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Physical therapy is a
dynamic profession with an established theoretical
base and widespread clinical applications in the
preservation, development, and restoration of
optimal physical function throughout the life
span.
As health-care practitioners,
physical therapists engage in an examination process
that includes taking the history, conducting a
review of body systems, and administering tests
and measures to identify potential and existing
functional problems. Physical therapists develop
treatment programs and conduct re-examinations
to achieve anticipated goals and outcomes. Charges
for physical therapy services are covered by virtually
all federal, state, and private insurance plans.
The American Physical
Therapy Association (APTA - www.apta.org)
has published the following vision statement:
By 2020, physical therapy will be provided by
physical therapists who are doctors of physical
therapy, recognized by consumers and other health
care professionals as the practitioners of choice
to whom consumers have direct access for the diagnosis
of, interventions for and prevention of impairments,
functional limitations, and disabilities related
to movement, function, and health. The physical
therapy program at Duquesne University is preparing
its students now to meet the APTA vision by offering
a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.
A License to Practice
Students must graduate
from an accredited physical therapy program in
order to be permitted to sit for state licensing
examinations. Graduates generally take the state
licensing examination in the state or jurisdiction
in which they wish to practice and must pass the
exam in order to receive a license. Graduation
from a physical therapy program alone does not
permit the graduate to practice and it is illegal
to practice physical therapy without a license.
Employment and Career Opportunities
Graduates have opportunities
to specialize in areas such as: pediatrics, sports,
medicine, rheumatology, orthopedics, cardiopulmonary
rehabilitation, critical care, geriatrics, rehabilitation,
community education, home care, management, and
teaching. Graduates are in demand and are hired
into hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation
centers, outpatient facilities, public schools,
and some graduates start
their own private practices.
Starting salaries for
physical therapists can vary considerably based
on many factors such as location, type of facility, experience level, and degree. A recent salary survey by APTA reported a median income of $51,000 for physical therapists who hold a DPT.
If you are interested
in the Physical Therapy Undergraduate Program,
click
here for an electronic inquiry. If you are
interested in the Physicial Therapy Graduate Program,
click
here for an electronic inquiry.
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