Career Options for the Physical Therapy Assistant

Interest in professional and amateur sports are probably close to all-time highs!  Also people are exercising more and more to stay healthy.

So the fields of sports and exercise are wide open and expanding for the physical therapy assistant.  This is just one area that has seen a dramatic increase in demand for the physical therapy assistant.  

Physical Therapy Assistant Programs are a great choice for those coming out of high school.  This would make an excellent career choice.

Physical Therapy Assistant Programs are usually five semesters.  The certification varies state to state.

A new graduate can expect to earn in excess of $40,000 a year.  By far one of the best salaries out there for a two-year degree.

There are programs available in certain community colleges, junior colleges, large colleges and universities.  If you want to go to school locally I am sure there are a variety of programs available in your area.

The selection process will obviously be more rigorous if you are going away to college.

Obviously you need to find out what the prerequisites are for the final colleges on your list.

You want to visit the facilities of your final candidates to see the program being offered.  You want as much hands-on training as possible.  The more one-on-one access the better.

The best way of learning physical therapy is by doing. So you need to work with someone one-on-one to correct mistakes as soon as they happen so as not to get into bad habits.

In certain community colleges there will only be one class per semester.  There are class size limits so you need to look into whether you could get right into a class or if there is a waiting list, a grades minimum, or various other ways of selecting the class attendees.

When looking at various schools and narrowing down your choices you obviously want to weigh the cost of the program versus the quality, class-size, personal training, and one-on-one access to your instructors.

As with any discipline once you are proficient in your training you can specialize in one of the many different avenues available.  As stated earlier sports and exercise, pediatrics, geriatrics, as well is working with veterans are all fields of specialization that you can choose.

As the baby boomers get older more and more of them will require the assistance of a physical therapy assistant.  

Also unfortunately the way war is waged in the modern era we have many more survivors of campaigns with debilitating injuries!  Yes, this is another list of patients on the rise.

Try making a list yourself of the various parts of the population where the physical therapy assistant will be needed.  I'm sure you'll come up with a lot of others on your own.  To put it bluntly there is no lack of clientele for the physical therapy assistant.

So to recap if you are looking for a new career the physical therapy assistant is an excellent choice.  Pick one of the various physical therapy assistant programs and get yourself enrolled.

An Outline of How to Become a PTA

Physical Therapy Assistant Programs are usually available in your local college or university.

Physical therapy assistant programs are usually two-year programs. You want to contact all of your local colleges and universities to find out which ones offer physical therapy assistant programs.

You may find especially in small community colleges that there is one class per semester offering this program. In this case, find out if there is a waiting list or if you can get right in.

You need to weigh the comprehensiveness of the physical therapy assistant program versus the price tag.

When going away to school you obviously have many different colleges and universities to choose from.  So in this case you can find the perfect fit.

One on one training for the various aspects of physical therapy is the best way to go. Go to the various colleges and universities on your list to ascertain which is the best fit for you.

Remember to check out the prerequisites for the various physical therapy assistant programs you are considering. This can vary from junior-college to college to university. It would be terrible that upon picking a particular college or university you find out you do not qualify.

If you have lost your job, been downsized, etc. there may be financial assistance available. If you are on unemployment be sure to check out whether enrolling in a physical therapy assistant program will affect your benefits.

While attending high school choose your school as early as possible to ensure all your prerequisites are met.

Becoming a physical therapy assistant is not only lucrative but more importantly you are helping individuals to regain their mobility and their ability to live.  This is probably the best reward for this job.

Not to beat a dead horse but those prerequisites are very important! You also want to ascertain whether it will affect any benefits such as unemployment you are currently receiving. As a student be sure you check out the various grants and scholarships that are now available. Actually, come to think of it, you may be eligible for other assistance if you lost your job!

All in all enrolling in one of the various physical therapy assistant programs is a smart move whether you lost your job or are still in high school and looking for a new career.

Physical Therapy Assistant General Information

I was introduced to the career of "Physical Therapy Assistant" after breaking my arm in a cycling accident. Before being allowed to return to work after my cast was removed I had to see a Physical Therapy Assistant.

I had been working in a manufacturing plant at the time. The physical therapy assistant was a very amiable fellow and we got to talking about jobs. I mentioned that my job was horribly boring but the money was excellent and so were the benefits. He suggested I go back to school and start another career.

I actually had considered this but had nixed the idea because a four year degree would take six years. He said he felt I got along with people which I do. Now came the question I had not seen coming "why not become a physical therapy assistant".I told him I did not want to go back to school for six years to get a degree. He said I could become a physical therapy assistant with a two-year degree.

That day became a real eye-opener. I disliked my job quite a bit and as I said really only like the money. Maybe I could do that. The information began to take root. Of course right after that the economy tanked and I lost my job.

The opportunity was before me. I began researching the career of Physical Therapy Assistant.

This website is a result of the culling of a tremendous amount of information that I gathered in my “off time” a.k.a. being laid off.

I must say that without all of my research I probably would have gone nuts. Before I was laid off I have been working seven-day weeks.

Looking at the various job prospects I realized a career change was inevitable.

I actually saw ads in Craig's list for jobs ranging from assistant store manager to front desk at a gym requiring and associate degree, yet paying between eight and nine dollars an hour!

The two year degree has become the new high school diploma. Yet, the Physical Therapy Assistant, starts on average at about $21 an hour! Within five years the fellow who was my physical therapy assistant was making more than that.

For purely a bang for the buck comparison you will not find a better “net gain” for a two-year degree in any field!

As we have a population booming with older people and younger people exercising much more, the physical therapy assistant has a bright future.

All in all, in my humble opinion the Physical Therapy Assistant is the way to go.