Physical Therapy Education, Career & Salaries

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 Physical therapists treat patients by using different medical techniques called modalities to help heal injures, improve movement and manage pain. They diagnose patients' movements, set up a plan for their patients and evaluate a patients progress during and after treatment. They mostly work in a private office and clinics.

 The job outlook is a 39% increase between 2010 to 2020. Illinois is a great state to start a career as a therapy specialist. This state was number four on CNN Moneys the best states to live in 2010 list. With Chicago being the third largest city in the country, the employment per thousand jobs ratio is 1.95. There are currently 7,750 employed therapists.

Becoming a PT

 To become a PT, you will need a postgraduate professional degree. Most programs degrees are Doctor of PT which takes 3 years to obtain, but you can get a Master of P.Therapy degree which can take 2-3 years. The courses include anatomy and physiology, neuroscience, biomechanics and pharmacology. Clinical rotations are mandatory. The median pay in Illinois, USA is $82,680. For Chicago, it is $84,280. The PT Association is there to help guide you in pursuing a career as a PT. You can find more info at IPTA.

Education and Schools

 Illinois is home to many great universities. The University of IL at Chicago has a great accredited Physical Therapy program. It is an eight term (33 months) program that has both a lecture and clinical component that equals 122 credit hours. There is also a clinical internship program which makes up 36 credit hours. Tuition is $5,905 for full time in state students and $10,216 for out of state students. Fees for the first year are $1,484. They decrease by a hundred dollars every year. The Illinois University, Chicago is ranked number 6 for public universities and number 16 overall. UIC at Chicago will be a great choice in your venture to become a therapist in IL.

Resources:

1) http://www.ipta.org/

2) http://physicaltherapysalary.org/