Physical therapy is one of the fastest growing careers today. The medical sector has always been one of the most stable companies worldwide. A lot of stable industries garner zero profit during the recession while the medical sector remained stabilized. If you want a career in the medical field and specifically as a physical therapy assistant, you need to get a physical therapy assistant degree. This course is offered online and through community colleges. The demand for this job is increasing at an alarming speed. In fact, experts believe that in 2016, the growth of demand for physical therapy assistants would increase by about 26%. This is a remarkable growth which means that starting your career in this field today can change your future substantially.
How to Become a Physical Therapy Assistant?
First of all, all physical therapy assistant needs to have the background education about how the body works, which means that you need to go through intense trainings. This includes in house training, on facility training or OJT and in class education. With the in class training, you will be studying about chemistry, biology, human anatomy, algebra, physiology, psychology and more. General studies about physical therapy will of course be included. And mind you, only through a physical therapy assistant degree can all these fields of study be adequately covered.
There are a lot of schools today that offer physical therapy assistant courses as well as online physical therapy assistant degrees. This is very beneficial for those who are currently holding jobs. You just have to study online during the weekdays and then go to your school every weekend for practical training. This will help lessen your transportation cost at the same time allowing you to still attend to your paying job. In this fast paced world, online courses are the key to get proper education without compromising anything much in the process.
However, you should know that you can never become a physical therapy assistant if you don’t undergo practical training and lab work. This is very important, although most schools and colleges only require their online student to do weekend practical training. Curriculums and requirements vary from one state to another. It varies from one school to another as well. You should always ask the school you wish to enroll into about their program and the availability of their online training.
Physical Therapy Assistant Requirements
Like with any other job, a physical therapy assistant has certain requirements to be qualified for a job. And through a physical therapist assistant degree, you are halfway there. Here are some of the requirements:
- Physical therapist assistant degree
To become a physical therapy assistant, you must first graduate with an associate degree in physical therapy. It is also important that you complete a training course from an accredited school and PTA program. These programs are mostly available at technical schools, university and community colleges.
- Completed minimum hours of internship program
The minimum required number internship hours varies from state to state. You will be required to complete the minimum number of hours under a licensed physical therapist’s supervision. In such program you will learn how to deal with real patients. After completion, you may now apply for Physical therapy assistant licensure.
- Must have a PTA license
PTA or Physical Therapy Assistant works under a licensed physical therapist, but then again you still need to have your own licenses or certification before you can even get qualified for a PTA job. The licensing requirements vary from one state to another. Your training school will be able to inform you about this. Some states require you to finish certain hours of practical PTA application before you get qualified for a license. Others require First Aid and CPR certification on top of the minimum hours of practical PTA training application.
