01/29/2024
Who is a Physical Therapist? 👩⚕️👨⚕️
In our previous post we discussed what physical therapy is. But who are these physical therapists (PTs)? What type of education do they have? Why are they the way that they are?
📌 To practice as a physical therapist in the U.S., you must earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education-accredited physical therapist education program and pass a state licensure exam. Not all practicing physical therapists have a doctorate degree as this was not always the requirement so it is very normal to see a therapist with a bachelors or masters degree as well. Some schools in the area that offer PT programs are University of Buffalo, Daemen University, and D’Youville University.
📌 Depending on the school and the journey of the student, PT school can be 6-7 years long. If you read that and went “whoa” to yourself, tell me about it.
📌 During the course of the program, in addition to classroom and lab work, physical therapy students spend time on clinical rotations where they learn to apply their knowledge in a clinical setting. Each school varies in their requirements but students are encouraged to gain experience in different settings each rotation.
📌 Primary content areas in the curriculum include biology, anatomy, exercise physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, cardiovascular and pulmonary, endocrine and metabolic, and musculoskeletal.
📌 When a student graduates they can go into a variety of different fields. Physical therapists work in hospitals, rehab centers, outpatient clinics, school, homes, among other niches.
📌 Some PTs opt to specialize in areas like lymphedema management, vestibular disorders, or oncology (cancer). This usually involves further coursework, accumulating practice hours in that area, and certification testing.
