Career and School Info for Physical Therapists

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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:

  • Accreditation - Is the program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)? Accreditation helps ensure a quality education and is required for graduates to take licensure examinations.
  • Tuition and financial assistance - According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), tuition in 2008 for PT programs averaged over $11,000 for public in-state schools; over $21,000 public out-of-state schools; and over $25,000 for private schools. Find out what types of program-specific scholarships, as well as grants, work / study and student loan options are available.
  • Time to Graduation - How long does it take to graduate? APTA reports that masters programs average two years and doctorates three years. Some schools may take less or more time. The University of Iowa for instance has a 2.5 year doctorate (DPT).
  • Career goals and focus - What areas of specialization appeal to the student? With what types of clients, such as athletes, the disabled, children or the elderly does the student wish to work? Does the program offer comprehensive course offerings in these areas? If not sure of interests, does the program offer a wide variety of specializations?
  • Graduate success - What percentage of graduates were successfully certified? For reference, graduates of the highly ranked University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Therapy consistently achieve a near-perfect pass rate on licensing exams. How many program graduates obtain employment in their field? During a recent three year time frame all graduates of the University of Utah PT program seeking employment are working as physical therapists.
  • Graduation rate - What percentage of students graduate? For reference, 95 percent of University of Delaware students graduate from the physical therapy program, (PT program has been ranked #4 by U.S. News and World Report).
  • Practical experience/internships - How long is the internship? For example, the University of Pittsburgh offers a one-year internship, (PT program has been ranked #2 by U.S. News and World Report). The Arcadia University PT program includes a part-time clinical experience during the first year and 34 weeks of full-time clinical education (PT program has been ranked #7 by U.S. News and World Report). According to the American Association of Physical Therapy Association (APTA), 80% of a doctorate curriculum is classroom and lab based and 20% clinical, with students on average spending over 27 weeks in their final clinical sessions. Internships are very important - students achieve competency during their internship.
  • Class size - Is the student-teacher ratio for entering classes sufficiently small? For reference: 36 students per class in the PT program at the University of Iowa with 12 primary faculty members and 50 per class with 13 faculty members in the Arcadia University program, (both programs are highly rated).
  • Clinical rotation of internships - Are there diverse clinical rotations to choose from? For example, at the highly ranked University of Pittsburgh the PT program offers the following clinical rotations: acute care, geriatrics, pediatrics, sports medicine, short-term and long-term rehabilitation, orthopedics and a variety of clinical specialties such as women's health, industrial rehab, neuro rehab and spine care.

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

 

  • Home Care Physical Therapist
  • Kinesiotherapist
  • Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant (LPTA)
  • Outpatient Physical Therapist
  • Pediatric Physical Therapist
  • Physical Therapist (PT)
  • Physiotherapist
  • Pulmonary Physical Therapist
  • Registered Physical Therapist (RPT)
  • Rehabilitation Services Director
  • Sports Physical Therapist
  • Staff Physical Therapist
  • Treatment Coordinator