Physical Therapists (PTs) are health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. (http://www.apta.org).
To become a licensed PT, students MUST attend a professional PT Program to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. These are commonly 3 year programs. Students should be most concerned about achieving the pre-requisite requirements for admission to the DPT program of their choice. The pre-requisite requirements for all programs can be found at http://www.ptcas.org.
The most common course pre-requisites are Anatomy & Physiology I & II, General Chemistry I&II, Physics I&II, Statistics.
Students from Heidelberg that have attended Physical Therapy programs have majored in Biology, Chemistry, and Health Science. However, students can choose any major - admission to PT graduate programs is based on overall GPA, prerequisite course GPA, experience/knowledge of the field, and leadership/involvement.
