Jordan Said:

Can I make good money being a physicans assistant or physical therapist and further education.?

We Answered:

I would go down the PA road if you want to become an MD. To become a Physical Therapist it takes around 6 years. So to start you would want to go to school for a medical assistant or nursing course or even an EMT because you have to have previous experience with health care. Those courses wont take too long and you can get your foot in the door. However I believe you are required to have around 4-5 years of experience. You also need a bachelors degree. As far as I know a physicians assistant makes around 80K a year. Good luck!

Lois Said:

Is it possible to continue my education as a PTA to become a physical therapist?

We Answered:

For most PTAs to become a PT, there is no "credit" given for what you know as a PTA. However, there are two transition programs in the US...one in Findlay, OH and the other is Loma Linda Unverisity in CA.

However, it's not as easy as one might think. You are still required to complete the prerequisite courses that are required for PT school. This usually involves a year each of 200 level bio, chem, and physics. 1-3 psych courses, anatomy and physiology and statistics are also typically required. So it may be difficult for you to work full-time while you complete these courses due to the required lab work.

The transition programs really don't offer any advantage for PTAs over a traditional PT program except for the fact that you complete your PT education in a part-time or modified format. From my understanding (I had a collegue who applied to Findlay's program), the transition programs are very competitive for entrance since there are only two. Most PTAs I know who make the transition end up entering a traditional physical therapy program.

Most of them stopped working at some point, or could only handle resource hours.

It's a big committment, but I think it's worth it.

Jimmie Said:

what education is required to be a physical therapist?

We Answered:

Physical therapists are required to do work with cadavers. The education program is much more extensive than you would think. Almost all schools require the student to complete the doctorate program, this means 7 years of schooling. The training is the same as all doctors have to go through, so there will be cadavers and various other in depth experiments and dissections.

Hope this helped :)

Willie Said:

How many years of education does it take to become a physical therapist?

We Answered:

To be a physical therapist you would need to go to undergrad and then apply to a PT program more than likely at least 7 years since more PT programs are becoming a doctorate degree. To be a PTA you would need to go to an accredited program and it is an associates degree and most of them are no more than 2 years. If you want to end up being a PT go for it from the beginning because if you become a PTA then want to go on you will more than likely have to completely go back to school.

Courtney Said:

What does the education of a physical therapist involve?

We Answered:

Pretty good answers so far. As far as do you need a doctorate (DPT), the answer is no. However, I'd estimate that about 75% of programs have already transitioned to the DPT. However, you must at least complete a master's degree.

There have been pretty good descriptions about how to go about doing it. The most common set up for programs is 3/3 and 4/3. The 3/3 format means three years of undergraduate work doing gen eds and prerequisites, and three years in the professional phase. These programs usually result in a master's degree. In the 4/3 format, you usually must complete a bachelor's degree first, and then attend the professional phase which is also 3 years. This usually results in the DPT degree. Very few programs try to complete the professional phase in 2 years...it's too much coursework.

I agree with the post that the APTA website is helpful. Go to www.apta.org

Angela Said:

What Classes Do I Need For General Education To Become A Physical Therapist?

We Answered:

It will depend on the particular school to which you hope to apply...but generally speaking:
A year of general bio
Anatomy and physiology
Physiology
Statistics
Trig and/or Calc
A year of general physics
A year of general chemistry
Basic psysh
Lifespan psych
Abnormal psych

...some of the other stuff you might take in the program such as gross human anatomy, medical terminology, pharmacology, etc...but, again, it all depends on your graduate level requirements.

Sidney Said:

Physical Therapist Education Requirements?

We Answered:

It depends on the structure of the program, but most programs in the US are designed to be completed in 6-7 years. I would say most require a bachelor's degree to get into the program (4 years), and then the professional phase is three years and results in a doctorate degree (DPT).

In your undergraduate years, you will take a lot of basics: chem, bio, physics, psych, and math...as well as your general education credits. Most students choose an undergraduate major such as kinesiology, exercise science, biology, athletic training,e tc. Once in the program, you will take more anatomy, physiology and PT related courses.

Most programs do require some sort of observation hours...for most programs, it's 50 hours.