Exploring Saudi Physical Therapists' Perceptions and Opinions on Their Profession: A Mixed-Method Study

Background and Purpose. The social standing of any occupation is often referred to as occupational prestige. Occupational prestige is often evaluated as how a particular occupation is regarded relative to other occupations by different groups in the society. Occupational prestige is a useful indicator of a profession's marketability and desirability. As physical therapists (PTs) are essential members of the healthcare team, the aim of this study is to determine Saudi PT's (students and graduates) perception of their occupational prestige and satisfaction with their career choice. Methods. A cross-sectional, mixed-method study was employed. Practicing PTs and PT students were recruited to fill out a self-administered questionnaire to rank nine different professions (including PT) across different dimensions. Further, participants reported on their job satisfaction and participated in a semistructured interview regarding their responses. Results. A total of 175 individuals participated in this study. The physical therapy profession was rated 6(th) on level of education, last (9(th)) on level of income and level of social standing, 5(th) on level of responsibility, and 3(rd) on level of usefulness. In the overall occupational prestige, the physical therapy profession was ranked the lowest compared to the other professions. Lastly, the data from the semistructured interviews corroborated the findings identified from the quantitative aspect of our study. Discussion. The overall results of the study indicate that the current perceived level of occupational prestige among Saudi PTs and PT students is somewhat disappointing. Participants generally viewed their profession in a low occupational prestige status, which is in contrast to previous studies conducted in other countries. While some of these results can be explained by the nature and history of the profession in Saudi Arabia, Academic institutions and policy makers should make an effort to promote the occupational prestige of the physical therapy profession.