Physical Therapy Assistants (ATFs) work as part of a dynamic healthcare team. Assistants help physical therapists maintain therapy facilities and monitor patients' progress, while also helping patients with difficult movements and instructing them on how to use walking aids. ATF is one of the fastest growing professions in healthcare, and even more jobs are projected to become available over the next several years. Learn how to take the first steps towards this rewarding and challenging field.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Get an Education
Step 1. Take relevant courses in high school
In case you are considering a profession as a physical therapy assistant, you can never start preparing too early. It may help to take advanced courses in biology, chemistry, and algebra (and earn high marks) to enter a college program specializing in physical therapy assistance. There are some ATF programs that require a minimum GPA in algebra, and so studying hard at an early stage can go a long way in this area.
Step 2. Consider volunteering
Volunteering at a hospital or other health care facility is not a requirement for entry into an ATF program, but it will look great on a resume and can help you determine if this profession is right for you.
Step 3. Find an accredited program
Generally, the minimum college education requirement to be an ATF is an associate of education degree as a physical therapy assistant. If you want to pursue a profession like ATF, it is important to be certain that you choose an accredited program.
- If you live in the US, the only agency that grants accreditation status is the Accrediting Commission for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). On the American Physical Therapy Association website, you can find a database of CAPTE-accredited programs.
- In Canada, accreditation is granted by the Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada or PEAC ("Physical Therapy Education Accreditation Canada"), and all physical therapy programs in Canada are currently accredited by this organization.
- In case you are unsure about the accreditation committee where you live, you can search online for the ATF accreditation committee in your region to find out.
Step 4. Get an education
There are many ATF programs available around the world. Accredited programs must require a candidate to spend at least one quarter of their education in a clinical setting. These are other factors to consider when choosing a program:
- structure and curriculum
- the type of clinical education and training opportunities offered through the program
- the facilities available
- the approval rate of student licenses
- employment statistics after graduation
- the cost of attending and the financial aid options available to you
Step 5. Consider an internship
Starting an internship concurrent with studying to become an ATF can dramatically improve a candidate's chances of landing a job after graduation. This is because internships provide your interns with hands-on training and experience and allow them to make valuable connections with experts in the field.
Part 2 of 4: Get Licensed or Certified
Step 1. Study for the National Physical Therapy Exam
Candidates in the US who have met educational requirements must pass the National Physical Therapy Exam. This exam is administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Candidates may not take the exam more than 3 times within a 12 month period and may not take it more than 6 times in total.
- You can get study guides and practice tests online at the FSBPT website.
- If you don't live in the US, you can search online for your regional physical therapy committee to find out about licensing or certification requirements in your country.
Step 2. Take the National Physical Therapy Exam
This exam involves 200 questions that are divided into 4 sections, each of 50 questions. Candidates have 4 hours to finish the exam and must arrive at least 30 minutes before the start time.
- Exams are administered by Prometric at designated exam facilities and on set dates throughout the year. Candidates can register for the exam and find locations and dates to take it on the FSBPT website under the "Registration Process" section.
- The ATF exam costs $ 70 and is payable to Prometric at the time the candidate registers for the exam.
- It carries two types of identification. One of these must be a valid government issued photo ID.
- In each section of the exam there are questions that are scored and questions that are not scored (preliminary). Candidates cannot know which questions are scored and which are not, and therefore must treat all questions as if they were to be scored.
Step 3. Pass the exam
Candidates will be awarded a grade on a scale of 200 to 800. To pass the exam, candidates must earn a grade of 600 and up. Scores are reported to a candidate's jurisdiction approximately 5 business days after the exam and will be available free of charge to all candidates after 10 business days. You can find and download the qualifications on the FSBPT website under the "Status of My Request" tab.
Step 4. Learn about your state's requirements
In some cases, states, in addition to the National Physical Therapy Exam, also require candidates to take and pass an additional state-level exam and submit to a criminal background check. You can go to the FSBPT website and click on "Licensing Authorities Contact Information" to find out what your state's requirements are.
Part 3 of 4: Know What to Expect from an ATF
Step 1. Learn about the continuing education requirements
In some states in the US, ATFs are required to take continuing education courses to maintain their license. These requirements vary from state to state and may not be required in jurisdictions outside of the US Contact your state or local committee for information on licensing requirements in your region.
ATFs in the US can go here to find a list of continuing education courses offered by the American Physical Therapy Association
Step 2. Know what the obligations of an ATF are
ATFs work in a dynamic industry and the details of their job requirements will vary depending on the work environment they have chosen. Here are some common ATF requirements:
- work with physical therapists (FT) and follow their orders
- helping patients with exercises and stretching
- lift or transport patients if necessary
- massage or bathe patients
- applying hot or cold compresses to patients
- monitor and record a patient's progress
- inform the supervising physiotherapist of all findings and results of patient care
Step 3. Choose a work environment
While ATFs generally work in clinical settings, there are a variety of work settings in hospitals, schools, and private physical therapy offices.
- Intensive care: ATFs work with short-term patients in a hospital setting. They work with the patient only until they can be discharged from the hospital.
- Rehabilitation Hospital: ATFs work with patients by giving them intensive therapy for 3 or more hours every day to help them care for themselves at home.
- Subacute rehabilitation: ATFs work with patients in a special hospital facility with objectives similar to those of a rehabilitation hospital but with less intense sessions.
- Elderly or Long-Term Care Facility: ATFs primarily work with elderly patients in a facility designed for long-term care.
- Outpatient or private practice office - Patients come to an office or facility to work with ATF, focusing primarily on orthopedic and neuromuscular issues.
- Schools: ATFs work with students in an educational setting.
- Wellness, prevention, sports and physical fitness: ATFs work with patients with a general focus on physical well-being and injury prevention.
- Home care: ATFs visit patients in their homes, residential facilities, or even hospital rooms. Home care ATFs work primarily with patients who are elderly or have significant disabilities.
- Hospices: ATFs work with patients suffering from incurable ailments, focusing on pain management and increasing functional abilities for as long as possible.
- Occupational settings: ATFs work to help improve safety and productivity in a work environment and help patients regain the strength to return to work.
- Government settings: ATFs work with civilian and military personnel in local, state, and federal agencies (if you live in the US, this includes the Veterans Health Administration and the Indian Health Service).
- Research Centers: ATFs can work with physical therapists and other medical professionals in research to increase knowledge about physical therapy and seek ways to improve patient care outcomes in all settings.
Part 4 of 4: Get a job as ATF
Step 1. Develop your resume
The most important thing on a resume is your education, experience, and qualifications.
- List your education first in reverse chronological order (your most recent title at the top).
- Consider including relevant courses that would qualify you for a position.
- Include relevant work experience in reverse chronological order.
- Summarize your background and experience (including internships or volunteer work) under the heading of "qualifications."
Step 2. Apply for jobs
Job vacancies can be found by searching relevant ATF job forums or by looking at the jobs section of local hospital websites. Search online for physical therapy associations near you to find ATF job forums in your area.
- If you live in the U. S., the American Physical Therapy Association lists job openings by category, practice settings, practice area, and location here.
- You could also send your resume and cover letter directly to a human resources representative at a facility where you want to work. Although there are no vacancies at the moment, they may have you in mind for vacancies in the future.
Step 3. Make contacts
In many cases, ATFs land their first job by networking during an internship. If you have worked in an internship or done some type of volunteer work that is related to your field, contact the internship coordinator or a senior person at the facility where you have worked and inform them that you are interested in working for them.