Becoming a Physical Therapist Hard?
I think all of the above answers have good intentions, but most of the information presented above is outdated. First, in the US, it does require either a master's or doctorate level program. Total completion from freshman year to completion is typically 6-7 years...but it also depends on how long it takes you to finish your BS and the prerequistie courses. Next, regarding difficulty, let's just say that it is typically a competitive entry program. Most programs have limited, competitive enrollment. That means that just because you complete the prerequsite courses and make the minimum GPA, does not guarantee admission. For instance, where I went to school, a minimum GPA of 3.0 was required, however, of those admitted into the program, the average GPA was 3.6...and no one was lower than 3.4. Historically speaking, PT programs admit about 10-20% of qualified applicants. Yet, enrollment has been lower than it was 10 years ago, therefore it may be easier or harder depending on the number of people applying. Entrance into an MS and DPT program usually have similar standards (other than you must complete your BS or BA prior to applying to the DPT program...whereas some MS programs can be entered before your degree is complete.) The programs are generally rigerous...students spend as much as 30-40 hours a week in the classroom or clinic. It really becomes like a full-time job. However, the students who are admitted to the program generally do well with some hard work. A few students always drop out after the first semester, but that soon stabilizes. As far as differences between the MS and the DPT program, they are slight, but definetely apparent. The APTA DOES recognize the distinction between the two (whereas the BS and MS were considered the same when the MS first came out). The DPT has MORE emphasis on pharmacology, differential diagnosis, radiology, and research as compared to the MS. Your skills in chem, math, English and physics should give you a good basis for applying to the program. It is certainly a challenging and time consuming education, but I would not equate it with medical doctorate training which is definetely more rigerous.
How do i become a physical therapist?
First, I would like to say that if you have any inkling of becoming a PT, do not become a PTA first...you will only wast time doing so. Many people think that the PTA degree is a stepping stone to becoming a PT...but that just isn't so. None of the classes transfer, and the prerequisites that are required for entrance into a PT program are not required for the PTA degree...therefore, you still need to complete these. If you want to become a PT, I suggest you start at a community college or a university with a BS specific major that will encompass the courses you need to take to get into the graduate level program...kinesiology, movement sciences and biology are all "typical" majors. As you near completion of your BS, you will apply for entrance into a graduate level program. Entrance is typically competitive; but although many people say that you need a 4.0 to gain entrance, minimum requirement is typically a 3.0 in your prerequisite courses. The average GPA of students actually admitted into the program however, is typically about 3.5. If you are accepted into the graduate phase of the program, it will typically be another 3 years of school. In all, it typically takes about 6-7 years to become a PT. If you plan to go to school first to become a PTA, plan on 2 years to complete that; and then you will start over with your prerequisites and BS courses which would take you another 4 years and then PT courses for another three years. This would take you close to 9-10 years to become a PT (that's why it makes more sense to begin the track for PT right away). The APTA website mentioned by jansoddy is a good site to learn more.
How To Become A Physical Therapist?
You cannot major in physical therapy, it is, as you eluded to, a graduate degree. Nearly all programs are now DPT degrees (about 95%) and the few MPT programs that exist are in the process of converting to the DPT. As an undergraduate, you major in anything you wish, but you still have to complete the prerequisites required by the graduate school you wish to attend. Therefore, most students choose a major that encompasses a lot of those courses. Kinesiology and exercise science are popular choices. It will depend on what your undergraduate school offers and what courses that include as part of that major. In all, a PT degree typically takes about 7 years. There are fast track programs where you enter the "pre-professional" phase as a freshman and are guaranteed acceptance into the grad program as long as you maintain a certain GPA. This allows you to enter the professional phase by your senior year, resulting in a DPT after only 6 years. St. Louis U is an example of this type of program. Best wishes.
Is it hard to become a physical therapist?
How amusing that none of the answers are given by actual physical therapists.It’s not impossible but it is not easy either. These days you need to obtain a Clinical Doctorate. A DPT. It’s way easier than a PhD. But it is significantly more expensive than a BS which I obtained 35 years ago. How fulfilling depends on your work environment. If you choose outpatient and follow the money (to pay off the exorbitant education costs) and join the corporate models (ATI, Athletico and others) you will probably be burned out in less than 5 years. Home health seems better by t it’s not. Since almost all of healthcare is for profit, you will not be treated as a professional. You will be pressured to see more patients, do exorbitant amounts of paperwork and come close to committing fraud regularly. Decision making will be taken out of your hands but you will be held accountable for it. It has changed dramatically in my time and so my best advice would be to take a job either with a small practice, a teaching hospital or a school system. Otherwise, you’ll join a profession that is lacking in elder practitioners because by they quit early secondary to burnout.
Is becoming a Physical Therapist worth the cost?
That is the debate in the PT world. I have a DPT but I have been a PT almost 20 years. I originally got a BS in PT and then got a DPT in 2005. I love what I do. It is a profession htat you treat the whole body and the lifespan. You can treat and infant in a neonatal care unit, an athlete, a back injury, a trauma victim, a total knee replacement, a stroke, and geriatrics and much much more. You can work in a hospital, school, outpt clinic, aquatic facility, nursing home, research center, home care, and much much more. You learn differential diagnosis, cardiology, pulmonology, orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, radiology, integument, research, education, clinical science, kinsiology, neural science, motor learning, pharmacology, business, law and ethics, and again much much more. Unfortunately, you did not make this decision as a freshman. Many school offer a 3+3 program. 6 years total. Many state schools offer a DPT which is definately cheaper. You can still get a MS in PT but it is getting harder and harder to find as the professional organization has mandated that all school become DPT by 2020. Most schools have already started the conversion. PT work full time. Many work a part time job as well esp as a new grad. Because of the shortage of PTs, many facilites are oftering sign on bonuses and loan forgiveness. Most clinical professionals have gone the doctorate route--chiropratic, pharmacy and PT. OT will eventually go there as well I believe. Best wishes
Is it harder to become a nurse or physical therapist?
The US physical therapist (PT) tends to have a very high level of autonomy that I’ve yet to see in other areas especially in my own area, where PTs are more or less tied to physicians’ beck and call to technically function and fulfill their roles.Regardless, a physical therapy program has extensive and sometimes grueling runs of sessions on anatomy and physiology, most especially on the musculo-skeletal system which they specifically act and make interventions on. While nursing would also require a sound and working knowledge of human body parts and functions, physical therapists are expected to emphasize on bone and muscle, down to the last fiber as it tends to necessarily end up.Because of this, you should be able to see that nursing tends to provide concepts on health science more broadly compared to physical therapy that tends to zero in on its special interventions supported by also specific theories.
Do you have to be really smart to become a physical therapist?
No. Not in the high IQ sort of way. If you are book smart and not peoples oriented you will not be happy. Here is my “must be” list for physical therapists.1.Passionate about being a person who can help others improve their lives. Be able to make someone else the most important person in the world for the time you are caring for him.2.Driven to learn lots of information about the human body and therapeutic approaches so you can be equipped to work in healthcare and help your fellow man and woman.3.Somewhat altruistic. Not motivated by money. The pay is fine but you can make more in a different field with similar education.4.Patient. You spend a lot of time learning, waiting to get into PT school, studying for boards… Then you wait for nurses to get your patients out of bed, doctors to call, reports to get read…5. Creative. Motivate a teenager to do his home program. Convince an 89 years old woman to get out of bed and exercise after major surgery. Get a 5 years old child to think that triceps presses are fun.6. Write without making glaring grammatical and spelling errors. Try to be concise yet descriptive.7. Friendly and engaging. Decent conversationalist. Good listener.