subject: How to Become a Physical Therapist - Discover How You Can Make a Difference in People's Lives [print this page] How to Become a Physical Therapist - Discover How You Can Make a Difference in People's Lives
Do you think that you can help people who are afflicted by a disease or who suffered from a disability? If yes, then you can definitely work in the challenging world of a physical therapist. Here's a quick guide to help you understand everything there is about this profession.
Duties and Responsibilities
A Physical Therapist is a medical professional who assists people suffering from injuries or disorders in order to prevent permanent physical impairments. Some of this professional's key responsibilities are:
Helping restore a patient's bodily function
Evaluating a clinically competent program for patients and documenting it
Preventing a patient from permanent disability
Relieving pain after an injury or illness
Interacting with patients' families and other medical staff to monitor their therapies
Providing massages in order to increase strength and coordination
Providing intervention programs
Ensuring that the short term and long term rehabilitation goals of the patient are being met
Educating patients and their families about self care procedures
Training
Unlike most professionals in the medical field, a Physical Therapist requires at least a minimum master's degree in physical therapy in order to enter this field. Another alternative course would be to pursue your undergraduate degree while focusing on science subjects like biology, human anatomy, physics and math and then move on towards your post graduate program.
While deciding where to obtain your degree from, make sure that it is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association's Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education. After you complete your residency program, choose a specialization. Many supervised residency programs at hospitals and rehabilitation clinics now offer physical therapy programs as well. Through these, you will be able to choose which area to focus on. You can choose from many areas such as acute care, rehabilitation or sports medicine. Moreover, you must also try and avail practical training in the area of cardiopulmonary, physiotherapy, neurological physiotherapy and musculoskeletal physiotherapy.
Certification and Licensing
As soon as you decide which area to specialize in, you may first give a state licensing exam and then give a national licensure examination. Once licensed, you must continue your education in order to maintain your credentials.
Moreover, you can also get certified as a clinical specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties by simply getting licensed and completing 2000 hours of clinical practice in your chosen field.
Thus, a Physical Therapist holds a bright prospective career ahead of him. To become one, all you need is some patience and the right guidelines in order to succeed. So, Best of Luck!
