Getting a feel for a career as a physical therapist by starting in a physical therapy aide position is a route adopted by quite a few people. But that’s only a small beginning step in this field. There are rigorous physical therapist prerequisites required of students desiring to enroll in an authorized curriculum.

It’s an absolute must that a potential physical therapist undergo a thorough educational and training program. Not only are there prerequisites required before students can gain acceptance a college level program, there are also  instructional and coaching requirements that must be met so as to obtain a physical therapy license. Whereas the requirements might be slightly different from state to state, they’re comparable in many ways. For instance a school education at an accredited facility is a must.

Most schools require a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree and certain programs to be accomplished prior to gaining admittance into the physical therapist training program. For example, at Duke University a pupil must complete a specified number of hours in Biological Science, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Psychology, Social Science and Humanities — and that is simply to get into the academic program. The physical therapy program itself is far tougher than the prerequisite programs which is one reason they’re necessary.

Some college students serious about a physical therapy career begin as an assistant, which also requires school education and state licensure. Nevertheless it takes less time and effort to grow to be an assistant than it takes to turn into a Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Assistants assist therapists with almost all aspects of therapy and record and tract patient data to report progress to the therapist. They are paid quite well for their service in most locations of employment and although they do not make as much as therapists they do earn more than aides. Whether or not your plan is to develop into a therapist or an assistant, the sooner you begin pursuing your education in this field, the better.

This means if you’re in high school and already know you want to work in physical therapy, it’s best to discuss your plans with your college counselor and seek his or her assistance. He or she might help you learn more about physical therapy prerequisites in your state, enable you discover the best faculty for your educational and profession goals, and answer any questions you could have in regards to the school entrance process.

While you are in school, your advisor can guide to the courses you should be taking if you wish to concentrate on physical therapy as a career.