Physiotherapists play an important role in health care. Patients rely on professional physical therapists to direct them in exercises and treatments essential to the recovery process. Anyone interested in a career in physical therapy needs to complete a series of courses to receive a degree in physiotherapy. While a Bachelor’s Degree is required, a Masters is recommended in many health care fields where physical therapy is needed.
Undergraduate students are generally required to take a three or four year physiotherapy course through a university or college with the intention of earning a Bachelor of Physiotherapy Degree. Many such courses give instructions on theory and bring the student into the field with hospital based clinical training. This allows the studying physical therapist to interact with patients and get acquainted with various healthcare settings. A student may learn physiotherapy based in pediatric care, adult care, or both depending on the course and university.
A physiotherapy course partly focuses on theory. Physiology (the study of human organs, cells and systems under their varying functions), pathology (examination and diagnosis of cells, bodily fluids, tissue and organs to determine disease), physics (the science and examination of matter, motion and energy), and anatomy (study of the human body as a whole, the skeleton, eyes, digestive systems and so on) are among the subjects studied. Also included are social sciences, mathematics, human growth and development, biomechanics and neuroanatomy (study of the nervous system).
Some universities offer a part time physiotherapy course or nighttime courses for employed physiotherapy students and assistants. The aim is to further educate and keep physical therapists up to date with current advances.
Physiotherapy course instructors teach students high level management skills. They also emphasis patient care and the importance of promoting, maintaining and maximizing a patient’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
By the end of a physiotherapy course students are expected to know how to assess and analyze a problem then take the proper course of action to promote a patient’s rehabilitation.
Health care professionals interested in a career in physical therapy should call or visit their local university for more information on physiotherapy courses and requirements. Unsure of where to go? The Internet is one of the quickest and easiest resources available to find a local or national physiotherapy course.
According to the United States Department of Labor, the average salary for a physical therapist is around sixty thousand dollars per year. Due to an increasing population and need for more health professionals the demand for physical therapists rises each year, which is why schools continue to add physiotherapy to their lists of courses.