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
Doctoral degree and license (required to pass the State Board exam)
Education & Training
Regional employers often hire graduates of these programs.
Northwest Lower Michigan
Allied Health Program
— Grand Valley State University - Traverse City (NMC University Center)
You can complete any bachelor's degree as long as you fulfill prerequisites.
Elsewhere in Michigan
Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)
— Oakland University
— Grand Valley State University
— University of Michigan Flint
— Central Michigan University
— Wayne State University
— Andrews University
Explore This Career
Try it before you buy it!
- TBAISD Career Tech Center – Allied Health
- Sci-Ma-Tech (CHS) or Sci-Ma-Tech (WSH)
- Take an AP Biology or AP Chemistry at your high school
- Join the Pre-PT club at your college
The Local Advantage Learning Pathway
Pathway 1
Northwest Education Services (formerly TBAISD) Career Tech Center - Allied Health
Pathway 2
Bachelor of Science in Allied Health or University Center - Grand Valley State University
Pathway 3
Apply for a postgraduate degree program.
— Oakland University
— Grand Valley State University
— University of Michigan Flint
— Central Michigan University
— Wayne State University
— Andrews University
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