Become a Physical Therapist

This article provides an overview of things you might be interested in knowing if you were thinking about becoming a physical therapist.

Physical therapists work with patients who have suffered physical disabilities as the result of an accident or a disease. Together with doctors and other medical professionals, they design a patient''s rehabilitation therapy and implement the therapy with the patient over a course of time which may last weeks, months, or even years. The goal of the therapist is to help the patient restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and limit or prevent permanent physical disability. In developing the therapy program, the therapist will first examine the patient''s medical history and then follow up with a series of tests that may include strength, range of motion, motor function, balance and coordination, posture, respiration, and muscle performance. They typically prescribe and monitor various sets of exercises for the patient and will continually document the patient''s progress. Most physical therapists work in hospitals or clinics devoted to physical therapy.

Education, Certification, Licensing

The minimum educational requirement for a physical therapist in today''s world is a bachelor''s degree, although a master''s degree is highly preferable. Degree programs in physical therapy are offered at an increasingly large number of schools accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). These programs typically begin by covering the basic sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, and physics) and then move on to more advanced courses, such as biomechanics, human growth and development, manifestations of disease, examination techniques, and therapeutic procedures.

Every state has a licensing requirement for physical therapists. In addition to a degree, most states require therapists to pass a national and/or state licensure exam. A computer-based exam required by all states is administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). The exam, known as the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), is scored and graded by the FSBPT, who then transmits the score to the state licensing authority.

This article on physical therapy schools and jobs has been provided courtesy of City Town Info.