Study, Study, Study!

Becoming a physical therapist is something that I have always dreamed of doing, but in order to achieve that dream, hours upon hours of school and studying await me. To achieve my goal, I need to graduate from high school and head off to college. I cannot just go to any college; I need to go to a college that has a good P.T. school or a program that will prepare me for P.T. school. "According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there were 209 accredited physical therapist education programs in 2007" (Farr 234). Physical therapist educational programs begin with your basic science knowledge and then move on into the more specialized fields: for example, human growth and development. There are six main undergraduate courses that one needs when applying to P.T. school: Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry,Social Sciences, Physics and Math. It has also been recommended that one acquire volunteer hours at a clinic or other medical facility where she can receive physical therapy experience. Not only does she need to be knowledgeable about physical therapy, she also needs to have good people skills and be able to relate to patients. Being able to relate to the patient is the key to success in physical therapy. After "graduating from an accredited physical therapy education program, all physical therapists must successfully complete a national examination. Other licensing requirements vary by state" (Ferguson 243). A physical therapist is not allowed to practice until she receives her national license and/or her state license. Once these two steps have been completed, the newly licensed physical therapist is ready for business!

Sources:
Farr, Michael. 100 Fastest-Growing Careers. Indianapolis: JIST Publishing, 2009. Print.

"Physical Therapists." Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance. 2003 ed. Print.