Physical Therapy Assistants

Check out ChoosePT.com, the official consumer Web site of the American Physical Therapy Association. It offers information about the careers of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, discusses a list of symptoms and conditions for which physical therapy professionals provide treatments, and provides other resources.

While still in high school, you can experience this work by getting summer or part-time employment or by volunteering in the physical therapy department of a hospital or clinic. Also, many schools, both public and private, have volunteer assistance programs for work with disabled students. You can also gain direct experience by working with disabled children in a summer camp.

These opportunities will provide you with direct job experience that will help you determine if you have the personal qualities necessary for this career. If you are unable to get direct experience, you should talk to a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant during career-day programs at your high school. It may also be possible for you to arrange to visit a physical therapy department, watch the staff at work, and ask questions.