Kristina
Is being a Physical Therapist worth all the schooling?
I am a senior, and have always been interested in helping people. When I broke my leg I had to do an extensive amount of physical therapy and I soon found out that I really enjoyed this field. I do understand that there is a lot of schooling behind becoming one. I know that this field is something Id enjoy but I am not looking forward to another eight to ten years of schooling. #doctor #physical-therapist #therapy #physical-therapy #phd #schooling
3 answers
Daniela Silva
Daniela’s Answer
Hi Kristina,
Professional (entry-level) physical therapist education programs in the United States only offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students who enroll. The Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) and Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) degrees are no longer offered to any new students in the United States. To practice as a physical therapist in the US, you must earn a physical therapist degree from a CAPTE- accredited physical therapist education program and pass a state licensure exam.
The length of professional DPT programs is typically 3 years. Primary content areas in the curriculum may include, but are not limited to, biology/anatomy, cellular histology, physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, pathology, behavioral sciences, communication, ethics/values, management sciences, finance, sociology, clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, cardiovascular and pulmonary, endocrine and metabolic, and musculoskeletal. Eighty percent (80%) of the DPT curriculum comprises classroom (didactic) and lab study and the remaining 20 percent (20%) is dedicated to clinical education. PT students spend on average 27.5 weeks in their final clinical experience.
In this link you can get more information:
http://www.apta.org/For_Prospective_Students/PT_Education/Physical_Therapist_(PT)_Education_Overview.aspx
All the Best !!
Bailey Benado
Bailey’s Answer
Hello Kristina,
You can also look into becoming a physical therapy assistant! You do most of the same work that PTs do, just work under them, they sign off on treatments you do, you get and give advice from each other on how to best help a patient, etc. It's definitely less schooling for the same type of work :).
Willy Reyes
Willy’s Answer
It is worth the schooling if you really want to pursue a career in physical therapy! On the financial side of it, you will spend more with physical therapy degree coz you'll spend more years to complete it. You can start by pursuing a career in physical therapy assistant. However, there are things that physical therapy assistant cannot do that physical therapist does. For instance, you cannot directly treat patient unless the physical therapist delegated the treatment to the PTA and the PT has initiated physical therapy evaluation. PTA's cannot performed evaluation and they cannot discharged patient or perform discharge summaries. By and large, both PT's and PTA' work with each other to accomplish the treatment goals for patients that we serve.