Physical Therapy School
More than 200 physical therapy schools in the United States train students at the master's and doctoral level. Students can earn degrees such as the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT), Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). Most of these programs require a bachelor's degree before admission. A few programs, however, allow qualified and motivated high school graduates to begin a combined undergraduate/graduate training course. Physical therapy degrees take approximately three years to complete. Students need to take various scientific and medical courses, including biology/anatomy, pharmacology, exercise physiology and neuroscience. In addition, they need to take courses in communication, management sciences, finance and sociology to learn about interaction with patients and the business side of this profession.
When applying to physical therapy schools, applicants need to make sure these programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Otherwise, they will not be permitted to take the American Physical Therapy Association's licensing exam after graduation. Graduates may then complete a specialized training program or residency in an area such as sports medicine.
In addition to physical therapy schools that offer advanced degrees, many community colleges and private schools provide programs to become a physical therapy assistant. This particular position is one of the fastest growing professions in the country and requires only a two-year associate's degree before beginning to practice.
Physical Therapy School Factors
To become a physical therapist, one must seek a post-baccalaureate degree from one of the nearly 500 accredited physical therapy schools in the United States. A physical therapist must graduate from an accredited physical therapy school before he can sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination, or the State Board of Physical Therapy exam.
A good place to start looking at the different physical therapy schools is on the American Physical Therapy Association website www.apta.org. This independent organization maintains an up-to-date list of all accredited physical therapy schools.
Physical therapy schools often maintain undergraduate allied health and science degree programs to act as feeder groups to their master’s and doctoral degree programs. These undergraduate programs provide students with the science and clinical backgrounds to pursue careers as a physical therapy assistant, or to successfully gain admittance to an advanced degree program.
In addition to obvious factors such as price, convenience, accreditation, and entrance requirements, the following factors should be considered when evaluating physical therapy schools:
- Student/teacher ratio. Low student/teacher ratios will be helpful particularly for clinical courses and experiences.
- Percentage of graduates successful in passing the state board exams. Most physical therapy schools keep statistics on the number of students who successfully pass the state board examinations. This information correlates to the quality of a school’s curriculum and teaching staff, and helps determine whether the school is adequately preparing students for the examination.
- Observation requirements. Physical therapy schools differ in observation requirements. Many physical therapy schools require fifty hours of clinical experience or observation, while others may require as many as one hundred hours.
- Job placement. Does the school offer job placement assistance? Do local hospitals and private physical therapy organizations recruit from the school?