Get Training to Train Others: Physical Therapy Programs

June 27, 2005
by JJ Singh
Healthcare Programs Columnist

So you like the medical field, but you don't want to be a doctor or a nurse. If you have the people skills and find patient rehabilitation rewarding and exciting, then physical therapy is the perfect fit for you.

What Would I Be Doing?

Physical therapists help patients who have physical disabilities or who are suffering from an injury or debilitating disease. As a physical therapist, you will work to improve patient mobility, restore function of body parts, or prevent permanent disability.

Treatment of patients not only includes instructive exercise, but also a wide variety of tools you would have access to, such as:

Ultrasound for Pain and Swelling
Electrical Therapy for Stimulation
Hot and Cold compresses

How Do I get started?

While doctors have to go through seven years or more of postgraduate training (med school and residency), a physical therapy program is usually only three years - with the practical experience built into the program. All accredited programs offer a master's degree or a doctoral degree.

When choosing a physical therapy program, check to see that it provides a strong base in science courses (anatomy, biology, physics, etc) as well as plenty of clinical experience.

Physical Therapist Jobs

Demand for physical therapists is growing and as it does, so should their salaries. Currently, according to the US Department of labor, the median salary for a physical therapist is about $60,000. Physical therapist jobs in private practices make slightly more than those who work in hospitals.

As you can tell, physical therapy jobs pay well, the training is not too long, and you have a wide variety of responsibilities and functions. What are you waiting for? Pick a good program and you'll be off and running (or helping others run again).

Sources:

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm

About the Author JJ Singh is a recently returned Peace Corps Volunteer in South America where he encountered and wrote about innumerable health issues. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he earned a bachelor's degree in Economics.

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