The role of a physical therapist is to restore mobility, reduce pain and the need for surgery or medication, as well as improve overall function. Education and training takes three years.
Explore
Discover whether physical therapy matches your interests, purpose, abilities, and meets your lifestyle expectations:
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- Read about PT Education and Careers at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
- Learn the difference between a PT and a PTA
Prepare
Confirm your interest in PT, prepare academically, and develop the necessary skills and experience:
Academic Prerequisites
Comparison of Course Prerequisites by Program (PTCAS)
Read about the PT Admissions Process and Requirements
This is a general guideline. Please check individual schools for their specific prerequisites.
- One year of biology
- One year of general chemistry
- One year of anatomy and physiology
- One anatomy course with lab
- One human physiology course with lab
- Alternatively some community colleges teach anatomy and physiology combined
- One year of physics with lab
- Statistics
- Psychology
Additional Recommendations
- Art Courses (such ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, music, etc.) either as general education/elective coursework or consider courses available at the UCSD Craft Center or Extended Studies
- Talk to, shadow, or volunteer with a PT. Find them through your network of family and friends, professional associations, Tritons Connect, or Linkedin
- Student Organizations
- PT and OT-related student groups include the following:
- Exercise is Medicine is a UCSD sports medicine organization on campus. Their purpose is to promote healthy lifestyles through exercise, to promote exercise as a means of medicine in standard healthcare practices, and to provide students with the opportunities to learn about fields within sports medicine.
- Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapy (SPOT) provides excellent opportunities to meet other pre-PT or OT students, local therapists, and visiting school deans.
Additional Preparation Information
- Learn more about gaining experience - clinical, service, leadership, and research.
Apply
Applying to PT school occurs in the fall or winter prior to the start of the program. Identify programs that match your interests and complete an application. Some steps take more time to complete than others, so plan ahead!
Schools & Programs
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- Consider curriculum, clinical training options, location, and cost
- Find accredited PT schools
Testing
- If required, take the Graduate Record Examination
Applications
Physical Therapy
- PTCAS: the application service for participating PT schools
- Application Preparation for PTCAS
- Observation Hours Requirements for PTCAS participants
- PTCAS Personal Essay (4500 character limit)
Gaining Experience
For any successful pre-health path, you will need to demonstrate you have experience. This includes service/volunteering, leadership, research, and/or other experiential learning opportunities.