I know for certain that this is ABSOLUTELY the career that I want to get into- but being a senior in Highschool this year I have no idea how to approah doing so. What school to attend, whether or not I should go for the doctoral or if I could go for the masters and THEN get my doctorate later, or what to do as my minor if PT is my major. SO lost. Any tips or helpful hints would be fantastic.
#1 by mistify on February 21, 2010 - 8:59 am
Start by going to the APTA website at http://www.apta.org
Go to the list of PT programs and visit other student information as well. Start reviewing where are some potential PT schools you might want to attend. Visit those schools’ website specifically so you can know what are their specific requirements to enter their program.
You will find that nearly all programs are doctoral programs…the handful of master’s degree programs that are in place will likely be turned into doctoral programs by the time you are ready to start the graduate work.
You may want to consider if you want to do a direct admit. It will guarantee you a spot in the program as long as you’ve maintained your GPA, but these are usually at really expensive private schools.
The most common route is to complete your BS degree at a college of your choice (it does not have to be the same school where you complete your PT degree). Now that you will know what classes you have to take for your graduate program, you can choose a major that encompasses those courses. Once you near completion of your BS degree, you can apply to a PT program. Most likely, you will also have to take the GRE and complete some volunteer hours. Its very competitive entrance, so be prepared to work hard!
The APTA website is really a good place to start.
Good luck