The lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, people of color in physical therapy

The physical therapy workforce lacks racial and ethnic diversity, with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) overwhelmingly underrepresented in the profession. This study explored the lived experiences of BIPOC physical therapists who have navigated the academic and social challenges of entrance into the profession. The research question was What are the facilitators, barriers, and challenges encountered by participants throughout their studies in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, while applying for their first job as a physical therapist, and subsequent adjustment to their work environment?

A descriptive phenomenological design with semi-structured interviews was used. Participants included six physical therapists who met the inclusion criteria for the study. A set of open-ended interview questions derived from the study's purpose encouraged participants to reflect on their lived experiences as a student and subsequently on entering the profession. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim from a video-conferencing platform. Analysis included open coding, theming, and horizontalization.

Six themes emerged: representation, biases/microaggressions, favoritism, identity/recognition, role models, and language barriers.

The six themes identified in the study were supported by previous studies. The findings of this study demonstrated an overall negative experience for BIPOC individuals in physical therapy education and practice. Recommendations to improve the BIPOC experience included changes at the social/cultural, institutional, programmatic, and clinical levels.