The Educational Path Of Earning A Degree In Physical Therapy

If you would like to enter the health care field, and you enjoy working with people, a career as a physical therapist might be a good choice for you. In this field, you will help sufferers of debilitating physical illnesses recover, creating treatment plans to get them moving. To do so, you will work in offices with other physicians and aides. This career path will need a lot of dedication and hard work, as well as a college education and a license.

You will need a Bachelor's degree to continue your studies in physical therapy. Since Bachelor's degrees in this field are not often available, other majors in health sciences or interdisciplinary health and rehabilitation sciences are acceptable choices. There are some accelerated programs for students who would like to go straight through for their Master's in physical therapy. In addition, programs for those who have a four year degree in an unrelated field are also available, but may take longer.

Master's programs in physical therapy are readily available at many universities. They may be designed for students coming from a Bachelor's program in health, or students who received a Bachelor's degree in a different field. These degrees are good, but a doctorate is becoming the common expectation for physical therapists. You will take many courses that will provide you with an appropriate background on physical therapy and movement, such as orthopedics, pathokinesiology, and neurology. There may also be courses on certain groups, such as geriatrics, pediatrics, and more.

Like a medical doctor who receives an MD, a physical therapist must receive a DPT, or Doctor of Physical Therapy. These programs are available all over, and generally come in two forms. They may be transitional for students who are already practicing in the field and need to advance their careers. They may also be direct-entry, for those that can enter from non-physical therapy undergraduate and graduate degrees. Each program will thoroughly go over rehabilitative procedures, pathology, biomechanics, and more.

Licensing to become a physical therapist can be achieved through the passing of the NPTE, National Physical Therapy Examination, which is a difficult exam provided to ensure the knowledge and qualifications of future physical therapists. The NPTE is provided from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, where you can register for the test, pay a fee and take it after you graduate.

When you enter the field of physical therapy, you will be enjoying good pay, flexible positions, and plentiful job offerings. Employment is expanding rapidly - there is an expected increase of 30 percent. The pay usually ranges from $50,000 to $100,000, so it should be very lucrative. You can also plan on a very clean and pleasing work environment. The majority work in hospitals and doctors' offices, but other physical therapists work in outpatient care centers, nursing homes, and in private practice.

If you cannot afford or attend a lengthy doctoral degree program, you should consider going to school to become a physical therapist assistant. This only requires an Associate's degree, which you can find nearby in many two-year colleges. This degree will prepare you for clinical work and help you understand some of the common concepts in the field. Once you graduate from an accredited program, you can work closely with physical therapists and patients, providing exercise, training, and therapeutic methods.