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How do people enter this profession?
I'm a senior at Brennan High school and i am interested in the medical field (Physical therapy) and i would like to know more about the process of becoming a physical therapist. #physical-therapy #physical-therapist #medicine #physical #therapy
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Raymond’s Answer
Hi:
The process of being a Physical Therapist is a long one.
Today to become a Physical Therapist one must get a DPT ( Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree)
What does this involve?
A short answer is "Alot"
I am not a PT . I am a college teacher at St. Francis College in Brooklyn NY.
I have successfully mentored a student from my college into getting accepted into a few DPT schools after he graduated from St Francis.
Currently he attends Touro College in Bayshore,Long Island, New York.
The journey is a difficult and challenging one and getting into a dpt school after college is very competitive.
First you should expect to have beter than a B average in college.
That is minimal.
An average of close to B+ is much better.
You must take 8 science courses..
All with labs
They are Anatomy, Physiology,
Biology1,Biology 2, Chemistry1, Chemisty2, Physics1 and Physics 2.
No grade can be lower than a C and the Dpt Schools expect better than a B aveage in these 8 science courses.
Statistics, Phychology,and one or 2 Math courses are required
Each school specifies the math courses and Phychology courses they require
O.K
More requirements
A) Most schools want you to take the GRE
And some schools have minimum scores in both the Quantitative Reasoning( Math) and English part.
There is also an Essay component which must meet each school's criteria
You may take this test more than once if you need to raise score
B) Shadowing or Intern Requirement.
Schools require this component.
Some require more hours than others.
My mentored student walked into Physical Therapy Centers...asked to intern and did actually a few thousand hours.
Schools don't require that much.But he did this component.
Some compensation was given to him.
Some schools require 2 different experiences.
C) Letters of Recommendation.
You must submit at least 2 letters
One from the physical Therapist you shadowed and one from a college teacher.
D) INTERVIEW: Most schools require an interview.
During this interview they may ask you questions about field to see if you are really the type person who will be there for the haul
E) Yea the DPT program is mostly 3 years after college graduation
Some schools have 3-3 program that takes 6 years instead of seven
Schools like Sacred Heart in Connecticut has this offering.
Others do also.
NOW ANOTHER COMPONENT
You do not apply to a dpt school dirctly.
You apply to a central application process who forwards your credentials( college transcript, gre scores.letters of reccommendation, intern experience.etc) to schools you wish to apply to.
This is called the PTCAS process.
Go to PTCAS on ur computer or cell phone.
They will actually list EVERY dpt school in the country and also tell you what each school requires.ESPECIALLY DEADLINES.
INFO LIKE REQUIRED AVEARAGE, GRE,
INTERN HOURS, COURSES, etc are specifically listed for each school.
Be sure to look at this .
Also 3-3 programs are listed.
You will need to look at this also througout your undergraduate years as the DPT requirements can change for some schools
COST:
Could be alot.
Some schools the 3 year cost can be $150,000
Some about 100,000
Some state schools are cheaper but also tougher to get in.
SUMMARY:
Yes this is now a competitive field.
It is a hard but rewarding journey if and only if YOU HAVE PASSION FOR THIS CAREER.
It is a high payinh job
Many options
And you will be more and more needed as the population ages
Also some xtra involvement helps with some DPT schools
LIKE CERTIFIED TRAINER ETC
OK GOOD LUCK
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH FURTHER QUESTIONS
The process of being a Physical Therapist is a long one.
Today to become a Physical Therapist one must get a DPT ( Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree)
What does this involve?
A short answer is "Alot"
I am not a PT . I am a college teacher at St. Francis College in Brooklyn NY.
I have successfully mentored a student from my college into getting accepted into a few DPT schools after he graduated from St Francis.
Currently he attends Touro College in Bayshore,Long Island, New York.
The journey is a difficult and challenging one and getting into a dpt school after college is very competitive.
First you should expect to have beter than a B average in college.
That is minimal.
An average of close to B+ is much better.
You must take 8 science courses..
All with labs
They are Anatomy, Physiology,
Biology1,Biology 2, Chemistry1, Chemisty2, Physics1 and Physics 2.
No grade can be lower than a C and the Dpt Schools expect better than a B aveage in these 8 science courses.
Statistics, Phychology,and one or 2 Math courses are required
Each school specifies the math courses and Phychology courses they require
O.K
More requirements
A) Most schools want you to take the GRE
And some schools have minimum scores in both the Quantitative Reasoning( Math) and English part.
There is also an Essay component which must meet each school's criteria
You may take this test more than once if you need to raise score
B) Shadowing or Intern Requirement.
Schools require this component.
Some require more hours than others.
My mentored student walked into Physical Therapy Centers...asked to intern and did actually a few thousand hours.
Schools don't require that much.But he did this component.
Some compensation was given to him.
Some schools require 2 different experiences.
C) Letters of Recommendation.
You must submit at least 2 letters
One from the physical Therapist you shadowed and one from a college teacher.
D) INTERVIEW: Most schools require an interview.
During this interview they may ask you questions about field to see if you are really the type person who will be there for the haul
E) Yea the DPT program is mostly 3 years after college graduation
Some schools have 3-3 program that takes 6 years instead of seven
Schools like Sacred Heart in Connecticut has this offering.
Others do also.
NOW ANOTHER COMPONENT
You do not apply to a dpt school dirctly.
You apply to a central application process who forwards your credentials( college transcript, gre scores.letters of reccommendation, intern experience.etc) to schools you wish to apply to.
This is called the PTCAS process.
Go to PTCAS on ur computer or cell phone.
They will actually list EVERY dpt school in the country and also tell you what each school requires.ESPECIALLY DEADLINES.
INFO LIKE REQUIRED AVEARAGE, GRE,
INTERN HOURS, COURSES, etc are specifically listed for each school.
Be sure to look at this .
Also 3-3 programs are listed.
You will need to look at this also througout your undergraduate years as the DPT requirements can change for some schools
COST:
Could be alot.
Some schools the 3 year cost can be $150,000
Some about 100,000
Some state schools are cheaper but also tougher to get in.
SUMMARY:
Yes this is now a competitive field.
It is a hard but rewarding journey if and only if YOU HAVE PASSION FOR THIS CAREER.
It is a high payinh job
Many options
And you will be more and more needed as the population ages
Also some xtra involvement helps with some DPT schools
LIKE CERTIFIED TRAINER ETC
OK GOOD LUCK
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH FURTHER QUESTIONS
Updated
Lisa’s Answer
Hi there! The first step is getting a Bachelor’s Degree at an accredited university. You most likely will want to get a science degree because PT schools will require many science prerequisites. The next step is getting a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) at an accredited school. These programs usually take 3 years. After you graduate, you will have to take a licensing exam in the state you wish to practice in. Good luck to you, hope this was helpful!