Eugene "Bo" Babenko is a physical therapist working with patients in an acute care orthopedic setting. He continues to learn about the orthopedic field from attending team meetings and lecture series, networking with other professionals. Babenko sees patients privately as well to address treatment maintenance and offer rehabilitative services for injuries. To help prevent further injuries, Babenko assists high school football players with their strength and conditioning needs during their off-season programs so that they do not hurt themselves. In addition, he is in the process of opening his own gym, where fitness will be promoted alongside rehabilitation services. Babenko also blogs regularly at New Professional PT. He posts about developments in the physical therapy field as well as advice and stories about his journey to become a physical therapist.

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
I had been injured as an athlete in high school and college and decided that working with athletes seemed to be a good fit for me since I would likely not be a professional athlete. My freshman year in college, I interned with our team's orthopedic surgeon, which seemed too removed from patient care for me. The doctor I interned with was renowned, but he spent very little time with each patient. He mentioned to one patient after a surgery they had that they would be working with a physical therapist (PT) to get their muscles working correctly again, and a light went off in my head. From there, I started to spend time in various physical therapy clinics to get a feel for the field and never looked back.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field?
Upon deciding on the path of physical therapy, I continued to investigate working with athletes and the human body in general. I held positions with my college's athletic training staff, became a certified emergency medical technician and served as a personal trainer, but nothing seemed to fit quite as well as physical therapy. But all of these experiences added to my understanding of the human body. I did as much reading from various sources about the body that I could get my hands on. Ultimately, the volunteer hours in PT clinics was probably the most beneficial to prepare me for the field.

How did your education help you in your career?
My education provided a foundation for me as any entry-level degree should. Physical therapy is a wide field that requires a comprehensive understanding of most systems of the body and how they interact. After completing my doctoral degree, I was able to branch out more into my desired area of specialty, which is orthopedics and sports.

What was your career path like in this field?
Upon graduation, I decided to pursue a mentorship program for 18 months. This allowed me to work side by side with constant communication with two of the top PTs I have had the pleasure of meeting, each for nine months. One of the clinicians was an expert in the upper body and the other in the lower body, allowing me to explore the entire musculoskeletal system to find what fit best with my skills. Upon leaving, I took a position in the hospital to allow me to network with physicians as well as learn much more about the various operative procedures that take place in one of the top orthopedic hospitals in the world. My interest now lies in opening up my own clinic/gym, as I hope to avoid dealing with insurance companies and would like the opportunity to take the various experiences I have had and blend them into a product of which I can be proud.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
Patience seems to be a prevailing skill in any aspect of the profession, as the human body tends to be slow to adapt. Compassion, empathy and a pragmatic approach all would rank very high on my list of what makes a successful PT. The ability to follow a scientific approach and commitment to lifelong learning are keys to improving one's skills, as the literature and science will continue to adapt in our field. Lastly, a good understanding of business and health care seem to be integral in allowing for a system that will work for all Americans in the future.

What do you do on a typical workday?
In the hospital setting, I see patients right after surgery to facilitate an optimal return to function. Generally, the sooner someone can get their muscles working after the trauma that is surgery, the better their outcomes will be and the sooner they can get back to living their normal life. I try to take advantage of the educational opportunities in the hospital and, along with direct conversations with the doctors, I have been afforded the ability to view surgical procedures and take part in the medical orthopedic continuing education series that goes on in the hospital. Outside of the hospital, I see patients either in their homes or at my temporary clinic that I have set up. I also lecture to local high schools about health topics and work with a football team on their strength and conditioning program.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field?
I am in the process of becoming a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and plan to also achieve board certification in sports in the near future. Being an owner of my own gym/clinic is a major goal of mine and I believe it will allow me the freedom to work with patients the way I would like to.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
Someone who can be compassionate, patient, empathetic, but at the same time driven and a motivator. There must be an interest in science and an enjoyment of staying up to date with the latest developments in the evidence regarding the human body.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
My advice is to spend time in as many PT-related settings as possible, including other health care related fields. The field of PT is a wide and variable one that may require someone to pick one area and pursue that, which also allows the freedom if one were to ever get bored to transition to another area.

My biggest piece of advice to anyone going into health care is to be as involved as possible in the political side in some aspect (there are many ways to be involved). The state of health care is rapidly changing and requires that we remain diligent with being vocal about what our patients/clients need and what our clinical experience can do to benefit the health of America. Being involved in your profession's national organization or branches of it (for PT, it is the APTA [American Physical Therapy Association]) is a duty that I believe each member of the profession should be held accountable for. If we cannot support the main organization that is working to better our profession, then we are surely missing the boat. With reimbursement rates declining and the issues with insurance companies rising, it is vital to understand how our involvement and stance now will affect our ability to be paid in the future.

Lastly, please enjoy what you do because the person who will entrust themselves to you as a patient/client will be able to tell the difference and ultimately, they are the ones who are benefiting from all the extra hours we will spend reading the latest medical journals.