A great job for anyone who likes working with people, a physical therapist works with patients to help them recover movement after an accident, surgery or illness. Physical therapists work with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to plan a patient's rehabilitation therapy, and then they work with the patient for as long as it takes to achieve the desired level of rehabilitation through exercise, massage and other treatments. There are a few simple steps involved in becoming a physical therapist – or an occupational therapist, which is a similar field:
1. Get a solid background in science and math. Physical and occupational therapy are science-based disciplines.
2. Make sure you’re ready for a job that involves a lot of personal interaction with patients. Physical therapists are very hands-on people, working with patients who are often in pain and bed-ridden. People skills are essential.
3. Get in shape. Physical and occupational therapy are physically demanding jobs.
4. Go to school. To become a physical therapist, you’ll need a bachelor’s or a master's degree in physical therapy. The course of study will include science courses like chemistry, biology and physics. If you’re still in high school and thinking about a physical therapy career, you should start taking science courses now, and get good grades.
5. Research the job and find current information about physical therapy careers and advancements. The website for the American Physical Therapy Association at apta.org has all the most up-to-date information, including a list of accredited schools and how to contact them for admissions requirements, deadlines and other information.
6. Keep getting good grades. There are only so many slots for students in physical therapy programs, and priority is given to students with high grade point averages. Once you finish school, your accomplishments while training can give you an advantage when finding a job.
7. Improve those people skills. As mentioned before, this is a career that involves a lot of direct contact with patients, many of whom are elderly, sick, anxious or frustrated, and part of the physical therapist’s job is to keep the patient’s spirits up and promote a positive attitude towards their therapy. You’ll have to talk to the patients’ families, too, about exercise and therapy when you’re not around.
8. Call or write to your local healthcare facilities, and ask about job opportunities for physical therapists. Hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, assisted care facilities and private therapy practices should all have an idea of how many openings they’ll be having in the near future. If you have an idea of where you’d like to work, try to set up your internship there before you graduate – when the time comes to get hired, you’ll already have your foot in the door.
9. Get your degree, and then get your license. After graduation, you’ll be required to also pass a board examination to get a license to practice as a physical therapist. You should know your states licensing requirements before you complete your studies, so you’ll be prepared.
10. Choose a specialization, if that’s the direction you want your career to take. Physical therapists can specialize in orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics or even sports medicine. Additional training may be required for specialization, and you may need an additional degree or certification. If you don’t know, you can always choose a specialty after you graduate.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree in another field of study, you can continue your education and enter a master’s program for physical therapy. There will also be continued training that you’ll need to take after you begin your career, to stay on top of the latest advancements and to keep your license current. You’ll also need to be in good physical condition, because it’s a physically demanding line of work – you’ll have to move patients around, lift, carry and squat. But if you’re equal to the demands of the job, physical therapy can be a rewarding career.
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