login
Physical Therapy
-
No new posts
 2006-09-11 3:23 PM |
Veteran  169   Derry, NH |  Subject: Physical TherapySince most of you are athletic individuals I was wondering how many of you are Physical Therapists/Sports Nutritionists? I want to go back to school but am no longer interested in finishing my computer science degree. It was nice when I was about 50 pounds overweight and could stare at a computer screen all day but this is no longer for me. I'm now thinking about going for a degree in Physical Therapy/Sports Nutrition now that I'm completely obsessed with cycling/triathlons, I figured being that I'm 24 this is the time to change majors if I was going since I can't see myself working on computers 10 years from now. The problem I'm having is that I'm having difficulty finding schools that has physical therapy programs as well as nutrition/excercise physiology programs, it seems to be one or the other though if I went for physical therapy I would at some point like to minor in sports nutrition or excercise physiology. Does anyone have any suggestions for schools? I'm in NH so would prefer a school close to home however as I said, I'm only 24 and have nothing holding me down so I'm not afraid to move else where in the US. Any suggestions are much appreciated. |
| 2006-09-11 4:57 PM in reply to: #536821 |
Extreme Veteran 319 Dallas, Texas | Subject: RE: Physical Therapy PT requires a graduate degree, and the trend right now is transitioning to a DPT (Doctoral level) degree. So, you'll have to get your BS in something anyway. Therefore, you can go to two different schools (one for undergrad, one for grad), which most people do. The main thing you want to focus on for your undergrad is getting in your pre-req's which are different for most schools. But in general they include 8 hours of Biology, 8 hours of Chemistry, 8 hours of Physics, 6-10 hours of Anatomy and Physiology, 3-9 hours of Psychology, 3-6 hours of Statistics. There are some schools which have a combined BS/Masters program where you do your undergrad in a related field to PT and then your Senior year for undergrad counts simultaneously for your PT/master's first year. Most Masters PT programs are two years. There are also grad programs that are 3 years and grant you a DPT (skipping the Masters degree). The best place to find out what schools grant what degree and the pre-req's is at www.apta.org. This is the American Physical Therapy Association which accredits all the programs and is the professional organization for PT's in America. (The specific link to educational programs is: http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?section=PT_Programs&template=/aptaapps/accreditedschools/acc_schools_map.cfm&process=3&type=PT As for school recommendations, my dream schools are Mayo, Chicago Medical School, Texas Woman's University, and the U.S. Army program at Brooks in Texas. I went to TWU for part of undergrad and was Kinesiology major/Pre-PT. TWU's PT grad program has been ranked in the top 5-10 in the nation for about 10 years. They have a transition from undergrad to PT grad degree program. (Guys go there too, but not many I decided not continue pursueing PT for various reasons, but I still love the field. (I'm a Massage Therapist, Cranio Sacral Therapist, and Pilates instructor |
)| 2006-09-11 5:05 PM in reply to: #536821 |
Veteran 169 Derry, NH | Subject: RE: Physical Therapy Mandi, thank you, that was a lot of great information. Would you recommend starting off in a PT Assistant program and work my way up from there if I still like it? |
| 2006-09-11 8:20 PM in reply to: #536821 |
Expert 623 Issaquah, WA, | Subject: RE: Physical Therapy I am just about to apply for physical therapy school this fall. MandiGayle gave you some great information and definately check out http://www.apta.org for info about schools and whatnot. I would suggest getting a job as a physical therapy aide or volunteering in a PT clinic as opposed to getting a job as a PT assistant. PTA's usually require a certification and a 2 year associates degree in a PTA program. Since you are still in school, it would be more worth your while to get your prereqs done rather than taking 2 more years of school in a program that will not count as your undergraduate degree when you apply to PT school. You can work as a PT aide now while you are getting your undergrad and all of your work/volunteer experience will count when you apply to schools. Most if not all PT programs require some sort of experience in a PT setting and nearly all of them require experience in at least 2 different settings. (For example, a inpatient hospital setting and a outpatient clinic.) The number of hours varies from school to school. Make sure you know the specific requirements for each school you are going to apply to. I have been working at a clinic as a PT aide for a while now and I absolutely love it! I cannot wait to go to PT school and become a real PT. Good luck to you and if you have any more questions feel free to PM me. |
| 2006-09-12 6:00 AM in reply to: #536821 |
Master 1494 Kingston Ontario | Subject: RE: Physical Therapy Wendi (G8RSAX) is a PT. I'm sure she would be happy to answer your questions I am an OT... from Canada so I have no idea of what type of schooling you need in the US. Up here most PT programs are masters degrees and you need two years of undergrad at university...combined BS and MS degree as mentioned above. People tend to do kinesiology or phys ed so that you get your anatomy and biomechanics courses done Good luck!! I have been working for 15 years and I haven't ever been bored! Jen Edited by keepitup 2006-09-12 6:02 AM |
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK