What education did you get for Physical Therapist?
#physical-therapist
2 answers
Nija Jackson, MSW, LCSW
Nija’s Answer
Hi Char-Lee,
If you have a desire to be a physical therapist, you can pursue a four degree in physical therapy or a related field such as biology, kinesiology, exercise science, excercise physiology, psychology, allied health and health sciences. Most jobs want you to have a graduate degree in Physical Therapy after you obtain an undergraduate degree.
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Kathy’s Answer
Both of my kids have health degrees- one graduated from PT school about 3 years ago and one is currently working in college athletics. I have learned a lot from them and from being part of their college experiences and career journeys. I hope the information below is helpful to you .
Since about 2015 physical therapists (PT) are required to earn a DPT or Doctor of Physical Therapy. This will require you get a bachelors degree followed by a 3 year graduate program. PT’s diagnose and treat everything from sports injuries to back pain to concussions and post surgical rehabilitation. Getting into PT school is very very competitive so you will want to get excellent college grades to get into a program of your choice.
You can also consider a career as a PT assistant or aid or an athletic trainer which do not require a doctorate.
Other interesting jobs are Occupational and Speech therapists. These are important health professional roles, they pay nearly as well as PTs, and only require a Masters degree.
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