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Physical Therapy Education FAQs
What school should I go to?
APTA doesn't rank schools or their programs, so we can't tell you which
one to go to. What we can tell you is which programs are accredited.
Graduating from an accredited program allows you to sit for the
licensure exam.
So, what's accreditation?
Accreditation is the extensive review process conducted by the
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) to
assure quality-both that the quality of your course work is high and
that the program produces people qualified to serve the public. In order
to take the licensure exam, you must have graduated from a
CAPTE-accredited program.
What should I consider when looking at schools/programs?
There's a lot to think about when comparing different programs and
finding the one that's right for you. For example:
- How far from home do you want to be?
- What size school and program do you want to attend?
- How much financial aid do you need and how much can you get?
- How many of the program's graduates pass the licensure exam on the
first try?
- How experienced are the faculty members? Are they members of APTA?
Do their areas of expertise match what you might want to do after
graduation?
- Is there a PT or PTA Student Club or other department
activities?
- Will the program link you with a mentor?
- What degree can you earn, and how long will you be in the
program?
- What kind of clinical experiences are provided for students? Where
are they located, and in what settings?
Do your homework! Talk with current students about their experiences.
Contact recent grads to see how quickly they passed the licensure exam
and how quickly they found a job.
What types of physical therapy degrees are there?
- PTA: Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) graduate from
universities, community colleges, or technical colleges with an
associate's degree after two years of study. PTAs work under the
direction of a physical therapist (PT). PTAs' duties can include
assisting in instructing patients in exercises and activities of daily
living (including physical modalities), using special equipment,
collecting data on the patient's progress, and documenting and reporting
on the patient's response. There are currently 234 PTA programs across
the country.
- PT: Professional (entry-level) physical therapist education
programs are offered at two degree levels: doctoral and master's.
- Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs: More and more
students are choosing to graduate with this entry-level degree. The
majority of DPT programs require students to enter with an undergraduate
degree, though some will admit students after three years of
undergraduate work, and a few admit students at the freshman level.
Students are in the program between six and nine semesters. As of
September 2005, there are 142 DPT programs across the country. APTA's
vision is that by the year 2020, the majority of practicing physical
therapists will possess a DPT degree.
- Master's degree (MPT, MSPT, MS) programs: On average, these
programs require that students have at least three years of
undergraduate work. However, some require students to enter with an
undergraduate degree, and some admit students at the freshman level.
Like the DPT programs, the students are in the program between six and
nine semesters. As of September 2005, there are 68 programs across the
country offering master's degrees.
Are there prerequisite courses for PT programs?
Prerequisites vary among programs. To be safe, check with the programs that you are interested in to see the
specific requirements. An APTA survey of schools found that more than
50% of PT programs require courses such as anatomy and physiology,
chemistry, physics, statistics, psychology, and general biology. Other
courses that may be required include English, social science,
humanities, computers, medical terminology, exercise physiology, human
development, kinesiology, organic chemistry, research methods, cell
biology, and pathology.
How can I help my chances of getting into a program?
If you're applying to a physical therapy program, it helps if you have a
high overall grade point average (GPA) and a high GPA in courses such as
biology, chemistry, and statistics. Admissions officers also look for
volunteer experience as a physical therapy aide, involvement in school
and community activities (e.g. sports, clubs, social organizations), a
history of leadership, letters of recommendation from physical
therapists or science teachers, and strong writing and interpersonal
skills.
Where can I find information on schools?
APTA can link you with the Web sites of all CAPTE-accredited
and developing PT and PTA schools across the country. Check out our map
of programs and you can virtually visit the schools you're interested
in.
Is the PTA program a stepping stone to a PT program?
In general, no. There are two "bridge" programs, one in California and
one in Ohio, that allow PTAs to work while going to school on weekends.
These programs award a Master's degree in Physical Therapy. PTA courses
are undergraduate-level classes, so they don't meet the graduate degree
requirements of PT courses. Additionally, there's not enough time in a
PTA program to complete the prerequisite courses required by PT
programs.
Where can I find financial aid information?
Additional resources are available from the financial aid office at the
school you're interested in, the public library, and online. Check out
these links with information for/about Financial Aid, Fastweb, US
Department of Education, Direct
Loans, IRS Education Tax
Credit, and College Parents of
America (CPA).
Who else can I talk to?
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