Step One: Research the various physical therapy careers and their responsibilities
Physical therapy jobs can be divided into three main categories.
Physical therapists: Professionals who work as physical therapists typically have a master's or doctoral degree in physiotherapy. They are among the top earners in the country. A physical therapist will directly work with a patient to formulate goals and associated fitness plans. They are also responsible for monitoring the patient's progress and changing remedial measures to suit the patient's condition.
Physical therapist assistant: These professionals will generally hold an associate's degree in physical therapy. An assistant is responsible for helping the physical therapist when conducting treatment. He/she may also get the opportunity to play the instructive role in some activities.
Physical therapist technicians/aide: While a technician helps with the operation of some of the equipment needed by physical therapists, an aide is responsible for taking care of the administrative tasks and also getting the equipment ready for treatment sessions.
Step two: Start your planning at the undergrad level:
If you are interested in a physical therapy career, including physical therapy assistant jobs, you will have to plan at the undergrad level so that you can choose the correct subjects which can eventually be followed up with a master's degree and a licensing examination. The type of degree that you will need and the physical therapy jobs that you will have access to will also largely depend on the number of years that you would like to spend in college.
Generally, physical therapy professionals will go through training in a variety of subjects including biology, anatomy, chemistry, human growth, physics, examination techniques, manifestation of diseases and therapeutic interventions. Apart from these, interested candidates will also require some form of practical experience, usually garnered through an internship or a paid stint with a physical therapist.
Step Three: Get the right education
For physical therapy assistant jobs, a professional will be able to get by with an associate's degree. However, for employment prospects as a physical therapist, you will need a bachelor's and a master's degree while a doctorate will be preferred.
Professionals do not necessarily need a bachelor's degree in natural sciences. However, they will need to take courses in anatomy, physics, mathematics, biology and chemistry.
A bachelor's degree is typically followed by a 2-year master's degree. The coursework here will include physical therapy as the major and several laboratory classes in natural sciences along with specific courses in examination techniques, sports related injuries, therapeutic procedures etc.
After the master's degree, you will be expected to complete supervised clinical work before applying for a state license.
Step Four: Go for an internship:
Getting employment in physical therapy usually entails going through a fair bit of competition, so you will need to ensure that your resume stands out as compared to those of the other applicants. The only way to enhance your chances of procuring a job in the sector is through internship. Not only will you be able to gather valuable experience but also you will be able to build valuable contacts that will help you to find employment or start your own practice.
You will also need to decide on your specialization for a physical therapy career. For instance, you could choose pediatrics, sports medicine, neurology etc.
Step Five: Get your license
With the required degrees and internship experience under your belt; you will be ready for the National Physical therapy Examination. You will only be able to get your license after passing this exam. Most graduates from accredited physical therapy programs do not find it taxing to clear the examination.
Step Six: Work on your Resume
The next step is to get your resume ready; it should include information about all your training credentials along with work related experience. Also, mention any extracurricular activities or volunteer work that you may have put in which will show your potential employers your desire to help people.
Step Seven: Look for Employment
Finally, head over to a local hospital and ask for information on physical therapy jobs with them. You will find that most hospitals will have an updated list of all the physical therapists in the area, which can prove to be very valuable for people interested in PT assistant careers.
Another simpler way to find information about physical therapy careers is to check online. There are several websites that are dedicated to offering information on physical therapy employment in the various states and these will let you post your resume so that potential employers can have quick access to your credentials.
Physical therapy careers are consistently rated among the top jobs in the country in terms of remuneration, employment prospects, and job security. So, if you are looking for physical therapy jobs visit PhysicalTherapyCrossing.com. The site offers thousands of listings for various levels of employment in the sector including physical therapy assistant jobs. Take advantage of the FREE sign up trial offer TODAY!
