Physical Therapists

High School

While you are in high school you can begin to prepare for this career by taking college preparatory classes, preferably advanced placement or honors courses to be a more competitive applicant. Your course work should include biology, chemistry, physics, health, and mathematics. Because so much of this work involves direct contact with clients, you should improve your people skills as well as your communication skills by taking psychology, sociology, English, and foreign lanugage classes.

Postsecondary Training

Physical therapists must have a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree. You should attend a doctoral program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education to receive the most thorough education. Visit https://www.capteonline.org/programs/accredited-physical-therapy-programs for a list of accredited programs. In addition to classroom instruction, students receive clinical experience via supervised fieldwork in such settings as hospitals, home care agencies, and nursing homes. The American Physical Therapy Association reports that "approximately 77 percent of the DPT curriculum is classroom (didactic) and lab study and the remaining 23 percent is dedicated to clinical education. Physical therapy students spend on average 22 weeks in their final clinical experience."

Certification

Some colleges and universities offer certificate programs in physical therapy and PT specialties. For example, Johns Hopkins Medicine offers an orthopaedic physical therapy certificate program. Additionally, the APTA offers certificates in persistent pain management; brain injury; primary care; and other fields. Certificate programs typically are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

The APTA—and organizations at the state and local levels—offer continuing education (CE) seminars, webinars, and other learning opportunities that allow therapists to keep their skills up to date and satisfy CE requirements for certification. Contact APTA and other organizations for more information.