The American Physical Therapy Association defines the physical therapist professional’s mission as … to graduate knowledgeable, service-oriented, self-assured, adaptable, reflective practitioners who, by virtue of critical and integrative thinking, lifelong learning, and ethical values, render independent judgments concerning patient/client needs that are supported by evidence; promote the health of the patient or client; and enhance the professional, contextual, and collaborative foundations for practice. These practitioners contribute to society and the profession through practice, teaching, administration, and the discovery and application of new knowledge about physical therapy experiences of sufficient excellence and breadth to allow the acquisition and application of essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors as applied to the practice of physical therapy.
All of this is just a fancy way of explaining that in a 2-3 year online program the education and guidance necessary to achieve these requirements can be achieved and the skills necessary to complete either a Doctorate or Masters program. Using the resources available in the online education system will allow the student to complete this training in the comfort of their own home and on their own time table. By the year 2017 only the two previously mentioned degree programs will be offered throughout the United States in physical therapy programs.
The PT curriculum covers a wide and varied range of classes … with the majority of them available in both in class and online format. Eighty percent (80%) of the DPT curriculum is comprised of material study and the remaining 20 percent (20%) is in clinical lab education. PT students will spend an average of 27.5 weeks in clinical experience. Courses will cover:
- Biology/Anatomy
- Cellular Histology
- Physiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Biomechanics
- Kinesiology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Pathology
- Behavioral Sciences
- Communication
- Ethics/Values
- Management Sciences
- Finance
- Sociology
- Clinical Reasoning
- Cardiovascular And Pulmonary System
- Endocrine And Metabolic Systems
- Musculoskeletal Structure
Choosing a physical therapy program is the first step towards a rewarding demanding, high paying career path and there are many career choices such as sports medicine, hospice, home health care, rehabilitation, or research that this education can take you into.