Physical Therapy is a booming field with a brilliant job outlook for the years to come. A career in physical therapy requires a hands-on approach with a combination of exercises and manual therapies. There are many routes a student can choose after being accepted into a DPT program. Working in an environment as well as with a patient population that interests you is important for your success as a physical therapist. There are a variety of settings a physical therapist can choose to work in, as well as several areas one can choose to specialize in the field of physical therapy. Below are some of the general types of physical therapy settings and subspecialties:
Inpatient Facilities
- Acute Care
- Subacute Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation Hospital
- Subacute Rehabilitation
- Extended Care Facility/Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility
Outpatient Clinics
- Hospital Outpatient Clinic
- Free-standing Physical Therapy Clinic / Private Practice
- School/Preschool
- Wellness/Prevention/Sports/Fitness
- Home Health
- Hospice
- Industrial, Workplace or Other Occupational Environments
- Local, State, and Federal Government
Physical Therapy Sub-Specialties: a specialist certification program that allows practicing physical therapists to specialize in a specific subcategory of physical therapy. This allows a therapist to advance their education further for a specific population in rehabilitation.
There are currently nine sub-specialties a therapist can be certified as:
- Cardiovascular & Pulmonary
- Geriatrics
- Pediatrics
- Sports
- Women’s Health
- Orthopedics
- Oncology
- Neurology
- Clinical Electrophysiology
Sources:
APTA. (2016, November 10). About Physical Therapist (PT) Careers. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/PTCareers/Overview/
