A construction worker with an injured back ... a senior citizen with arthritis ... an infant with a birth defect ... an Olympic athlete ... a person who has suffered a stroke ... a child with a disability ... a pregnant woman ... an overstressed business executive ... a diverse group of people, yet all in some way can benefit from physical therapy.
-- From the American Physical Therapy Association Web site
Physical Therapy: Physical therapy is a health care profession that focuses on the science of movement, including the preservation, development and restoration of optimal function. Physical therapists provide evaluative, rehabilitative and preventative health care services designed to alleviate pain, prevent the onset and progression of disability resulting from injury or disease, and promote overall fitness and optimal quality of life. Physical therapists work with individuals of all ages who demonstrate movement dysfunction or the potential for such dysfunction or the neurological, musculoskeletal, sensorimotor and cardiopulmonary systems.
Physical therapists practice in a hospital setting or provide services in out-of-hospital settings through home health agencies, in nursing homes, in industrial settings, through public health agencies, in private physical therapy clinics, in public schools and in a variety of other nontraditional settings.
Careers
Job opportunities for physical therapists are strong and are expected to remain so. The average salary for physical therapists is $52,000 and will likely increase as more individuals obtain doctoral degrees.
Program
The Capital University program prepares students to enter graduate school in physical therapy at either the master's (MPT) or doctoral (DPT) level. Students may choose a major in biology, exercise science or athletic training with an emphasis in physical therapy. Advisers are available in both the biological sciences and health and sport sciences departments.
Courses required for the major include:
- Foundations of biology
- Anatomy and physiology
- Scientific and medical terminology
- First aid and CPR
- Applied human anatomy
- Exercise prescription
- Kinesiology
- Physiology of exercise
- Principles of psychology
- Principles of sociology
In addition, an internship in physical therapy is required, as are introductory courses in math, chemistry and physics. Internships are valuable in helping students to understand the field of physical therapy and to be fully prepared for the graduate school process.
To enter the field of physical therapy now requires a master's degree or doctorate in physical therapy. A wide variety of graduate programs exist in Ohio and surrounding states. In recent years, students from Capital University have been accepted into graduate programs at The Ohio State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. To be successful in graduate admissions a student needs to complete the required courses, maintain at least a 3.2 gpa and score highly on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).