{"id":16846,"date":"2025-06-23T16:40:44","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T20:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/?page_id=16846"},"modified":"2025-07-11T15:50:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T19:50:38","slug":"physical-therapy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/physical-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"Physical Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

What does a physical therapist do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Physical therapists help people maximize their quality of life. They work with people of all ages and abilities, and in a variety of settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They help people rehabilitate from devastating injuries, manage chronic conditions, avoid surgery and prescription drugs, and create healthy habits (APTA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about what physical therapists do, visit the American Physical Therapy Association\u2019s web page Becoming a PT<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\nBecoming a PT<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

URI\u2019s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) <\/h2>

URI\u2019s DPT program is an entry-level doctoral program that prepares students as critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and healthcare providers for persons with movement-related dysfunctions.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

explore uri’s pt program<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Choosing This Field<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When figuring out if this profession is right for you, make sure to look at various resources to inform you about careers in physical therapy, engage in self reflection regularly, and seek out relevant clinical and service experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To explore what your career might look like in this field and what the right fit is for you, visit the APTA\u2019s pages Careers in Physical Therapy<\/a> and Contact a Student<\/a>. Visit the PTCAS\u2019s page about Professionalism and Core Values<\/a> for further exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What is the required preparation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no required major for pre-physical therapy students\u2014students are welcome to explore their major options<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is variability when it comes to course requirements for entrance to a physical therapy program, so applicants are encouraged to explore their specific programs of interest and research their coursework expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Review the APTA\u2019s Comparison of Course Prerequisites by Program<\/a> document to find what various schools require. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of programs expect one year of Anatomy and Physiology, one year of General Chemistry, one year of Physics, one year of Psychology and one semester of Statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

URI’s Physical Therapy Program, for instance, expects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n