How to Apply to Physical Therapy Schools and Become a Physical Therapist

People who suffer traumatic injuries often face a difficult journey to recovery. They might struggle to walk or have other mobility challenges, and they could feel significant pain. These are situations where a physical therapist, or PT, can provide critical assistance.

This kind of health care professional is an expert on diagnosing and counteracting mobility problems. He or she can offer hands-on therapies and prescribe exercise regimens.

Though graduate education wasn't always required to become a physical therapist, a doctorate degree is now necessary to join the profession in the U.S. An aspiring U.S. physical therapist will need to complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, or DPT, which typically requires about three years of full-time study.

He or she will also need to pass the national physical therapy exam, or NPTE, and obtain a license to practice in the state where he or she intends to work.

Physical therapists sometimes choose to pursue further education after they complete a DPT program by obtaining a residency, fellowship or board certification within a particular physical therapy specialty, such as women's health, neurology or clinical electrophysiology.

[See: Best Physical Therapy Programs.]

The number of job opportunities in this field is growing, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts that the number of employed physical therapists in the U.S. will be 22% higher in 2028 than 10 years prior. In 2018, the median annual salary among physical therapists was $87,930, the bureau reports.

The average debt burden among newly minted DPT graduates is often significant. For example, the average debt-to-income ratio among Florida early-career physical therapists surveyed in 2016 was 197% -- equal to almost two years of the average salary, according to student debt research published by the American Physical Therapy Association, or APTA.

Nevertheless, some young physical therapists say that they are glad they invested in their education, despite the cost.

"I have student loans that I pay on every month, and I probably will for forever or for the foreseeable future, but I love what I do, so it kind of just is what it is," says Lauren Lobert, who received her DPT degree from the University of Michigan--Flint in 2012 and owns APEX Physical Therapy Practice in Brighton, Michigan.

Lobert says her PT job allows her to assist people in need in a tangible way, and she finds physical therapy a fulfilling and meaningful profession. "You get to work with people through injuries or through some of the hardest times in their lives," she says, adding that she enjoys building relationships with patients.

The physical therapy field is ideal for highly active people who like to move around, she adds, because PTs don't spend a lot of time "sitting behind a desk."

What It Takes to Become a Physical Therapist

The abilities to empathize and communicate well are essential for success as a physical therapist, according to individuals working in the field.

"Physical therapy is a personal profession," Morgan Nolte, a board-certified clinical specialist in geriatric physical therapy, wrote in an email. "You have to be able to connect with people, talk to people, and exhibit a true interest in helping others. Community service and leadership experience can help you further stand out from the crowd," adds Nolte, who has a DPT degree.

[See: The 12 Best Jobs That Help People.]

It is also imperative to commit to lifelong learning, says Chalee Engelhard, director of the DPT program at the University of Cincinnati, where she is also an associate professor.

Another important quality for an aspiring physical therapist to have is resilience, Engelhard says. When patients are unable to meet their mobility goals, physical therapists need to calmly assess the situation and figure out a solution, she adds.

Craig Stiemsma, a professor at Dordt University in Iowa and director of its pre-physical therapy club, says anyone who is considering a physical therapy career needs to assess whether he or she enjoys working with people and solving problems, since both of those activities are central components of physical therapy jobs.

They should then observe physical therapists in action to gauge whether the profession is a good fit, Stiemsma says.

Field experience can help prospective students determine whether physical therapy is the right calling before they enroll in the prerequisite courses that are mandatory for admission to a particular PT school, Stiemsma adds.

According to the APTA, completing college classes in the following academic disciplines is often necessary in order to qualify for acceptance into a PT program:

-- Anatomy

-- Physiology

-- Biology

-- Chemistry

-- Physics

-- Psychology

-- Statistics

"You are not required to select a particular major in order to be eligible for admission to a PT program," the association states in its online guide to the PT school admissions process. "The most common undergraduate majors among PT students include exercise science, biology, kinesiology, and psychology."

The association adds that PT school hopefuls may need to complete a certain number of hours of PT-related fieldwork to be competitive candidates; meet GPA and GRE requirements; get references and participate in interviews; disclose if they have any criminal convictions; and undergo criminal background checks and drug screenings.

Additionally, some PT schools prefer in-state students and may require that candidates demonstrate certain physical, behavioral or cognitive abilities that they deem necessary to complete a DPT degree and excel as a physical therapist, according to the association.

Stiemsma advises aspiring physical therapists to look up the typical grades and test scores among admitted students at their target program and attempt to exceed the average. Having exceptional credentials will boost the odds of acceptance, he emphasizes.

There are significant nonacademic considerations in the PT school admissions process, notes Nolte, who owns a Nebraska-based physical therapy practice -- Reshape Physical Therapy and Wellness LLC -- and serves as an academic coordinator for the geriatric physical therapy residency at Creighton University in Nebraska. "Going out of your way to get observational experience, or better yet work experience, in settings where physical therapy takes place will set you apart."

[Read: 6 Health Care Jobs You Don't Need to Go to Medical School For.]

Eric J. Hegedus, a professor and founding chair with the DPT department at High Point University in North Carolina, says his school uses a holistic admissions process that accounts for more than numbers, adding that they use interviews to screen applicants.

"We want to see how the applicant interacts and communicates, see their passion for physical therapy, and hear their story," Hegedus wrote in an email.

Jasmine Marcus, a physical therapist in Ithaca, New York, who received her DPT degree from Columbia University, says a solid application essay helped her stand out in the PT school admissions process. "The best thing that you can do is just try to stand out a little bit," she says.

Marcus notes that many PT admissions essays discuss the incident that precipitated the candidate's interest in the PT profession. However, that approach will often be dull and "generic" if it recounts an everyday physical therapy treatment session, she says.

"You're describing something that the person reading it isn't going to be very interested in and that hundreds of other people could have described as well, so I usually recommend that you write about something that's just going to show off who you are as a person," she says.

The essay should highlight traits about a PT school applicant that would make him or her a good physical therapist, she adds, suggesting that the essay topic doesn't need to be physical therapy. She says her own application essay focused on how her communication skills as a former journalist and writer would translate well into the PT field, where questioning and understanding patients is vital.

"So I kind of took my strengths and how I was unique but also spun it in a way that showed why I would make a good future physical therapist," Marcus explains.

What's Taught In Physical Therapy School

Hegedus, who has a DPT degree, suggests that PT school is similar to other types of health care professional programs in its rigor, but he notes that it differs in important ways.

In contrast to other health care grad programs, during PT programs "you must learn and apply (rather than memorize and regurgitate)," and you gain expertise in how the way someone moves can contribute to their pain and aggravate their disabilities, he says.

Alice Holland, who received her DPT degree from the University of Southern California, wrote in an email that PT school is exceptionally demanding and often involves back-to-back classes.

"The first year of DPT school is very anatomy-heavy with cadaver work, the second year is focused on neurobiology and the third year is bringing all knowledge together to form treatment plans," says Holland, who started an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic, Stride Strong Physical Therapy LLC, and has hired PT school grads.

She adds that DPT students typically participate in internships at PT clinics, which allows them to gain relevant work experience and begin to interact with patients.

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