L U K A S D A N I E L

J A N U A R Y 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A CAREER IN PHYSICAL

THERAPY

Physical therapy is a career that is

rapidly changing in terms of: • Who benefits from/requires treatment

• What qualifications are needed to practice PT

• How respected PT is in the eyes of health care

professionals

• Growth in numbers of practices nationwide

Physical Therapy: Past

• The common practices of using exercise, massage, heat, cold, water, and

electricity date back to Greek culture in the 1500s

• By the 1800s, exercise and muscle re-education were utilized for a wide

variety of orthopedic diseases and injuries worldwide

• During WWI, a special Physical Reconstruction unit in the Army Medical

Department was developed for wounded soldier rehabilitation

• During the 1920s, physical therapists partnered with the medical and surgical

companies which gained the profession public recognition and validation

• Independent PT practices (like the ones today) became common in the 1990s

when it became common for the American health care system to insure

clients for physical therapy

Physical Therapy: Present and

Future

• US News & World Report has

repeatedly included PT among it’s

best 100 jobs in terms of

employment, opportunity,salary,

and job security

• CNNMoney.com also included

physical therapy on its list of top 10

“Fastest Growing Jobs” in 2012

• Current salary ranges between

$51,639 and $113,340 and the

median salary is $85,000

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of

physical therapists is expected to

grow by 36% by 2022

• APTA’s (American Physical

Therapy Association) vision

statement for the future of

physical therapy is:

“Transforming society by

optimizing movement to

improve the human experience.”

Present Future

GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN THE

SOUTHEAST

• Medical University of South

Carolina

• Charleston, SC

• University of South Carolina

• Columbia, SC

• University of North Carolina

• Chapel Hill, NC

• Duke University

• Durham, NC

• Emory University

• Atlanta, GA

• Wake Forest University

• Winston-Salem, NC

Prerequisites for MUSC: College of Health

Professionals

Chemistry with lab 8 hours

Physics with labs 8 hours

Biology 7 hours

Human Anatomy with lab 4 hours

Human Physiology 3 hours

General Psychology 3 hours

Abnormal Psychology 3 hours

Statistics 3 hours

• GRE scores

• Experience with PT

• Reference letters

• Volunteer/Service work

• Honors/Awards

• Challenging coursework

Additional criteria to be competitive for CHP’s Physical Therapy program

Obtaining a Physical Therapist Degree

Professional (entry-

level) education

programs in the

United States to

become a physical

therapist only offer the

Doctor of Physical

Therapy (DPT)

degree to all new

students who enroll.

Master of Physical Therapy

(MPT) and Master of Science

in Physical Therapy (MSPT)

degrees are no longer offered

to US students.

To practice physical therapy,

you must earn a PT degree

from a CAPTE- accredited

physical therapist education

program and pass a state

licensure exam.

FUTURE PLANS UPON GRADUATION

Since physical therapy can be used to treat such a

wide variety of patients, it is common to practice in a

specialized field. Ideally, I would hope to one day

specialize in treating athletic injuries. A chance to combine

my love for athletics with my future career path would

make for an optimal work environment.

O*NET RESULTS

Social (23)

Enjoy work activities that assist

others, prefer to communicate,

and enjoy teaching, helping, and

giving advice. They also like to

provide service to others.

Possessing these qualities are

necessary to work in the PT field

since it requires constant

communication and service to the

patients.

Realistic (21):

Enjoy work activities that prefer

hands on work, working with

tangible tools/machinery, and

working outside of an office

environment.

Working in the PT field requires

hands on attention to the

patients, so realistic skills are

very valuable to anyone in this

career path.

Personal Skills/Qualities

Personal Qualities• Patient

• Work well with others

• Organized

• Time management skills

Work ExperienceClemson Athletic Manager

• I have worked 40+ hours a week as an equipment

manager for the Clemson baseball team

• I believe my hands-on experience with these athletes

has given me a lot of exposure to athletic injuries

Why Physical

Therapy?

I grew up exposed to the environment of physical

therapy because two of my close family friends are

physical therapists and my mother is an occupational

therapist. As I got older and began my career search, I

began to realize that physical therapy would be a fitting

job choice for me. I have witnessed through my athletics

the positive impact physical therapy can have for injured

or otherwise ailed people, and I would love to provide

such positive results to others in my future.

WORKS CITED

• http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763740691/40691_

CH01_FINAL.pdf

• http://www.network-synergy.com/news/the-history-of-

physical-therapy.aspx

• http://www.apta.org/PTCareers/Overview/

• http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/physical-

therapist/salary

• http://www.apta.org/For_Prospective_Students/PT_Educ

ation/Physical_Therapist_(PT)_Education_Overview.asp

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