Lifespan Youth Employment

Physical Therapist

Physical therapists are health care professionals who evaluate and treat people with health problems resulting from injury or disease.

Job responsibilities
Places of practice
Educational requirements
Educational programs
Licensure requirements
Professional organizations

Job responsibilities:

• Assess:
  • Joint motion
    
  • Muscle strength and endurance
    
  • Function of heart and lungs
    
  • Performance of activities required in daily living
• Therapeutic exercise
• Cardiovascular endurance training
• Training in activities of daily living

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Places of practice:

• Acute care or sub-acute care hospitals
  
• Private physical therapy offices
  
• Community health centers
  
• Industrial health centers
  
• Sports facilities
  
• Rehabilitation centers
  
• Nursing homes
  
• Home health agencies
  
• Schools or pediatric centers

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Educational requirements:

• A four-year college degree in physical therapy from an accredited education program. 
  
  

• A Masters degree from an accredited school in physical therapy.

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Educational programs:

• University of Rhode Island
  
• Boston University
  
• University of Connecticut
  
• Quinnipiac University
  

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Licensure requirements:

• After graduation, candidates must pass a state-administered national exam.
  
  
• Other requirements for physical therapy practice vary from state to state according to physical therapy practice acts or state regulations governing physical therapy.

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Professional organizations:

• American Physical Therapy Association
  http://www.apta.org/

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