Norman Said:

Can you be a doctor who specializes in physical therapy or a pediatrician while your pre-med is psychology?

We Answered:

Well your undergrad degree can be anything such as psychology. Pre-med is a acedemic track, which means you will just take a bunch of course that prepare you for the MCAT (entrance exam for med schools). So in addition to your psychology major classes you'll probably take gen chem, organic chem, biochem, genetics, anatomy, physiology, and physics. Then you take the MCAT your junior year.

So you get accepted into medical school. You graduate and then your choose your specialty during your residency, which (just a few examples) can be surgery, internal medicine, emergency medicine, cardialogy, neurology, oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry, etc.

OR you can be a Physical therapist. This is not a medical degree. You apply to PT schools after your undergrad, most of which are four years, and then you will get a doctorate in PT.

OR you can be a psychologist. This would be a masters degree in clinical psychology, which would take 2-3 years after your undergrad.

BTW psychologists and psychiatrists are NOT the same thing.

Ben Said:

who comes up with the exercises for physical therapy your doctor or the physical therapist?

We Answered:

...the physical therapist.

The physician recognizes that the patient NEEDS PT, but themselves have very little education in exercise prescription/rehabilitation. It's not their area of focus. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the PT to decide the specific exercises. However, pending any specific information that the physician may be privy to (such as in the case where a surgery was performed), the physician may inform the PT as to the degree and nature of the type of exercise (ie, non-weight bearing vs. weight bearing...)

Geraldine Said:

Will I need a Doctor degree in physical therapy.?

We Answered:

It is mandated that all PT programs are DPT by the year 2020 by the professional organization. With that being said. There are only 15 programs that are Master level in the country out of just over 200 programs. They will be converting in the next few years. There are 2 options, you can go to a school that offers a 3+3 program. You go to the same school and get your BS and your DPT in 6 years. These schools are more in the minority and many are housed in the northeast. Or you can do the BS plus 3 program. You go to any school of your choice and get a BS while taking the pre reqs. Many people take exercise science, kinesiology, health science, bio, ect. You may or may need to take the GRE and apply to a PT program.

In general, you will need to take 1 year of chem, bio, physics, anatomy and physiology. Most schools require psy, math, statistics

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


List of 3+3 schools

Connecticut
Quinnipiac University (A2, D6, F1, PR)
University of Hartford (A2, D6, F1, PR)

Indiana
University of Evansville (A2, D6, E5, F1, PR)

Maine
Husson University (A1, A2, D6, PR)

Massachusetts
American International College (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Boston University (A2, A4, D6, F1, PR)
Northeastern University (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Springfield College (A2, D6, F1, PR)

Missouri
Maryville University of Saint Louis (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Saint Louis University (A1, A2, D6, F1, PR)

Nebraska
Creighton University (A2, D6, F1, PR)

New Jersey
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (A2, D6, F1, PU)

New York
Clarkson University (A2, A4, D6, F1, PR)
Daemen College (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Ithaca College (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Nazareth College of Rochester (A2, D6, F1, PR)
New York Institute of Technology (A2, A4, D6, F1, PR)
The Sage Colleges (A2, A4, D6, F1, PR)
Touro College (A2, D6, E1, E3, E5, F1, PR)
Utica College (A2, D6, F1, PR)

Ohio
College of Mount St Joseph (A2, A4, D6, F1, PR)

Pennsylvania
Duquesne University (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Lebanon Valley College (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Misericordia University (A2, D6, F1, PR)
Saint Francis University (A2, D6, F1, PR)
University of Scranton (A2, D6, F1, PR)
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (A2, D6, F1, PR)

Virginia
Shenandoah University (A2, A4, D6, F1, PR)

Wisconsin
Carroll College (A1, A2, D6, F1, PR)
Marquette University (A2, D6, F1, PR)

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

Best wishes