Do you want to help kids as a physical therapist? Being a school-based physical therapist is a great way to do that. You’ll be able to help kids get through tough times and reach their full potential as a school-based physical therapist. Discover some of the questions you may be asked in a school-based physical therapy interview in this resource.
Landing your dream job as a school physical therapist starts with acing the interview. This crucial step can make or break your chances of bringing your skills and passion into the field of pediatric physical therapy.
To set you up for success, we’ve compiled a detailed guide on how to effectively respond to the most common school PT interview questions. Read on for expert tips, sample answers, and key insights to help you make a stellar first impression.
Overview of Typical School Physical Therapist Interview Questions
School PT interviews typically aim to assess the following:
- Your motivation and fit for the specific role
- Knowledge of pediatric physical therapy best practices
- Ability to adapt techniques for a school environment
- Experience with diverse disabilities and age groups
- Collaborative approach with IEP teams
- Communication skills, especially with parents
- Creativity and empathy in working with children
- Commitment to professional development
Expect a mix of personal questions on your background, technical questions on clinical expertise, situational scenarios, and questions about how you’d approach various aspects of the job.
Thorough preparation is key! Let’s look at some examples in detail.
General Personal and Motivational Questions
Tell Us About Yourself
This common icebreaker allows you to shape the narrative about your background. Share details on:
- Why you became a physical therapist
- Passion for working with children
- Relevant clinical experience
- Strengths you’ll bring to the role
Example: As a pediatric physical therapist for 5 years, my passion has always been helping children reach their highest potential. I’m drawn to school-based PT because I understand the crucial role of early intervention in giving every child the tools to thrive within their educational environment. With my strong clinical skills, creativity, and patience, I’m confident I can make a positive impact on my students’ abilities and quality of life.
Why Physical Therapy Over Other Healthcare Fields?
Show your commitment to and enthusiasm for the profession. Share how helping people improve function and mobility gives you purpose.
Example: For me, physical therapy provides the perfect mix of patient care with exercise science and biomechanics. I find great fulfillment in empowering people to overcome movement challenges to live fuller, more independent lives. Pediatric PT specifically allows me to make a lasting difference during a child’s formative years.
Ideal Patient Population to Work With?
Highlight your passion for working with school-aged kids. Share why you find this age group rewarding.
Example: While I enjoy working with patients of all ages, school-aged children have always been my ideal population. I’m motivated by working with students at such a crucial time in their development – when early intervention can have immense long-term benefits. I also find that my energetic, fun-loving personality really engages kids.
Questions Assessing Clinical Expertise
How Would You Adapt PT Techniques for a School Setting?
Discuss being attuned to students’ educational context and priorities. Give examples of school-specific exercises.
Example: I would focus heavily on exercises that enhance participation and mobility within the classroom. For instance, incorporating stair climbing to build strength for navigating hallways between periods. Or doing an obstacle course to improve coordination for PE class. I’d also collaborate closely with teachers to promote motor skill consistency.
Experience with Assistive Technology in Pediatric PT?
Highlight tech tools you’ve used to help students reach goals related to mobility, motor skills, participation, and independence.
Example: In recent roles, I’ve had success using various technologies like balance beams for stability, interactive metronomes for coordination, and VR games to keep kids engaged during therapy sessions. Assistive tech enables me to cater therapy to each student’s needs and abilities.
How Do You Stay Current on Pediatric PT Research and Techniques?
Demonstrate your commitment to continuing education and professional development. Outline the resources you use to evolve your skillset.
Example: I regularly review journals like the Pediatric Physical Therapy Journal to stay updated on new evidence-based techniques. I also attend PT seminars and workshops, engage in online forums, and leverage continuing education courses to expand my expertise in serving school-aged kids.
Situational Scenarios
How Would You Motivate a Resistant Child?
Highlight your patience and creativity. Share strategies like incentives, incorporating the child’s interests into sessions, gentle encouragement, and enlisting parents’ help.
Example: First, I’d try to understand why the child is resistant by building trust with them. Then I’d incorporate fun activities related to their interests, set small achievable goals with rewards, and praise any progress to boost their confidence. If needed, I’d work closely with parents to promote a positive environment.
How Do You Handle a Child in Pain During Therapy?
Demonstrate your clinical judgement and empathy. Cover immediately stopping the activity, assessing the child, calling parents if needed, and modifying sessions to avoid further pain.
Example: I would stop the activity right away, evaluate the source of pain, and offer encouragement to the child. If it was minor, I’d adjust the exercise. But with more severe or persistent pain, I’d recommend they get medical clearance before continuing, to prevent potential injury.
How Do You Track and Analyze Each Student’s Progress?
Show your attention to detail and ability to adjust. Discuss assessment methods, progress tracking, data analysis, and tailoring sessions based on trends.
Example: I use formal assessments and daily observations to monitor progress in mobility, strength, endurance, participation, and other metrics. I analyze patterns in the data to identify any plateaus so I can adjust my approach to help each student continue improving.
Collaborative Approach Questions
Experience with IEPs?
Highlight your role in contributing to IEP development and implementation through assessments, goal-setting, and progress monitoring.
Example: As part of IEP teams, I’ve helped conduct initial evaluations to determine PT needs, provided input on appropriate goals, and regularly shared student progress data to inform any needed modifications to the IEP.
How Do You Collaborate With Other School Professionals?
Emphasize shared objectives, communication, and mutual respect for each profession’s specialized role and expertise.
Example: Maintaining a collaborative, communicative relationship with teachers, counselors, and other staff is essential. We exchange relevant insights about students while respecting each other’s roles. Our common goal is ensuring each child’s needs are met holistically.
Communication Skills Questions
How Do You Communicate With Parents About Progress?
Highlight open communication channels, regular meetings, setting expectations, using layman’s terms, and visual aids like charts.
Example: I schedule in-person meetings and provide monthly written progress reports to parents. Together we discuss their child’s wins, challenges ahead, and goals. I present the therapy plan in an easy-to-understand way, using charts and videos to demonstrate progress over time.
How Would You Handle a Parent Who Disagrees With the PT Plan?
Emphasize listening to the parent’s concerns, gently explaining the rationale using research/evidence, and collaborating with other professionals to reinforce the plan’s importance.
Example: First, I’d make sure I fully understand the parent’s perspective and reservations about the therapy plan. I’d take time to explain the recommendations and science behind them. If needed, I’d ask the child’s teacher or doctor to help emphasize the benefits to the parent so we can get on the same page.
Questions on Adaptability
How Do You Tailor Your Approach to Different Age Groups?
Discuss being attuned to developmental stages. Give examples like using games for engagement with younger kids or focusing on sports to motivate teens.
Example: I take careful consideration of each child’s cognitive and motor development stage and adapt accordingly. For preschoolers, singing songs or playing games works well to keep them engaged. For middle school kids, I might focus exercises on enhancing performance in their favorite sport.
How Do You Modify Plans to Accommodate Changing Needs?
Highlight the importance of continual assessment and consistent progress tracking. Give examples of situations where you adjusted goals or techniques in response to plateaued progress.
Example: I had a student with cerebral palsy who hit a wall with her standing balance goals as she entered a growth spurt. Recognizing her change in needs, I modified the plan to include more stabilization work with a balance ball before resuming standing exercises.
Questions Assessing Passion and Fit
What Most Excites You About Becoming a School PT?
Share your enthusiasm for guiding children during their formative years and helping remove obstacles to their participation and success at school.
Example: The chance to play such a pivotal role in a student’s development and help set them up for success in school and life is incredibly rewarding. I’m excited to foster inclusion, confidence, and independence in children of all abilities through collaborative, engaging therapy.
Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
Highlight your long-term passion for school-based physical therapy and ongoing professional development. Share aspirations like leadership roles or specialty certifications to continue advancing your expertise.
Example: *In 5 years I envision myself
Tell Me About A Challenging Situation Working With A Youth Patient And How You Overcame It.
Whether it involves a difficult case or problems meeting goals, every physical therapist has challenging situations. Be honest about a time when you had a difficult situation. How did you resolve it and what happened? Your potential employer is trying to assess your problem-solving skills.
An example of a challenging situation could include a hesitant student. This could be because the student isn’t sure if a PT can help them or because they are down about their situation in general. Focusing on keeping the student engaged from the beginning could be key in this situation. Giving the student a reason for your treatment choices and celebrating their successes are two great ways to build trust and make them feel at ease.
Tell Me About Your Experience Working With Kids
If you worked as a pediatric physical therapist in any setting, talk about your experience as a PT. If you haven’t worked as a physical therapist with kids before, you might want to talk about any work or volunteer experience you have with kids. Your interviewer wants to make sure you are comfortable working with children. Your interviewer is also interested in learning more about your personality and how well you would work with kids. Be sure to display positive qualities such as patience, humor, and energy within your answers.
A great way to support your answer to this question is to include examples of activities that pediatric physical therapists practice with their patients. Take a look at this resource to give you some ideas.
Most Commonly Asked PT School Interview Question – SAMPLE ANSWER
What are some common physical therapy school interview questions?
Here’s a list of some common physical therapy school interview questions. You may be asked some of them and there will likely be some random ones that you can’t prepare for, but here’s a list to practice from: Why do you want to be a PT? Why do you want to be a PT vs an OT/RN/MD/PA, etc.? Why do you want to go to this PT school?
What is included in the PT school interview guide?
In the Physical Therapy School Interview Guide, We Include: The ACTUAL essays we used to get accepted into the #1 PT Program in the Country Our Interview Checklist based on actual experiences at multiple PT Program Interviews Over 30 Sample Interview Questions + Questions to ask THEM!
What questions should you ask during a PT interview?
At the end of the interview, your interviewer will likely encourage you to ask any questions you may have about the program. Have at least two or three questions ready to ask. Here are some example questions to ask PT schools: 1. Are there any extracurricular activities available for students to participate in?
How do I prepare for a physical therapy interview?
The best way to prepare for your interview is by participating in mock interviews with your friends, family members or coworkers. Here are some interview questions with example answers to give you an idea of what to expect. 1. What Made You Decide To Apply to USAHS’ Physical Therapy Program?
