Physical Therapist
Comprehensive Sites
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physical TherapistCreated by the U.S. Department of Labor, this career profile introduces you to the training, work qualifications, employment data, and job outlook for a physical therapist. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find links to important professional organizations in the field, or click on detailed earnings data.
National Institutes of Health: LifeWorks, Physical TherapistClick on the tabs at the top of this page to learn about job activities, needed education, skill and interests, and more information on becoming a physical therapist. You will find recommended high school courses, licensing information, and other sources of information that are important to know if you are considering this career. Details on accredited programs and masters degrees are also provided as a service of the National Institutes of Health Science Works program.
Princeton Review: Physical TherapistFind out what a day in the life of a physical therapist could be like at this website, which also offers information on what to expect in terms of earnings after several years in the field. You can connect to information on college majors that could be useful, as well as valuable career links, publications, employers, and organizations in the field.
Accredited Academic Programs
PhysicalTherapy.com: School SearchThis search engine lets you browse physical therapy school listings by city, state, and region. You will also find tips on school selection and prerequisite coursework.
Princeton Review: Physical Therapist College MajorsTake a look at the list of majors at this page—all of which could be useful as undergraduate majors in pursuing a career as a physical therapist, including kinesiology or athletic training. If you click on one you are interested in, you will be taken to a list of schools, contacts, and links for the schools that offer that major.
Salary Levels
PayScale: Physical TherapistThe median salary by years of experience for a physical therapist is shown at the graph at this site. If you scroll down, you will find median salary by employer type and median salary by city of employment in the U.S.
Professional Organizations
American Physical Therapy AssociationGo to the student resources section of this site under the education programs, and you will find guides on PT as a career, lists of PT programs, student e-news, and details on the benefits of student membership in this professional organization. A comprehensive list of publications is offered at the site, as well as how to earn accreditation from the organization.
Job Opportunity Sources
PhysicalTherapist.com: Search JobsThe job forum of this physical therapist’s web source lets you enter a keyword or specialty and search for jobs just for physical therapists and their assistants. You can also connect to career profiles and hot jobs.
Licensing & Certification
The Federation of State Boards of Physical TherapyPublic access to state regulatory boards for physical therapy will direct you to the appropriate resources to learn about state certification in your location. You will find direct contact information, as well as state websites for licensing authorities, so you can learn how to obtain a license to practice PT.
Publications
AdvanceAdvance for physical therapists and their assistants offers a comprehensive online magazine for the profession, including information for students, details on job fairs, forums, blogs, webcasts, and patient handouts. The student center, located under the magazine pull-down menu, will direct you to featured employers, info about starting out in the career of PT, and a college corner.
Physical TherapyThe Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association offers podcasts and video clips at no cost to web visitors that let you see and hear actual patient demonstrations of treatment. You can browse old journals, with free text access to articles that were published more than one year ago.
PT Bulletin OnlineFrom the American Physical Therapy Association, PT Bulletin offers weekly coverage of PT news and hot issues in the field. Keep up-to-date on your future career by browsing these pages at no cost.
Online Forums & Blogs
PhysicalTherapist.com: Discussion BoardFind rooms to post on professional issues or learn about student-related topics at a special forum. Other forums include discussion of obtaining a license and specialty forums on different types of physical therapy practice.
Career Videos
YouTube: Physical Therapists Job DescriptionA combination of science, medicine, and humanitarianism is described at this video about the job of a physical therapist. The challenges of dealing with patients with a variety of disabilities are discussed, as well as other requirements of the job.
YouTube: Tell Me How, Physical TherapistThe tools and equipment that you might use to help patients gain physical skills are described in this video, with plenty of examples of the work involved and examples of what you learn in physical therapy school.
