Physical Therapy: A Brief Review

Occupational Description and Outlook
Physical therapists provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health. Their patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.

Therapists examine patients’ medical histories and then test and measure the patients’ strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function. They also determine patients’ ability to be independent and reintegrate into the community or workplace after injury or illness. Following this patient assessment, physical therapists develop plans describing a treatment strategy, its purpose, and its anticipated outcome.

Treatment often includes exercise for patients who have been immobilized and lack flexibility, strength, or endurance. Physical therapists encourage patients to use their own muscles to increase their flexibility and range of motion before finally advancing to other exercises that improve strength, balance, coordination, and endurance. The goal is to improve how an individual functions at work and at home.

Physical therapists often consult and practice with a variety of other professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists.  Some physical therapists treat a wide range of ailments; others specialize in areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, orthopedics, sports medicine, neurology, and cardiopulmonary physical therapy.

Additional information may be found at:  http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm .

Admission Requirements for Physical Therapy Programs
Undergraduate pre-requisites for graduate-level training in PT vary by academic institution and whether the degree conferred is at the 2-year master’s or 3-year doctoral level.  Students interested in the field of PT are thus encouraged to research individual requirements for programs of interest.  That said, most programs are quite similar in what they require of their applicants, and for that reason the undergraduate pre-requisites for a representative program are described in this section.  The following information is based on the general admission requirements for the entry- level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) at Arcadia University. Please note: Messiah College has an articulation agreement with Arcadia University and the admission requirements for students who qualify for this agreement are listed in the section entitled Admission Requirements for Messiah Students Attending Arcadia University through the Arcadia/Messiah DPT Articulation Agreement.

1. A bachelor's degree with at least a B average (3.0) from an accredited institution.
2. Pre-requisite courses:the following pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to the start of the Physical Therapy Program with a grade of "C" or above and a cumulative grade point average in these prerequisite areas of at least a "B" (3.0) is expected. All courses used towards the minimum prerequisite biological and physical science requirements should be taken through the appropriate departments, e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Physics.
   • Biological Sciences: three courses which should include one course in human or mammalian physiology with laboratory (a two-semester anatomy/ physiology course with laboratory would meet this requirement). An anatomy course is recommended but not required.
   • Upper Level Science: one upper level course (300 or 400) of at least 3 credits with a biology focus. This course can be taken through another department such as Exercise Science or Kinesiology but preferably should be taken through the Biology department. Examples of courses that would fulfill this requirement are: neuroscience, principles of motor science and biology of aging.
   • Physical Sciences: four courses - two courses in chemistry with laboratory (one year) and two courses in physics with laboratory (one year).
   • Psychology: two courses
   • Statistics: one course; content should include descriptive statistics, differences between two means, correlation and beginning concepts of analysis of variance
3. Three personal recommendations, at least one from a licensed, practicing physical therapist and one from a college professor.
4. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test Scores:
5. For non-native speakers of English, a minimum overall score of 550 on the TOEFL is required. In addition, a minimum of 50 is required in each section.
6. Knowledge of the profession through work or volunteer experience. More than one experience is required. A broad overview of the profession is preferable to experience in a limited area.

Admission Requirements for Messiah Students Attending Arcadia University through the Arcadia/Messiah DPT Articulation Agreement

Messiah College and Arcadia University have developed an articulation agreement that will grant assured admission for up to five qualified Messiah College students who successfully complete the prerequisites for the DPT program as described in the previous section and are recommended for admission by the Pre-Health Professions Advising Committee at Messiah College.  Students whose credentials do not meet these requirements that assure them automatic admission into the DPT program may still apply in the general applicant pool.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is taken by prospective graduate applicants and the obtained test scores are used by admissions or fellowship panels to supplement undergraduate records and other qualifications for graduate study. The scores provide common measures for comparing the qualifications of applicants and aid in evaluating grades and recommendations. There are two types of GRE tests: the GRE® General Test and the GRE® Subject Tests .

The GRE® General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.  It is offered year‑round at computer‑based test centers in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries. The test measures skills in the areas of verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing.

The GRE® Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement in the eight disciplines: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Literature in English; Mathematics; Physics; and Psychology.  Each Subject Test is intended for students who have majored in or have extensive background in that specific area.  The scores provide common measures for comparing the qualifications of applicants and aid in the evaluation of grades and recommendations. Some Subject Tests yield subscores that can indicate the strengths and weaknesses of individual students' preparation and may be useful for guidance and placement purposes.  The Subject Tests are given at paper‑based test centers worldwide three times a year in November, December and April.

Additional information about the GRE is available on our FAQ Sheet.

An Overview of Doctoral-Level Physical Therapy Education
Graduate-Level training in the field of PT  varies by institution and students interested in the field are encouraged to research the programs to which they may want to apply.   However, since most of the differences in graduate educational experiences are fairly minor, a description of the three year course of study at Arcadia University  is included .  A more detailed description of the courses may be found at:  http://gargoyle.arcadia.edu/arcadiapt/edptcurriculumnew.htm .