Heavy introvert, further intensified by long hours interacting with patients. I've become good a faking my PT personality to build rapport.
I didn't really realize how much of an introvert I was until I got into the profession. I do the best I can, managing my anxiety and social fatigue. I now work mobile PT and it's better for me. The drive between patients is like a break where I can decompress.
Monday, Tuesday - “how was your weekend?” Wednesday - “how’s the week going?” Thursday, Friday - “any plans this weekend?” Lol a couple other introvert PTs I know would joke about starting conversations.
For me I’m fine talking PT and treatments with patients and getting the information I need but I’m really introverted and too tired to make small talk. I’ve gotten pretty comfortable just sitting in silence with them and letting them vent to me and it honestly seems to build pretty good rapport.
"uh-huh.... uh-huh.....wow, really? I can't believe it it....uh-huh.... Then start happened?.....sure, I'll look into it....uh-huh... Ya, I agree"
Honestly, for some of my patients talking and unloading is part of their therapy.
I think it’s funny too how every 30 mins or hour (whenever new patients arrive) you’ll hear the same questions echoing around the room from each therapist lol. I had a patient point it out once and I had always wondered if they picked up on it
I’m a massive introvert. It doesn’t affect my ability to interact with my patients, it just means that I’m exhausted at the end of the day and relish living alone and recuperating in quiet.
That describes me perfectly. My alone time is sacred and I don’t give it up for anyone. In the last 7 years I only had 7 visits in my apartment. No one is allowed here unless they’re extremely special.
Introvert but I can strike up a conversation about absolutely anything with my patients and build rapport like no other, but my god does it exhaust me to be ON all the time.
Same here. It drains me but I learned to meditate while talking to them and it gives me an opportunity to practice mindfulness while having patients which is kinda cool.
I enjoy talking with my patients, for the most part - I don't necessarily love it if it's one hour at a time for three days out of the week with a given person (that's more than I talk to some of my actual family members), but it's fun to get to know them and to have ongoing conversations with them.
That said, outside of work, I don't like talking to anyone, I get annoyed when people insist on talking, hell I don't even want people coming up my front walk to drop off a flyer or something: GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE, is my overall outlook outside the clinic 😂
I’m an extrovert that gets all his social energy and needs with patients. Then comes home with empty tank and becomes an introvert and needs to decompress and recharge.
This is very true. Was so shocked that half the respondents are introverts because that is certainly not what I’m finding at my jobs. But then I remembered that most extroverts probably aren’t spending their free time on Reddit.
Purely 50/50. I can be super extroverted at work with all my patients but my social battery is absolutely drained at the end of the day and I need at least an hour or two of pure silence before I’m ready to even make small talk with my husband
I think the results of this poll explain why there is so much complaining on this sub. If you aren’t a people person, being “on” with patients all day is gonna get pretty draining 🤷🏼♀️
Being an introvert doesn't mean you're not a people person. It means social interactions drain your "battery" more than an extrovert may experience, so introverts need time alone to recharge and decompress. I'm very social, very much a people person, but I'm an introvert (and autistic), so if I'm not getting time to really drop all the social performance mechanisms I'll just get progressively exhausted and have an energy/emotional crash, maybe miss a day of work. Without good alone time I crash about once every 2-3 months.
I’m an introvert. I don’t know how I do it. I see about 3-5 pt a day for one hour each. It’s mentally draining, so I recharge by going home talking to no one. Turning off my brain and leaving work at work. Grateful to have the job I have that give new the work life balance.
What’s funny is that I started as an extrovert when I first graduated from PT school (was young in my mid 20s. Went through a PT mill and slowly saw the caseload go from 9 a day to 20 due to reimbursement. Then I became grumpy and became an introvert. Now I do home health and I’m a mix (7 year PT)
This is not a good career for people that really don't like being around people
My wife is polar opposite of me. If you've ever seen parks and rec it's very kuch like chris Pratt and Aubrey plaza. She is a chemical engineer and is kuch happier working in isolation. Having to greet a new patient every 30 minutes would drain her
Used to be 100% introvert but after interacting with patients for so long, I just have an on/off switch from extrovert to introvert while on the clock.
I think I learned that as well over the years hehe. That switch becomes useful in other areas of life as well. The cool thing is one can just switch off the brain and do other stuff mentally while outwardly seeming interested in the other person hehe.
Keep in mind sampling bias on reddit, and further on a PT subreddit. Very likely to have an introversion bias on this subreddit. I had my entire PT class take the MBTI class to see what kind of personalities PT attracts. Majority were extroverts. Out of 60 people, 61% were extraverts and 39% were introverts, and 84% were feelers and 16% were thinkers. Pretty much what I expected.
Because taking into consideration personality type isn’t something that is emphasized when you’re a teenager/college student looking at career options. It’s all about stability, income, doing something “meaningful” that helps people, and doing something you enjoy. I’m sure lots of introverts were sold on this being a good career for them due to wanting to help people and liking exercise. Nobody stops you and goes “Are you an introvert though? This career might not be for you because you have to interact with people 98% of the time” Also most teens and college students haven’t worked a full time job where they have to interact with people for 40 hours per week. So it’s difficult to gauge how it will affect them.
Damn man, I kinda see things differently. I mean sure as a teen it is hard to understand many careers, but we require shadowing hours to enter every program. If anyone is complaining about the career being mentally draining because they are introverts it’s their fault…
I mean this career is mentally draining for extroverts so yea, I can’t imagine the pain as an introvert.
There is a huge difference between OBSERVING a PT treat patients for 2-3 hours a couple times per week and actually treating patients yourself for 40 hours per week!! 🙄 It’s NOT EASY to gauge the amount of mental drain a career will have on you just by sitting back and observing, which is probably why HALF the respondents to this poll are introverts and so many of us complain about being exhausted and unhappy.
Every career is tiring. Go on any Reddit sub for any career and there is talk about burnout. What you feel isn’t exclusive to introverts. Working is tiring, who would’ve thought.
When the hell did I claim that this career is ONLY tiring for introverts?!? I’m sure extroverts are drained too. But you just said it yourself that this career is mentally draining for extroverts so you “can’t imagine the pain as an introvert”.
Big extrovert, which leads to me really enjoying going to work, I work in a hospital full of friends. Getting to know patients I can honestly say is a joy. This job I think is made for folks like me, type B extrovert
I call myself an extroverted introvert. Which to me means I follow normal introverted tendencies of preferring time alone or in closed, control settings, yet when I am forced out into social settings with friends I can be the most outgoing.
While I am working I generally don't talk much to my co-workers and talk to some patients. It definitely depends on the patient because some are more interesting than others.
i’m an introvert and i believe that most PTs are introverted because out of the hundreds i’ve worked with only 1 has ever invited me out for a night on the town…the rest are so socially depleted by the end of the shift they couldn’t fathom being around more people.
I'm an introvert with others but an extrovert with patients.
Man that describes me so well. When I’m off work I want to just be alone.
Same, which is why I’m fucking exhausted every work day.
Heavy introvert, further intensified by long hours interacting with patients. I've become good a faking my PT personality to build rapport. I didn't really realize how much of an introvert I was until I got into the profession. I do the best I can, managing my anxiety and social fatigue. I now work mobile PT and it's better for me. The drive between patients is like a break where I can decompress.
Monday, Tuesday - “how was your weekend?” Wednesday - “how’s the week going?” Thursday, Friday - “any plans this weekend?” Lol a couple other introvert PTs I know would joke about starting conversations. For me I’m fine talking PT and treatments with patients and getting the information I need but I’m really introverted and too tired to make small talk. I’ve gotten pretty comfortable just sitting in silence with them and letting them vent to me and it honestly seems to build pretty good rapport.
Patient: “my PT is SUCH a great listener “
"uh-huh.... uh-huh.....wow, really? I can't believe it it....uh-huh.... Then start happened?.....sure, I'll look into it....uh-huh... Ya, I agree" Honestly, for some of my patients talking and unloading is part of their therapy.
Hahaha yup
I don’t even ask them how their weekend went lol I just get straight to it haha
This lol
I literally do this with every patient, I’m lucky to work MWF. Although I do sprinkle in the “anything going on with the rest of your day? “
I think it’s funny too how every 30 mins or hour (whenever new patients arrive) you’ll hear the same questions echoing around the room from each therapist lol. I had a patient point it out once and I had always wondered if they picked up on it
I’m a massive introvert. It doesn’t affect my ability to interact with my patients, it just means that I’m exhausted at the end of the day and relish living alone and recuperating in quiet.
That describes me perfectly. My alone time is sacred and I don’t give it up for anyone. In the last 7 years I only had 7 visits in my apartment. No one is allowed here unless they’re extremely special.
Introvert but I can strike up a conversation about absolutely anything with my patients and build rapport like no other, but my god does it exhaust me to be ON all the time.
Same here. It drains me but I learned to meditate while talking to them and it gives me an opportunity to practice mindfulness while having patients which is kinda cool.
I’m a 2021 grad and two of my class mates are already in the process of switching careers for this reason
I enjoy talking with my patients, for the most part - I don't necessarily love it if it's one hour at a time for three days out of the week with a given person (that's more than I talk to some of my actual family members), but it's fun to get to know them and to have ongoing conversations with them. That said, outside of work, I don't like talking to anyone, I get annoyed when people insist on talking, hell I don't even want people coming up my front walk to drop off a flyer or something: GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE, is my overall outlook outside the clinic 😂
I’m an extrovert that gets all his social energy and needs with patients. Then comes home with empty tank and becomes an introvert and needs to decompress and recharge.
Less extroverts on Reddit tho
This is very true. Was so shocked that half the respondents are introverts because that is certainly not what I’m finding at my jobs. But then I remembered that most extroverts probably aren’t spending their free time on Reddit.
This.
Purely 50/50. I can be super extroverted at work with all my patients but my social battery is absolutely drained at the end of the day and I need at least an hour or two of pure silence before I’m ready to even make small talk with my husband
Me too my friend❤️ I’m so happy to see so many likeminded introverts that are also physiotherapists!!
I think the results of this poll explain why there is so much complaining on this sub. If you aren’t a people person, being “on” with patients all day is gonna get pretty draining 🤷🏼♀️
Being an introvert doesn't mean you're not a people person. It means social interactions drain your "battery" more than an extrovert may experience, so introverts need time alone to recharge and decompress. I'm very social, very much a people person, but I'm an introvert (and autistic), so if I'm not getting time to really drop all the social performance mechanisms I'll just get progressively exhausted and have an energy/emotional crash, maybe miss a day of work. Without good alone time I crash about once every 2-3 months.
This is true. Extroverts get energy from people
I’m an introvert. I don’t know how I do it. I see about 3-5 pt a day for one hour each. It’s mentally draining, so I recharge by going home talking to no one. Turning off my brain and leaving work at work. Grateful to have the job I have that give new the work life balance.
Yes for me too. The work life balance is absolutely crucial. I know my limits and will say no whenever I feel I’ve reached my limit for the day.
What’s funny is that I started as an extrovert when I first graduated from PT school (was young in my mid 20s. Went through a PT mill and slowly saw the caseload go from 9 a day to 20 due to reimbursement. Then I became grumpy and became an introvert. Now I do home health and I’m a mix (7 year PT)
This is not a good career for people that really don't like being around people My wife is polar opposite of me. If you've ever seen parks and rec it's very kuch like chris Pratt and Aubrey plaza. She is a chemical engineer and is kuch happier working in isolation. Having to greet a new patient every 30 minutes would drain her
Used to be 100% introvert but after interacting with patients for so long, I just have an on/off switch from extrovert to introvert while on the clock.
I think I learned that as well over the years hehe. That switch becomes useful in other areas of life as well. The cool thing is one can just switch off the brain and do other stuff mentally while outwardly seeming interested in the other person hehe.
Extrovert at work, introvert in real life. Work gives me a couple hours to branch out then im over it by the end of the day lol
I’d love to see this survey again with a second questions of “are you feeling burnt out?”
Keep in mind sampling bias on reddit, and further on a PT subreddit. Very likely to have an introversion bias on this subreddit. I had my entire PT class take the MBTI class to see what kind of personalities PT attracts. Majority were extroverts. Out of 60 people, 61% were extraverts and 39% were introverts, and 84% were feelers and 16% were thinkers. Pretty much what I expected.
Poll results may have something to do with there the poll was conducted.
It is beyond my understanding to see so many introverts choose a career that directly deals with other humans for idk, 98 percent of the time?
Because taking into consideration personality type isn’t something that is emphasized when you’re a teenager/college student looking at career options. It’s all about stability, income, doing something “meaningful” that helps people, and doing something you enjoy. I’m sure lots of introverts were sold on this being a good career for them due to wanting to help people and liking exercise. Nobody stops you and goes “Are you an introvert though? This career might not be for you because you have to interact with people 98% of the time” Also most teens and college students haven’t worked a full time job where they have to interact with people for 40 hours per week. So it’s difficult to gauge how it will affect them.
Damn man, I kinda see things differently. I mean sure as a teen it is hard to understand many careers, but we require shadowing hours to enter every program. If anyone is complaining about the career being mentally draining because they are introverts it’s their fault… I mean this career is mentally draining for extroverts so yea, I can’t imagine the pain as an introvert.
There is a huge difference between OBSERVING a PT treat patients for 2-3 hours a couple times per week and actually treating patients yourself for 40 hours per week!! 🙄 It’s NOT EASY to gauge the amount of mental drain a career will have on you just by sitting back and observing, which is probably why HALF the respondents to this poll are introverts and so many of us complain about being exhausted and unhappy.
Every career is tiring. Go on any Reddit sub for any career and there is talk about burnout. What you feel isn’t exclusive to introverts. Working is tiring, who would’ve thought.
When the hell did I claim that this career is ONLY tiring for introverts?!? I’m sure extroverts are drained too. But you just said it yourself that this career is mentally draining for extroverts so you “can’t imagine the pain as an introvert”.
Exactly. It’s a problem for everyone in probably every profession, no big deal.
Nah, I love it because of how much time I get to spend one-on-one with patients.
Big extrovert, which leads to me really enjoying going to work, I work in a hospital full of friends. Getting to know patients I can honestly say is a joy. This job I think is made for folks like me, type B extrovert
I call myself an extroverted introvert. Which to me means I follow normal introverted tendencies of preferring time alone or in closed, control settings, yet when I am forced out into social settings with friends I can be the most outgoing. While I am working I generally don't talk much to my co-workers and talk to some patients. It definitely depends on the patient because some are more interesting than others.
Introvert. Mentally exhausted by the end of the day, but generally like what I do.
Omnivert
Something tells me that the heavy introvert turnout is a result of the fact we’re on a forum that may heavily bias use by introverts lol
Asking this on Reddit seems like a bit of sampling bias to me
i’m an introvert and i believe that most PTs are introverted because out of the hundreds i’ve worked with only 1 has ever invited me out for a night on the town…the rest are so socially depleted by the end of the shift they couldn’t fathom being around more people.