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| Career Satisfaction |   |  |
What Do Physical Therapists Do?
For patients with disabling conditions or injuries, physical therapy plays a key role in their rehabilitation and recovery. Doctors prescribe physical therapy to help patients regain or preserve mobility and strength, relieve pain, and prevent long-term disability. Physical therapists specialize in the mechanics of the human body such as muscle performance, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture and motor function.
Physical therapists work in hospitals, private offices and medical clinics. They may specialize in sports medicine, orthopedics, cardiopulmonary physical therapy, neurology, pediatrics and geriatrics.
Video - Being a Physical Therapist
Excellent overview of what happens during a day for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Several PTs and PTAs are interviewed as they work with their patients. Areas of PT research are covered. Produced by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
How to Choose the Best Physical Therapist School
What makes for a top physical therapy program? Of course that answer will be different for each student -- but factors that all students should consider in choosing their "best" school and program include:
What's Required to Become a Physical Therapist?
Physical therapists hold a minimum of a two-year master's degree or a three-year professional doctorate degree from a college or university that is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA) Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). APTA offers a list of CAPTE accredited schools and other helpful info for prospective students. Most of the CAPTE schools offer doctorate degrees rather than masters.
Many degree programs require volunteer experience in a hospital's or clinic's physical therapy department for admission.
Employment requires state and national licensure. The National Physical Therapy Examination is given in all 50 states. Other requirements for physical therapists can vary between states.
Online Classes and Programs
Although on-campus programs may offer some classes online, the hands-on nature of physical therapy makes 100% online programs unsuitable.
Coursework
Physical therapy students divide their time between classes, lab and supervised hands-on practice. Classes usually cover:
- biology, physics and chemistry
- human growth and development
- biomechanics and neuroanatomy
- therapeutic procedures and examination techniques
- manifestations of disease
- areas of specialization
Scholarships
Scholarship sources: The American Physical Therapy Association, The Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, the Tylenol Scholarship Fund and the Texas Physical Therapy Association. Students should also contact their state's physical therapy association for scholarship information.
On-the-Job Responsibilities
Responsibilities of a physical therapist can include:
- Establishing a treatment plan for a patient according to the doctor's prescription
- Combining different treatment modalities such as heat/cold therapy, electrical stimulation, ultrasound and exercise
- Teaching patients how to use devices such as crutches, wheelchairs or prostheses
- Helping patients stretch and exercise
- Applying traction, massage, paraffin baths and other modalities
- Documenting the patient's progress
- Collaborating with occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, dentists and social workers
Career Profiles
To help career searchers evaluate their options, BrainTrack has asked hundreds of workers to profile their jobs with a review and ratings. See below for a summary of this career compared to all rated careers and for detailed reviews.
| Category | This Career | All Rated Careers |
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| Career Satisfaction | | |
| Opportunity for Promotion | | |
| Career Flexibility | | |
| How Cool Is The Career | | |
| How Stressful | | |
| Social Orientation | | |
| Earnings Potential | | |
| Task Variety | | |
| Job Security | | |
Job Title: Staff Physical Therapist
Attended: Fairleigh Dickinson University/UMDNJ • Teaneck, NJ
Studied BS In Biology/Doctor Of Physical Therapy (completion in 2011)
Highest relevant degree: Doctorate
• Submitted: 3/5/2012
"I joined the field less than a year ago, and have been satisfied with my career so far. It has been very challenging and interesting to say the least. But I receive exceptional medical, dental, and drug coverage, benefits plans, and generous paid time off allowances, and have access to comprehensive wellness programs."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 8 | FDU/UMDNJ's collaborating program has prepared me well for my current job. I have a very good background in biology (FDU's Biology program), and the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in UMDNJ was excellent. I have been able to successfully fulfill my duties of evaluating physical therapy needs, providing comprehensive physical therapy treatment to patients for rehabilitation, as well as to demonstrate good clinical decision making so far at my present job. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 8 | I feel fairly confident about the advancement opportunities that should be available to me. I would like to be promoted to the role of a supervisor or director. I also have the option to start a private practice after gathering sufficient work experience. |
| Job Security | 8 | I believe the field of physical therapy will always been in need of capable and knowledgeable therapists. I feel great job security and satisfaction at my present job due to the commitment made by my current employer to their employees, as well as the generous compensation packages offered me by them. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | I am very satisfied with my earnings at the present. I receive excellent insurance coverage, paid time-off allowances, and retirement benefits. My earnings will only rise as I advance in my career. |
| How Stressful | 3 | I do not find my work stressful at all. I experienced a little stress when I first started a few months ago, especially when making clinical decisions and deciding changes to treatment plans, but overall, there is very little stress. |
| Task Variety | 7 | Day to day tasks are fairly varied. We use a wide range of treatments depending on the patients and their needs. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 7 | Being able to help patients rehabilitate and get back to their healthy selves is very fulfilling. I believe people look at physical therapists very warmly, so I would definitely regard my career as cool. It is of course not as cool or glamorous as being a surgeon/doctor. |
| Career Flexibility | 8 | My current employer is very generous in terms of paid time-off allowances. However, the work is also quite demanding and the work schedule quite rigid. Overall, I feel there is plenty of flexibility in the field in terms of being able to find employment in different states, as there is a need for physical therapists everywhere. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | There is constant interaction with other staff, patients, and sometimes their family. I am also part of a few group activities involved with educating the community on injury prevention and treatment. |
Job Title: Physical Therapist
Attended: UC Berkeley • Berkeley, CA
Studied (completion in 2009)
Highest relevant degree: Master's
• Submitted: 3/20/2012
"It is a good job and the pay is better than I thought."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | It took me quite a while to finish my master's degree, but it has been well worth it. I loved the schooling. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 3 | I do not see a promotion in the near future. My clinic is dealing with budget cuts at the moment, so we have had to downgrade our staff. |
| Job Security | 5 | Because of the economic troubles, I am unsure as to the security of my job. There have been many layoffs. |
| Earnings Potential | 9 | I get paid great and get an annual bonus. |
| How Stressful | 4 | The job can be stressful at times, but I deal with it because I love what I am doing. |
| Task Variety | 4 | The daily tasks never fluctuate at all. They are almost always the same. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 5 | I do not consider my job "cool" at all, but helpful. I help patients because they need help, not for the glamor. |
| Career Flexibility | 9 | It is very flexible. I plan my schedule on my own. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | I have social interaction everyday with colleagues and patients. I would say I am socially active. |
Job Title: Physical Therapy Specialist
Attended: Azusa Pacific University • Azusa, CA
Studied Nursing (completion in 2003)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 3/22/2012
"The experience given to me in my every day life is amazing. I feel a certain pride and dedication when it comes to my work."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 5 | This university is definitely not ivy league. It is not strong in academics, however it does get you ready for the professional world. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 3 | Higher degrees in this field are needed for promotion. Due to the lack of jobs, there aren't many opportunities for promotion. |
| Job Security | 5 | Not a hard major, so it is easy for me to get replaced. Many companies are downsizing in this field. |
| Earnings Potential | 5 | This is not a glamorous job, so there is not a lot of money. Higher education leads to better earnings. |
| How Stressful | 2 | No lives are at stake in this job. The schedule causes minimal stress. |
| Task Variety | 7 | Tasks never vary and are often the same. The difficulty of tasks differs from time to time. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 2 | This is not a glamorous or idealized field. The prestige comes only from the pride you feel. |
| Social Orientation | 8 | I have various interaction with customers and people. I'm employed by a company, so I interact with others. |
Job Title: Physical Therapist
Attended: University Of Kentucky • Lexington, KY
Studied Physical Therapy (completion in 2010)
Highest relevant degree: Doctorate
• Submitted: 3/27/2012
"Very satisfied with my career. Patient care is very rewarding and the pay is nice too."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 9 | The faculty and staff at UK were very helpful and knowledgeable. They each offered something to the program from their specific interests/field of study. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 4 | There is not much room for advancement as a PT. We are already close to the top of the ladder of command at most clinics. |
| Job Security | 9 | PTs have very good job security at most places. A few corporate locations tend to have a higher turnover, however. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | As a PT there is very good earning potential with up to $100,000/yr in a clinical setting. Acute care and home health offers even more earning potential. |
| How Stressful | 8 | Physical therapy can be stressful, especially when dealing with paper work. Insurance companies can be very demanding and medicare is constantly monitoring to make sure you have proper documentation. |
| Task Variety | 6 | While a PT may see many of the same injuries, each patient is different. Every one who comes to be treated is a unique experience. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | Being a PT is "very cool." There is nothing like seeing a patient take their "first steps" again after a traumatic injury or seeing an athlete play the sport they love again. |
| Career Flexibility | 7 | PTs have a fairly flexible schedule. Most clinics are open only Mon-Fri from 8-5. Home health PTs have an even more flexible schedule if they choose. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | As a PT there is high demand for social interaction. PTs are always communicating with patients, MDs, and their staff. |
Job Title: Physical Therapist
Attended: Nova Southeastern • Davie, FL
Studied Physical Therapy (completion in 1999)
Highest relevant degree: Master's
• Submitted: 3/28/2012
"I own my own private physical therapy practice. Therefore, I am very satisfied and find my profession very rewarding."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 7 | It was a new program when I was there and therefore I think it needed some improvement. It just wasn't a solid program yet. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 5 | I am at the top as the owner. I can only expand the business, which I plan to do. |
| Job Security | 9 | Being the owner, I feel very secure. Although with healthcare reimbursement so shaky these days, I am not 100% certain I will always have the business. |
| Earnings Potential | 10 | As the owner, I can grow the business or shrink the business based on what I need or want as far as earnings go. |
| How Stressful | 7 | I have some stress managing the front office. Other than that, I really enjoy treating patients and that part is not stressful. |
| Task Variety | 10 | Every patient has a different issue and no two patients are the same. That provides a lot of variation. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 9 | I love what I do. Each patient brings a new challenge which is exciting to me. |
| Career Flexibility | 10 | I make my own hours. Luckily, my practice is quite busy so I can work a lot of hours if needed. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | I am treating patients 100% of the time, so there is constant one on one interaction. |
Job Title: Physical Therapist
Attended: University Of Utah • Salt Lake City, UT
Studied Physical Therapy (completion in 2014)
Highest relevant degree: Doctorate
• Submitted: 3/29/2012
"I've been studying physical therapy and the human body for years. It is everything I am about and I can really identify with it. I've worked very hard to get where I am. I am very satisfied with my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | U of U has an amazing medical program. The Department of Physical Therapy is one of the best. Professors are excellent. Top notch. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | For me in particular, I run my own practice. This means I can't get "promoted." However, if you are going into physical therapy and you, let's say, work as an assistant, you don't have too much room to move up, unless you start your own practice. |
| Job Security | 10 | I run my own practice. As long as people have injuries, I will be in business. |
| Earnings Potential | 10 | When I started out in the Central Utah Clinic, I was making a lot of money. That was my first job out of school. Now I am making much more money running my own practice. There is great potential for earnings. |
| How Stressful | 8 | When you have a patient who struggles and struggles and STRUGGLES, yeah, it can get stressful. Especially patients you need to teach to walk again, that can get really draining. What's most draining is that you need to keep an upbeat positive attitude so they don't get discouraged. The job is part health care provider, part motivational speaker. |
| Task Variety | 10 | No 2 patients are the same. You might be working with the same exact injury, but each patient requires different attention, which means different tasks every single day. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 6 | I wouldn't say physical therapy is the coolest profession, but I won't say it's not pretty cool. I love what I do and I think it's cool, but I'm not sure what others might think. |
| Career Flexibility | 10 | I make my own hours. It's very flexible. It gives me time to be with my family. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | Physical therapy is working with people. I am meeting new people every day. I'm making relationships with people all the time. It's a very social environment. |
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