<p>I am a highschool senior and i want to become a physical therapist and specialize in sports injuries. I do not know if it is best to major in something or just complete the courses required for graduate school (pre-requisite). If i do decide to major in something, I do not know what degree it would be (kinesiology, exercise science, sports medicine??). I would like to attend a university in California preferably Southern California, so does anyone know any good colleges that have majors in pre-physical theraypy, kinesiology, sports medicine, or exercise science? Any input is greatly APPRECIATED!</p>
<p>Spend some time in the student section of [APTA</a> | Home](<a href=“http://www.apta.org%5DAPTA”>http://www.apta.org)
They have a full list of accredited colleges and programs.</p>
<p>Check out PT on the websites of colleges that interest you.</p>
<p>Let me say first “join the club” when it comes to wanting to specialize in sports injuries. Maybe try an athletic training degree. Then you can specialize in athletic injuries…</p>
<p>Be very careful about accumulating debt. The field has gone credential happy and the pressure to get advanced degrees is intense. The advanced degrees don’t necessarily add to one’s ability to be a good physical therapist, it’s just a licensed profession acting as a guild. But the wages may not be sufficient to pay back a lot of debt.</p>
<p>The advanced degree for Physical Therapists is NOT any longer a choice. I believe the equivalent of a doctorate is required for newly licensed PTs in most places.</p>
<p>You can no longer be newly licensed as a PT w/o the DPT because there are no more BS/MS degrees offered anywhere.
There are a lot of reasons for it, some good, some not so good, but that’s the way it is. Some ARNPs are no longer Masters level, either - they’ve gone to Doctoral level. </p>
<p>Not sure if athletic training is a good enough base to get into PT grad school. A degree in exercise science/kinesiology is good if it has a good science curriculum base (chem/bio/anatomy/physiology).</p>
<p>A LMP or LMT alsp works with athletes, often more regularly and directly than a PT.
[Athletic</a> Trainers](<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos294.htm]Athletic”>http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos294.htm)
[PFATS:</a> FAQs](<a href=“http://www.pfats.com/pfatsinfo/faq/index.cfm]PFATS:”>http://www.pfats.com/pfatsinfo/faq/index.cfm)
[Seattle</a> Somatics - John Stickel](<a href=“Seattlesomatics.com”>Seattlesomatics.com)
[Athletic</a> Training Career Overview](<a href=“http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/at-career.html]Athletic”>Explore Health Care Careers - Academics - Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science)</p>
<p>The pre-requisites for the DPT program are significant—most biology degree programs (and some kinesiology/exercise science) would cover most of them, if not all. The pre-req list does vary slightly depending on the school you apply to for PT (math requirements differ, as do psych requirements, for example). </p>
<p>I think it would be helpful to review some of the links you’ve been given here…particularly if you are feeling certain about focusing on sports injuries. There indeed may be other avenues to the career you are looking for besides the Doctor of Physical Therapy that you should consider. Sports PT is a very popular “specialty” within PT, but the pure “sports injuries” job opportunities (ie with a sports team) are limited.</p>
<p>While I believe there may be a handful of institutions nationally where you can still get a Masters in PT, most schools now only offer the Doctor of PT (DPT). And those who still do offer the MPT are transitioning to the DPT–meaning by the time you complete your undergraduate degree, the DPT will likely be the only route open to you.</p>
<p>I highly suggest you look into shadowing/volunteering in a PT environment–it’s an excellent profession but the cost to obtain the degree is high as one poster pointed out. It’s a 3 year program and again, the pre-requisites are many.</p>
<p>I can tell you that a number of students in D’s DPT program came from majors such as biology, exercise science and kinesiology. However, many also came in with other majors which didn’t have all the science courses as part of their degree program. Those students then just took the extra pre-reqs as needed. I say this only to point out that you don’t have to know exactly what you want to major in right now to become a PT.</p>
<p>The very best thing you can do is research all the links above thoroughly. But don’t rely just on what you read…try to seek out people who can talk to you about the realities of these professions/opportunities. If you’re already thinking about it this far ahead, you should be well on your way to choosing a path that’s a great fit for you. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>PS USC is ranked #1 nationally for its DPT program (very pricy though!)</p>
<p>“The field has gone credential happy” couldn’t agree more. Research and consider all options: Athletic Trainer, Physician assistant or even MD considering the time and $ investment. 6 to 7 years investment of time & $$ before you can practice as a PT is a joke. Go to med school.</p>
<p>Physicians and physical therapists have entirely different lifestyles as well as daily work- choose the profession you like most.</p>