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what are all the education steps to becoming a physical therapist?

what are all the education steps to becoming a physical therapist

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Cynthia’s Answer

It's great that you are thinking ahead about this. Others have given you answers to your question about the education needed. I will add some suggestions. It is important to check websites of graduate PT programs that may interest you, as programs may have different requirements regarding what courses you must complete in your undergraduate program to be considered for the program. Also, admissions to the graduate program is highly competitive. Be sure to go to an undergraduate program where you will be able to get top grades in your classes. The admissions committee also likes to see a demonstrated interest in the field. During your undergraduate years, it is a good idea to get a job and/or do volunteer work that relate to the field of physical therapy.
Good luck!
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Karin’s Answer

Hi Viola,

To become a physical therapist, you need to earn the degree Doctor of Physical Therapy from an accredited program and pass the licensure exam that your state requires.

There are different paths to get there:
Some programs require that you earn a bachelors degree first before you apply to the 3-year DPY program.
Some programs have a 3+3 format where the undergrad and graduate education are combined into one program.
Some programs offer entry right out of high-school. Admission to the graduate phase is theoretically "guaranteed" but is still contingent on satisfactory performance during the undergraduate phase.

There is a centralized application service. And just like with medical school, there are pre-requisites that must be fulfilled before you apply to DPT school:

https://www.apta.org/your-career/careers-in-physical-therapy/pt-admissions-process

You need to research each school that you are considering to find out what the pre-requisites are to get correct and timely information.

I hope this helps! All the best to you!

KP

Karin recommends the following next steps:

https://www.apta.org/your-career/careers-in-physical-therapy/becoming-a-pt
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm
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Nimi’s Answer

I agree with all of the answers above! I’m going to offer a few more specific ideas. For your bachelor’s degree (first 4 years of college, undergraduate) some areas to consider majoring in are majors like Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Biology, Health Science, and Psychology. These typically align well with the requirements for DPT school (post graduate). When applying for DPT schools, they look for experience in a physical therapy setting (observation hours, PT aide, shadowing, volunteering, etc) and a good GRE score as well as strong letters of recommendations. But, as others mentioned, be sure to look at specific schools and their requirements.
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Donna’s Answer

In the U.S., to become a PT, you will need to complete an undergrad degree, usually taking 4 years. Then you can apply to PT schools that will then be an additional 2.5-3 years finishing with a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. A DPT is the "entry-level" degree needed to practice physical therapy. Some schools that have DPT programs have "bridge" programs for those who get undergrad degrees at the same school that may decrease the time by a semester or two but often a student has to pre-qualify for those programs and adhere to GPA requirements to keep that pre-qualification.
Best of luck!
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