Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
Make a Difference
A Typical Day
- Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
- Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.
Recommended Credentials
Doctorate and license (required to pass the State Board exam)
Education & Training
Regional employers often hire graduates of these programs.
Northwest Lower Michigan
Grand Valley State University (NMC University Center)
Any Bachelor’s degree as long as you have pre-requisites (check your desired D.P.T. school) such as Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, Physics, and others
Elsewhere in Michigan
Doctoral program of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) -
Explore This Career
Try it before you buy it!
- TBAISD Career Tech Center – Allied Health
- Sci-Ma-Tech (CHS)
- Sci-Ma-Tech (WSH)
- Take an AP Biology or AP Chemistry at your high school
The Local Advantage Learning Pathway
Pathway 1
Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD) Career Tech Center - Allied Health
Pathway 2
University Center - Grand Valley State University through the Allied Health Sciences Bachelor Program
Pathway 3
Sample Employers in Our Region
Click the logos below to learn more.
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TIP
Contact one of these companies and ask for an informational interview, to see if you can job shadow, or to find out if they hire interns.
Sample Job Titles...
- Inpatient Physical Therapist
- Home Health Physical Therapist
- Outpatient Physical Therapist
- Pediatric Physical Therapist
- Neural Physical Therapist