A health care system in the DMV area has offered five $20,000 scholarships to Marymount University physical therapy students to address the current physical therapist shortage.
“Sometimes we come in early, we definitely stay late, we see people over our lunch [and] just to try to be there as a support to our community,” said MedStar Health physical therapist Caity Bryson.
Marymount University physical therapy student Jenna Kniceley is one student who received $20,000 from MedStar Health as part of their initiative.
“My mom, she is a nurse, so I knew I wanted to go into a healthcare setting. It seemed very natural,” Kniceley said.
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According to a news release from Marymount University, the program also allows students to receive educational workshops and shadowing opportunities.
While the DMV faces physical therapist shortages, this is also a nationwide issue.
In 2021, around 22,000 physical therapists left the workforce, according to a report by Definitive Healthcare.
However, the future of physical therapy jobs may begin to grow.
The projected change in employment from 2022-2032 is 15%, much higher than the average growth rate for all occupations at 3%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Five of these $20,000 scholarships will be given to Marymount University students, making MedStar Health’s contribution a total of $100,000.
“The national health care worker shortage that includes physical therapists is real,” John Brickley, the vice president of MedStar Health Physical Therapy, said in a statement from the university. “And down the road, patients who need physical therapy in our community will start to feel this negative trend unless we address the need now by enticing future PT students to the region with a unique curriculum and financial assistance."
This program could be a local resolution to fix the shortage.
