Joann Said:

Physical Therapy school?

We Answered:

It's a waste of time and money....you can become an aide without this training. (and $700 and six months for a $9-$10 an hour job hardly seems worth it). Being an aide is certainly good experience if you want to become a PT, but certainly is not necessary.

good luck

Elaine Said:

My chances of getting into physical therapy school?

We Answered:

I think you've got the right idea...retake some of your prerequisites. Just be aware, that your former grades may still factor in. Get your GPA at least to 3.0, especially in your prerequisites. Preferrably, raise your GPA to at least 3.5 if you want to be a competitive candidate.

That's the best start to improving your chances.

Felicia Said:

physical therapy degree?

We Answered:

It is the same no matter what US PT school that you go to. You can get any degree. Common degrees are exercise science, health science, rehab science, ATC, exercise physiology, and kinesiology. Bio is common but in my estimation, not the best as there are alot of classes that you do not need such as botony.

You also need to get a great gpa.

http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?sect…

http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Sect…

http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Sect…

Phillip Said:

What is required to become a physical therapist?

We Answered:

In the US, all PTs now earn either a master's or doctorate level degree. There are different structures for programs...some require you to obtain you BS prior to admission, but most admit you as a junior and you complete your BS and eventually your MS or DPT by the third year in the professional phase. It is usually a limited entry program, meaning not all that apply will be accepted. Generally speaking, GPA is highly considered of your prerequisite courses. You may also be asked to submit a writing sample as well as an interview. All programs also require some hours of observation or work in a PT clinic...so start thinking about that by the time to get to college.

Admission to the program usually requires a minimum 3.0/4.0 GPA in prerequisite clasess. This usually includes a year of chem and physics, a year of bio, a semester of anatomy and physiololgy, a year and a half of psych, trig or calc, as well as completion of all your general education requirements.

Total time in school usually ranges from 6-7 years...depending on the structure of the program. Generally speaking, any school that holds accreditation for the past 5 years is a good school.

You can visit a list of accredited schools in your area, as well as their program requirements and history of accreditation and first-pass test results at www.apta.org.

There are no specific classes you need to take in high school, just be prepared to enter chem, physics and bio in college. Your high school accomplishments are not considered for admission to the PT program...just for general admission as a freshman. Therefore, I would focus your efforts on the classes you need for general admission. Good luck.

Kim Said:

Can you receive a degree from an accredited school on-line for a physical therapy assistant.?

We Answered:

No, there are no accredited online schools for PTAs. However, there is a program for PTs that is largely web-based with intensive labs and hands on training on site on the weekend. It's run by the University of St. Augustine and is in Florida. However, it takes an extra year to complete the program. It will also still require full time clinical work. Also, they've yet to graduate their first class, so who knows how long this will stick around.

P.S. Don't get duped into an online school for a PT technician...it's not the same as an assistant and you don't need any formal training to become a tech anyway.

Vickie Said:

physical therapy school?

We Answered:

It really depends on how your school does their admissions process and how many students have applied that year.

Generally speaking, however, you meet the minimum GPA requirements, yet you do not mention what your prereq GPA is. Schools will usually focus heavier on this. In other words, if your non-major classes were the ones boosting you GPA and your prereq GPA is low, this will probably affect your chances of admission. Plus, remember that meeting the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission. For instance, the average GPA of my alma mater is 3.6...but the minimum GPA is only 3.0. Many "qualified" students are turned away. If this is how your school does admissions, I'd say your chances are fair to slim.

However, you might fare better in a program that invites all students in for interviews. I've participated in admissions processes where all qualified students were invited for an interview, live writing sample and team building activity. All students started with a clean slate and final GPAs were not considered. So if you apply to a program like this and you interview well, think on your feet and write well, you may do very well.

Finally it will also depend on the rate of application. We once only had 40 qualified applicants for 36 slots...they had to be filled so the chances of getting in were greater.

You will not be able to become a PTA either unless your state has a provision for challenging the PTA boards if you've had experience as a rehab tech.

Cardiopulmonary might be a good choice...it would probably be an easy transition for you.

Yet, don't sell yourself short on PT until you've actually tried to apply! You can still persue a cardiopul degree and keep up the PT prereqs and still apply to the PT program.

Good luck