One might see a physical therapist after surgery or a traumatic injury or to rebuild strength and flexibility after a chronic illness. A physical therapist may provide patients and referring physicians with an assessment of the patient’s physical functioning and with a detailed rehabilitation or treatment plan. A physical therapist assistant, on the other hand, works under the supervision of a physical therapist to carry out that treatment plan. A physical therapist assistant must have a working knowledge of anatomy and physiology, especially of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Physical therapist assistants are different than physical therapist aides in that PT assistants have a higher level of training, greater responsibility, and earn a higher salary on average.
The steps involved in becoming a physical therapist assistant are:
- Obtain a high school diploma or GED. Since an associate’s degree program is required, the first step is to either graduate from high school or get a General Educational Development (GED) degree. While the two are equivalent for most purposes, it might be easier to get placement in some community college programs with a high school diploma.
- Choose an accredited Physical Therapist Assistant Education Program. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education oversees and certifies the schools that can train future physical therapist assistants. As of 2010, there were 280 accredited programs in the United States with another 46 developing the courses and teachers necessary to become accredited. While others may offer the degree, if the school is not accredited to do so, you may have problems obtaining licensure later on.
- Obtain a Physical Therapist Assistant associate’s degree. This is a two-year degree that incorporates classroom learning with clinical experience. Students will take academic courses in algebra, anatomy and physiology, English, and psychology. Early on, clinical work will include shadowing physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Towards the end of the program the student will actually be working as an assistant under the close supervision of a trained mentor.
- Pass the National Physical Therapy Licensing Examination. Passing the National Physical Therapy Licensing Examination is required in most states in order to practice. While the name of the test is the same (NPTE), the actual test is different for physical therapists (PT NPTE) and physical therapist assistants (PTA NPTE). The physical therapist assistant test (PTA NPTE) is 150 questions and lasts 3.5 hours.
- Obtain a license in your state. In order to practice, most states (if not all) require physical therapist assistants to obtain a license. This is usually a matter of completing the associate’s program, passing the national licensure exam, and filling out the appropriate paperwork (and paying the fee).
The median salary for a physical therapist assistant is $49,690, which is above average for people whose highest degree is an associate’s degree. Moreover, the job prospects for physical therapist assistants are quite good. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for this career over the next ten years is growing much faster than average (45%).
Becoming a physical therapist assistant is an excellent career path for individuals that want to work in the healthcare industry and help people regain strength and mobility after surgery or illness. The schooling required for these jobs is considerably less than to become a physical therapist, yet the salary is quite good. This makes it an attractive choice for many. While the job does require a large degree of patient contact and professional responsibility, the degree of responsibility is less than it would be working as a physical therapist. If you are looking for a good paying career, working with patients at a moderate responsibility level, becoming a physical therapist assistant is a good choice.