Become a Physical Therapy Assistant - Top Four Tips for a Successful Career

Have you always had a flair for helping people? Then you can do even more by becoming a physical therapy assistant. Through this concise guide, you will learn four tips that will not only help you start your career in this field, but will also ensure you of making it a successful one.

Tip # 1) Learn your responsibilities.

You need to understand this job to be able to succeed. You will be asked to perform duties that are similar to those of a physical therapist. This means that you will conduct therapeutic exercises and provide massages. However, because your main duty is to help the physiotherapist, you will be in charge of observing patients and evaluating their progress. Plus, as a physical therapy assistant, you may also perform clerical duties like ordering supplies and completing forms.

Tip # 2) Understand what you, a physical therapist and a physical therapist aid do.

To avoid any mix ups, you should understand the job descriptions of a physical therapist and physical therapist aid. A physical therapist will help patients with therapeutic exercises and massages. He/she will design the patient's rehabilitation therapy and works with him/her for weeks, months or even years. An assistant will be supervised by the therapist while performing treatments. As for an aid, his/her duties differ from those of a physical therapy assistant. An aid helps in making therapy sessions more productive, keeps the treatment area clean, and prepares the patient for therapy. An aid is also supervised by the physiotherapist, but he/she may report to the assistant.

Tip # 3) Choose the right training for you.

Choosing the right training program is one of the factors that can affect your employment chances and expected salary. You need to enroll in an associate's degree in physical therapist assisting to be allowed to practice. However, make sure that the program is an accredited physical therapy assistant program. Call the institute offering this training and ask whether it is accredited or not. Also, make sure that your curriculum includes basic medical sciences and other general education courses.

Tip # 4) Ask around for your state's licensing requirements.

In most states, all you need to start practicing as a physiotherapist's assistant is an associate's degree from an accredited program. However, you should always check whether your state requires that you have a specific license to practice. At most, you may have to sit for a state examination, earn a CPR and First Aid certificate, and complete a physical therapy assistant internship.

With these tips, your career as a physical therapy assistant is going to be smoothly paved out for you.