Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008

What do physical therapists do?

What can I do to help me learn more about physical therapy?

What high school courses should I take in preparation for physical therapy?

How long does it take to become a physical therapist?

What type of courses should I take in college?

Can I major in pre-physical therapy?

What are the most common majors selected by pre-physical therapy students?

How do the prerequisites for the physical therapy program fit into different majors?

Can I enter physical therapy school after only three years of undergraduate study?

Why a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree instead of a master's degree?

How competitive is admission to the physical therapy program?

What makes the University of Indianapolis attractive to undergraduate students interested in physical therapy?

What are some of the strengths of your program?

I'm still interested in physical therapy, what are my next steps?

What do physical therapists do?

Physical therapists focus on improving the movement and function of people who have diseases or injuries that limit their mobility. Physical therapists evaluate patients, determine the plan of care, establish goals, select and delegate appropriate treatment tasks, direct and supervise support personnel, document the patient's care, and reevaluate and modify treatment as necessary. In addition, physical therapists are increasingly involved in seeing patients directly without physician referral and independently implementing prevention and wellness programs.

   Physical therapists might be found:

• helping a patient with a spinal-cord injury develop the endurance needed to maneuver a wheelchair up and down ramps.
• implementing an exercise program to enable an injured athlete to return to competition
• helping an infant with cerebral palsy learn to sit independently.
• developing an exercise program as part of a multidisciplinary osteoporosis prevention program offered within a retirement community.
• evaluating an assembly worker who sustained an on-the-job injury, recommending a physical therapy treatment program and working with the shift supervisor to modify the work station to prevent further injury.
• providing ambulation training to enable an elderly person to return home after a hip fracture.

Additional information about the profession of physical therapy can be found at the American Physical Therapy Association's web site (http://www.apta.org).

Scholarship Opportunities:

• Central Indiana Community Foundation
• Indianapolis Medical Alliance
• National AMBUCS Scholars Program
• Union Hospital Foundation

NEXT: What can I do to help me learn more about physical therapy?