting hired are significantly higher. You can exhibit all these traits by your body language and the way you talk. Make sure that all the signals that you are subconsciously sending out are energetic and cheerful. Keep your posture in check since this also reflects on your abilities as a physical therapist. If there happens to be a tie between you and another candidate of equal caliber, your enthusiasm will help you score a win.

The questions that can be asked by an interviewer are generally of 2 types. One is the ethical and professional questions. These determine how well you will work with your colleagues and how honest of a practitioner you will be. Here are some professional physical therapist interview questions –

  • What would you do if a patient refused to work with you?
  • Talk about your experience with long term care
  • What would you consider inappropriate interaction with a patient?
  • How do you cope with the stresses of being a physiotherapist?
  • Have you ever faced a cultural difference between you and your patients? How did you go about it?

The second type of questions that you might be asked is technical questions. These are the questions that you might have learned about in your medical school or come across during the clinical practice sessions. Some of the technical physiotherapist interview questions are –

  • What is the treatment for arthritis?
  • What is lymphatic drainage?
  • What are the types of gynecology physical therapy?
  • List some causes of nerve pain
  • How is electrotherapy used in your field?

If you prepare for such questions, and consider those tips, you are bound to be hired as a Physical Therapist sooner than you think.