Becoming a Physical Therapist - Tips and Secrets
The following article provides a brief description of what it means to be a physical therapist. It also provides information and advice on how to get accepted into a physical therapy school. The article may be of interest to you if you are thinking of becoming a physical therapist. If you wish to comment on this article , please feel free to do so in the 'Wannabe PT' section of our Physical Therapy Forum. The topic of getting a physical therapy job once you have your degree will be covered in another article.
What does it mean to be a physical therapist / physiotherapist?
The scope of practice of a physical therapist varies greatly around the world. Physical therapists deal in areas such as wound care, geriatrics, respiratory / cardiopulmonary , orthopedics / musculoskeletal, home care, neurology, pediatrics, sports, and more. The variation in conditions treated and degrees of independence in practice vary dramatically. Even the preference for the terms physical therapy or physiotherapy, (and physical therapist or physiotherapist) differs around the world.
As noted on the APTA web site, the publisher of PT Magazine in October 1999, included an editorial that stated:
"Physical therapists are good people to know. They're educated in understanding the interaction of all your body parts. Their hands-on approach begins with examination, diagnosis, and treatment of the immediate problem. Then they teach you how to take care of yourself by showing you how to do exercises and how to use your body properly to gain strength and mobility and prevent recurring injury. You'll find them advising on proper posture and body motion in the work place, treating injuries, consulting on fitness, and administering physical therapy in the home. Today physical therapists provide help for every part of the body to everyone from infants to the elderly - more than 1 million people every day!"
The Salary of a Physical Therapist
According to salary.com the median expected salary for a typical Physical Therapist in the United States is $61,088.(salary.com) In North America you may see salaries varying anywhere from $25000 to $80000 a year, with some individuals able to command salaries in the 6 figures. In my experience the upper end of this spectrum is rarely achieved by 9 to 5 therapists working only with patients. In order to achieve a salary of that magnitude you usually have to be involved in other activities outside of patient treatment, such as teaching or owning a clinic.
Getting Accepted Into A Physical Therapy School
There are a large number of schools offering physical therapy degrees. For a list of many of the schools, please see our Schools section. Make sure you take the time to research the schools available to you. The primary thing to ensure is that the school(s) you are considering are accredited in your country. In the United States this accreditation can occur on either the federal or the state level
The application process for physical therapy schools is extremely varied and entrance in to physical therapy programs is very competitive. The marks required to even be considered for a spot in a program can be very high. In my experience the required marks can be higher than those required to get into a decent medical school. Every application process is different and descriptions of each of the possible aspects is beyond the scope of this article.
Comment On This Article
