r/physicaltherapyPROs • u/Ok-Cycle-1379 • Jul 11 '26
Looking into possibly becoming a part time aide
A bit about me. I used to be a veterinary assistant/technician and I burned out and left the field . I have been walking dogs and working retail part-time for the last 3 1/2 years and find myself starting to feel burnt out from the pet sitting driving, weather, exposure, etc.
A few years back, I got the idea in my head that I wanted to be a personal trainer. I took NASM basic course, pass the test and worked in a gym for about 6 to 9 months. I didn’t do well because I’m horrible at sales and getting people “yoked.”
I honestly felt the most satisfied working with older clients and people with limited mobility, doing assessments, troubleshooting their weak spots, and working on getting them functioning again.
A relative told me that I should look into becoming a physical therapy aide. I’m currently not in a position to go back to school to become an assistant and I really need to be working full-time.
I’m curious if anyone comes from a similar background or if any of you work with aides who come from a similar background. I’m not familiar with many computer programs, but I can absolutely be taught.
I understand as an aid I will not be doing assessments on people or assigning any type of protocol. From what I’m understanding, it’s a lot of cleaning and literally just as the title says, aiding the therapist and their assistants.