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Physical Therapy Career Research

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Health Career Option

For my career assignment, I have chosen to research the career field of a Physical Therapist. Physical Therapy is a growing field in the medical field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “employment of physical therapists is expected to grow by 36 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.” The main focuses I strive in this career assignment are to provide my ambitions to why I chose my career option, explain briefly what a Physical Therapist does for his/her community, provide insightful key points from guest speakers and advisors, and understand the holistic career route to becoming Physical Therapist. Thus, by understanding the following key points, I will be able to provide …show more content…

Physical Therapy is a graduate’s/doctorate’s degree. The first step to becoming a Physical Therapist is getting accepted to an accredited Physical Therapy School. Prospective applicants who are interested applying to PT school must meet the following requirements: complete a bachelor's degree, complete course prerequisites for your designated programs, pass the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), accumulate experience/shadow hours in a physical therapy setting and ask letters of recommendations. For the letters of recommendation, it is advised that the three recommenders are a Physical therapist (PT), a science professor, or who is either another word/academic reference. These following requirements will prepare an applicant for physical therapy school. Once a student has completed their degree in Physical Therapy, he/she will Yes, once a student has completed their Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, he/she is eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). According to Applicants may take the exam three times in a twelve-month period. Every graduate of physical therapy must pass to become a licensed physical therapist or licensed/certified physical therapist assistant (or to regain licensure/certification if lapsed) in the United States …show more content…

The prerequisite classes are as follows: Anatomy with lab Physiology with lab, Biology 1 (not botany or zoology), Biology 2 (not botany or zoology) General Chemistry 1 with lab, General Chemistry 2 with lab, General Physics 1 with lab, General Physics 2 with lab, Psychology, and Statistics. These classes are precursors that are incorporated in physical therapy concepts. One must have a foundation with these science courses as accumulating good observation of what a Physical Therapist. Most schools require a minimum of 150 hours of PT experiences; however, most competitive applicants typically do more than what is recommended and accumulate their experience across a variety of settings. Examples of physical therapy settings are as follows: Acute Care Hospital, Rehabilitation/Subacute Rehabilitation Facility, Extended Care Facility/Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility, Free-standing Physical Therapy or Hospital Outpatient Clinic, School/Preschool, Wellness/Prevention/Fitness, and Industrial/Occupational Health. By doing well in prerequisite classes and accumulating PT experience, it will help an applicant gain possible letters of recommendations for his/her application to Physical Therapy

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