Is Physical Therapy a Good Career?

With an amazing job outlook expected to increase by approximately 40% through 2020 and $60,000 average starting salary, physical therapy is a good career choice for many.

Physical therapy has an excellent job outlook and can be a good career choice if you’re interested in movement science, have a compassionate heart, and want to work in the health care field with people of all different ages and backgrounds.

Physical therapists use exercise and various types of treatment including hydrotherapy and heat therapy to restore movement and functionality in their patients. These therapeutic specialists are usually employed by medical centers, sports medicine clinics, outpatient rehabilitation facilities and private physician practices. The mean salary for Physical Therapists is a little over $76,000 per year according to Salary.com. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics states that employment for PT’s will increase by 39 percent over the next 10 years.

Career Definition: Physical Therapy

Physical therapy involves the evaluation of patients with afflictions (injuries or diseases) that impede normal movement or range of motion. After patient assessment an organized plan of treatment is developed for the patient to increase movability, alleviate pain, improve strength, and reduce or protect against further problems.

3 Requirements For Becoming an Physical Therapist

The following sections go over the requirements needed to become a Physical Therapist.

Education

Currently, there are over 200 physical therapy schools in the United States that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Nearly all of these programs offer Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degrees. By 2020, a doctoral degree will be the required entry-level degree to become a physical therapist. DPT degree programs take approximately 3 years to complete.

The typical physical therapy program curriculum begins with fundamental biological and physical science classes and then goes into more concentrated courses, including biomechanics, kinesiology, exercise physiology, neurology, human growth and development and pathology, and subsequently applied science studies in physical therapy evaluation methods, and therapeutic treatments. Aside from receiving in-class and lab instruction, students go through monitored clinical or “hands-on” experience.

Some or all of the following undergraduate subjects are required for applying to a physical therapy graduate program: human anatomy, physiology, chemistry, exercise science, kinesiology, biomechanics, sociology, statistics and physics. Prior to considering acceptance of applicants, numerous programs call for experience - volunteer or shadowing - in a physical therapy unit of a medical facility or rehabilitation clinic.

Professional Credentials

Every state necessitates physical therapists to graduate from a CAPTE-accredited PT program and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) to become qualified by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) to practice. Each state has it’s own board or organization that oversees the practice of physical therapy and may require an additional state-specific licensing exam or requirement.