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Physical Therapy/Therapist

Program Description

Just the Facts

Physical Therapy/Therapist. A program that prepares individuals to evaluate, examine, diagnose, and alleviate physical functional impairments and limitations caused by injury or disease through the design and implementation of therapeutic interventions to promote fitness and health. Includes instruction in anatomy, behavioral sciences, biology, biomechanics, biophysical agents, care plan development and documentation, cellular histology, clinical evaluation and measurement, clinical reasoning, communication, exercise physiology, kinesiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, pathology, physiology, professional standards and ethics, rehabilitation psychology, and therapeutic exercise.

This program is available in these options:

  • Associate degree
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Graduate Certificate
  • Master's degree
  • Doctoral degree

High School Courses

See the high school courses recommended for programs in this career cluster:

See the high school courses recommended for programs in this pathway:


Related Careers

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Related Programs

Often similar programs have different names. Be sure to explore all your options.

Additional Information

If you want to pursue a medical career without going to medical school, consider a degree in physical therapy. It's the health-care profession that measures, maintains and restores physical mobility.

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) no longer accredits undergraduate degrees. That means you'll need at least a master's degree to work in this field.

Tom Overend works with a university school of physical therapy. Entrance requirements at his school include a bachelor's degree in any field; courses in human physiology, biology and statistics; and 50 hours of work with people who have physical or cognitive problems.

Other schools do not require an undergraduate degree. Some schools allow direct entry from high school. Northeastern University offers a program like that. It takes six years to complete.

Other schools offer "three-plus-three" programs. Consider the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Students there take three years of pre-professional courses before going through three years of professional education.

Whatever program you choose, you can expect to spend between five and seven years in school. And you will spend lots of time outside the classroom in clinical internships, which vary in length.

A degree in physical therapy does not guarantee employment, though. Graduates must also pass state exams.

So how can high school students prepare for a physical therapy degree?

"They need to get the strongest science background they can," says Claudette Finley. She is an associate professor of physical therapy at the University of Florida.

"They need all those really hard biology, chemistry and physics [courses] that are offered in high school so it gives them a solid foundation for taking these courses in college....A person must have a high GPA [grade point average] to qualify for most programs throughout the country," she adds.

They should also volunteer or work as an aide in a physical therapy department to find out if they would enjoy the field, says Finley. They need to find out if they can interact with patients on a daily basis.

Nursing homes and sports teams are also good places to volunteer.

Expect to spend a fair bit of money on textbooks.


Links

Occupational Outlook Handbook
For more information related to this field of study, see: Physical Therapists

Physical Therapy -- The Web Space
Links to texts, organizations, schools and chat sites

PT Central
A one-stop source of physical therapy information and services

PhysicalTherapist.com
From job postings to courses, this site has everything!

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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