Physical Therapy Prerequisites Necessary for Students
Anyone who decides to become a physical therapist must go through a rigorous educational and training program. There are physical therapy prerequisites required before students can gain acceptance into such a program. Also there are educational and training requirements that must be met in order to obtain a physical therapy license.
While the requirements may be a little different depending on your state, they are similar in many ways. For example a college education at an accredited facility is a must.
Most schools require a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree and certain courses to be completed before admittance can be gained into the physical therapist training program. For example,
at Duke University a student must complete a certain number of hours in Biological Science, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Psychology, Social Science and Humanities — and that’s just to get into the educational program. The physical therapy program itself is far more challenging than the prerequisite courses which is one reason they are necessary.
Some students interested in physical therapy as a career begin as an assistant, which also requires college education and state licensure. However it takes less time and effort to become an assistant than it takes to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Assistants help therapists with most every aspect of treatment, and keep track of patient data to report progress to the therapist. They are paid well for their services in most places of employment and although they don’t make as much as therapists they make more than aides. Whether your plan is to become a therapist or an assistant the earlier you begin pursuing your education in this field the better.
This means if you are in high school and already know you want to work in physical therapy, you should speak to your school counselor in charge of college preparation assistance. He or she can help you learn more about physical therapy prerequisites in your state, help you find the best school for your academic and career goals, and answer any questions you may have about the college application process.
If you are a college student, your advisor can direct you towards the classes you should be taking if you want to focus on physical therapy as a career.
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