Physical Therapy

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is a unique and vital health profession concerned with health promotion, prevention of physical disabilities and the habilitation/rehabilitation of person disabled by pain, disease, or injury. Physical therapy is defined as the assessment, evaluation, treatment and prevention of physical disability, pain and movement dysfunction resulting from injury, disease, disability, or other health related conditions.

Physical Therapy includes

• The performance and interpretation of tests and measurements to assess pathophysiological, pathomechanical, electrophysiological, ergonomic, and developmental deficits of bodily systems to determine diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention.
• The planning, administration, and modification of therapeutic interventions that focus on posture, locomotion, strength, endurance, cardiopulmonary function, balance, coordination, joint mobility, flexibility, pain, healing and repair, and functional abilities in daily living skills, including work.
• The provision of consultative, educational, research and other advisory services.

What are the educational requirements to become a physical therapist?

All accredited entry-level physical therapist educational programs, beginning in January 2002, will be at the master's or doctoral level. Master's degree programs are generally two to three years in length and may require students to have a baccalaureate degree in an area other that physical therapy. The UT College of Allied Health Sciences has a three-year professional program which follows four years of prerequisite coursework which has resulted in a baccalaureate degree. Entry-level programs, both master's and doctoral levels, prepare students as generalists in physical therapy. In order to specialize in a specific area of physical therapy, graduates must continue their professional education.

For physical therapists who have completed their basic physical therapy education, post-professional programs are available. These post-professional programs are developed for those physical therapists who seek advanced knowledge and/or skill in clinical practice, education, management, and/or research. The UT College of Allied Health Sciences has a post-professional master's degree program with concentrations of study in musculoskeletal sciences and neurological sciences.

In addition to programs that prepare professional physical therapists, some universities and community colleges offer accredited two-year educational programs for physical therapist assistants (PTAs). PTAs are skilled technical healthcare workers who, under the supervision of physical therapists, assist in patients' treatment programs. Graduation from a PTA program does not assure an individual's admission into an educational program for physical therapists.

Career Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Labor projects a continuing increase in available jobs for physical therapists. Physical therapists' salaries compare favorably with those of other professionals requiring similar preparation. Salaries vary depending upon one's experience, geographical location and position. A recent graduate can expect to earn from $45,000 to $50,000. Experienced physical therapists, therapists in supervisory positions, and those who are self-employed earn more than $60,000 per year.

Licensure and Certification

Physical therapists must pass a national licensure examination in order to practice in the United States. Graduation from an accredited physical therapy curriculum is the first step in becoming licensed. The program at UTHSC is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) with the most recent accreditation being granted in April 2003 for a period of 10 years.

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