Do you want to become a physical therapist? Do you want to know about the steps involved in becoming a physical therapist? Do you want to know about relevant academic qualifications, degrees, certifications, eligibility criteria & more involved in becoming a physical therapist? If yes, this post will be of help to you. Here, I’ve covered all the important steps that you need to know about becoming a physical therapist.
In this post, readers will find the following details –
- Steps involved in becoming a physical therapist
- Relevant professional qualifications
- Relevant degrees, certifications, diplomas & courses
- Eligibility criteria involved
- And more…
After going through this post, readers will be able to find all the important details that they need to know about becoming a physical therapist. In other words, they will be able to find the right path (in terms of courses, career & eligibility criteria).
Come, let us check out the main topic of the post – how to become a physical therapist. Here is everything you need to know about the process –
Table of Contents
- How to become a physical therapist: Step-by-step guide
- 1 Find an ideal pre-DPT or DPT-related Bachelor’s Degree course
- 2 Satisfy the eligibility criteria or entry requirements
- 3 Find a relevant pre-DPT college, university or institute
- 4 Complete the course, degree or training program
- 5 Pursue DPT program
- 6 (A) Find a physical therapist domain-specific job, start working & gain experience
- 6 (B) Pursue specialization programs
How to become a physical therapist: Step-by-step guide
The minimum qualification required to become a physical therapist in the US is – DPT Degree. DPT stands for Doctor of Physical Therapy. In order to pursue the DPT program, you must have completed relevant pre-DPT program or any other Bachelor’s Degree related to the field of DPT.
Here are some such pre-DPT as well as relevant Bachelor’s Degree programs in the US –
BS in Kinesiology & Exercise Science
BS in Biology or Health Sciences
The above-mentioned programs are ideal for helping you to pursue DPT program in the future.
2 Satisfy the eligibility criteria or entry requirements
After selecting an ideal course or degree, you must make sure that you are eligible to pursue that program. For example, most reputed colleges, universities & institutes have entry requirements for their programs. Make sure that you meet those requirements (such as high school academic performance, performance in relevant entrance test, language proficiency, performance in language proficiency test & more).
3 Find a relevant pre-DPT college, university or institute
The third step is to find an ideal college, university or institute. After choosing an ideal course that you are eligible to pursue, it is time to find an ideal college or university that meets your needs. Consider the following factors while choosing a college, university or institute –
- Track record or the college, university or institute (in terms or job placement, learning experience & curriculum)
- Affordability factor
- Student to teacher ratio
- Location of the college or university
- Cost of education
- Acceptance ratio
- And more…
4 Complete the course, degree or training program
Finish the course or degree. Make sure that you attend required number of classes, pass the necessary tests and complete your projects. Finish the learning part & earn your degree or certification.
5 Pursue DPT program
As I mentioned before, DPT is the qualification required to become a physical therapist in the US. After completing relevant Bachelor’s Degree program, you may secure admission into a college or university that offers DPT program. DPT stands for Doctor of Physical Therapy. The program lasts for a period of 3 years.
After completing DPT Degree, you are eligible to practice as a Physical Therapist in the US. After completing this course, you may start your practice or go for higher studies.
6 (A) Find a physical therapist domain-specific job, start working & gain experience
It is very important to find a domain-specific job early on. Try and get a job related to physical therapist industry or domain. Don’t fall for easy-to-land jobs that belong to other domains, sectors or industries. For example, after completing physical therapist course or degree, you may easily find a job in irrelevant sectors such as retail or tech-support. Don’t go for those jobs. Instead, try to get a physical therapist industry job. Make use of online job portals, professional networking websites, referrals & emails to find a domain-specific job.
This will help you earn valuable domain-specific knowledge and skills. What you’ve learned in college or university forms a fraction of what you’ll need to survive in the physical therapist sector. And to gain the skills, knowledge & know-how required to thrive in physical therapist field, you must gain work-experience in the same domain.
6 (B) Pursue specialization programs
After completing DPT program, you may start working as a physical therapist. Apart from that, you may even pursue certification programs, which will help you specialize in different areas of physical therapy. Some such specializations include –
Pediatrics
Sports science & therapy
Geriatric therapy
Orthopedic therapy
Neurologic therapy
And more…
These are clinical certification programs. Completing one such certification program will help you specialize in that particular area. Thus, a clinical certification program will help you become a clinical practice specialist.
- Copiar y pegar Arroba de color rojo con un solo clic - May 17, 2025
- Entrar en el símbolo en Windows 11 - May 17, 2025
- Enter Arroba Symbol on Windows 11 - May 17, 2025
