Choosing the Best School to Become a Physical Therapist

Medical professionals who treat physical dysfunctions and injuries affecting normal body movements, by applying varied methods of exercise and rehabilitation are called physical therapist. Physical therapists are also known as physiotherapists. They are practitioners in the healthcare industry who perform their job alongside patients to help them lessen the pain of their injury while restoring the patient's ability to move. To put it simply, physical therapists assist patients in the prevention of more body damage through regular exercise and healthy lifestyle. If your wish is to practice physical therapy in the future, your first step involves finding a fine school that can give you exceptional training course and program.

Before you can enroll for a program in a graduate school, you need to finish a course with a bachelor's degree. Whatever degree course it is would do as far as it includes related courses in science and math. When you choose a degree program, it must contain anatomy, chemistry, biology, and physics. In addition an experience working as a physiotherapy volunteer in hospitals or clinics can be a big advantage because usually, this is required by physical therapy schools to student applicants getting a graduate degree program.

There are post-graduate programs with accreditation from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). As a standard requirement, you need to complete at least one of them to become a physical therapist. Basically, you may need two years and six months to get a master's degree, while you have three years for a doctorate degree.

A residency program is required after you have earned a graduate degree in a physiotherapy school that is accredited. The APTA requires a residency program of about 1500 hours of practicing physical therapy in a hospital or clinic at least 9 months to 3 years. A resident in such programs must work under the apprenticeship of accredited physical therapists. The tasks residents are permitted to perform are evaluating and diagnosing patients while simultaneously undergoing specialty training.

The practice of physical therapy is only allowed if the professional has obtained a license. Most states differ in their licensing requirements. Applicants need to show they have completed a graduate degree program in an accredited physical therapy school to be considered a legit candidate by the states. The test that must be passed by would-be physical therapists in America is the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTA). The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy facilitates this exam.

You might want to see yourself becoming a specialist in your professional horizon. The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) grants certifications for such options. Specialties are usually categorized in the field of geriatrics, orthopedics, neurology, and sports. It is necessary that physical therapists who would like to get specialization must already have their license. Plus, they must have practiced their profession at least three months in their chosen specialty.