r/PTschool

As an aspiring Physical Therapist it’s really disappointing the amount of money PTs make. As someone who’s going to school doing Pre Reqs and prepping for GRE and applications. My fiancé and I are both going in the field. I love what I do, but money plays a factor down the line, and if i’m going to school for 7-8 for this I feel like PTs as a whole should be making more. My uncle got in a car accident last year and went to physical therapy. For 12 visits he paid $300 out of pocket and insurance payed $700, while he told me the cost normally without insurance was $3300, essentially $2300 in dead money. That specific clinic closed about a month later. It’s just insane how big of a scam insurance is to the healthcare industry. So as a student right now why don’t Physical Therapists fight and strike for better pay? I just want a better understanding I am not trying to bash on the profession or offend anyone I am just curious.

Edit: I am an Aide right now, don’t mean to offend people, genuinely just curious. No plans on changing my career, don’t mean to sound like I know what i’m talking about when I say “I love what i do” 😭

I justified choosing Australia by telling myself that international experience would strengthen my future US PT career.

However, I eventually realized that professional experience and licensing progress are not the same.

After ilang taon, I still needed to complete the US credentialing and licensing process. My Australian experience improved my resume, but it did not replace the legal requirements for US practice.

The delay also had opportunity costs. I was older, had more responsibilities, and found it harder to study while working full time.

Intl experience is valuable. But applicants should be careful when using it to rationalize postponing the destination they actually want.

Ask whether the experience will materially improve eligibility, compensation, immigration, or licensure in the target country. If the answer is unclear, it may be personally valuable without being strategically necessary.

Those are not the same ROI.

hi! I’m a 1st year on bs sport science, i realized too late that i wanted to do physical therapy and join my uncles clinic, do you guys think its possible for me to enroll for a doctorate on physical therapy after i graduate sport science? my university doesn’t allow course shifting so i can’t just transfer to bs pt 🥲

I am a healthcare consultant that is in over my head with a what is basically a pro bono project. The only PT clinic in one of DC’s lowest income neighborhoods is currently at risk of having to shut down entirely after the admin person left several months ago and the clinic stopped being able to consistently bill. They are basically a one man shop plus a couple of volunteers. They are currently using the Prompt EMR system, but probably not leveraging all of its functionality. The owner feels that if we could just get a more few volunteers in for a couple of months they could stabilize. I know many people in the industry are already strained, burned out, underpaid. Open to any feedback, advice, wisdom, resources, reality checks, stories.

I will be going back to school after 6 years. Never truly pursued anything. Now that fitness/sports/wellness has become a big part of me to say the least, I have decided I am going to pursue PT. A long journey for sure but I’m aware of what I’m getting myself into.
I’m going back to get my associates in exercise science, thankfully I have credits that I’m rolling over minimizing my 2 years into a year and a half. Plan to transfer to university after for kinesiology or whatever is best, then go from there to pursue my doctorate.

Clearly this is years in the making, again I am fully aware of the time and costs to get to my goal. I see redditors talking about how much they regret pursuing this field for their own reasons, it doesn’t necessarily affect me since I see what my goal is.

I guess, what’s your advice, pros and cons, or any input for me. I’m about to turn 27 and I know I’ll be in my 30s when I reach my goal.

Appreciate any input!

I’m a high school **graduate**, and my parents have decided that I will study physiotherapy. I’ve tried multiple times to convince them to let me choose something else, but they’ve refused, and my dad has already enrolled me and paid money for my admission. At this point, I realistically don’t have a choice.
My original goal was medicine, particularly dermatology, but **my grades aren’t high enough to get me into medicine in my country**, so medicine unfortunately isn’t an option for me.
My problem is that I don’t actually want to be a physiotherapist.
I’m interested in facial aesthetics—dermatology, Botox, fillers, skin boosters, etc. That is the part of healthcare that genuinely excites me. I initially considered PT because I had heard that physiotherapists can pursue additional qualifications and eventually work in aesthetics.
My dad even spoke directly to a doctor who works in aesthetics and owns several clinics. He told him that a PT graduate can enter aesthetics after doing a master’s/diplomas, and that it is legal. However, I haven’t been able to get official confirmation of this, and I’ve since found conflicting information about whether PTs can legally perform injectable aesthetic procedures in my country. So I don’t want to study PT based entirely on a pathway that may not actually be available.

I’ve also been trying to research PT itself to see if I might grow to like it. But the more I see of the actual profession, the more I realize I don’t want the work itself. I have no interest in spending my career doing rehabilitation, massage/manual therapy, cupping, therapeutic exercises, etc.
I don’t dislike healthcare or working with patients. I just specifically don’t want to do physiotherapy.

This is what scares me:
If I study PT, what happens afterward?
Do I work as a physiotherapist and spend my life doing something I don’t want?
Do I graduate and struggle to find work because I don’t want to practice PT?
Do I spend additional years studying something else, essentially starting over?

**If you were in my position, what would you do?**
Especially if you’re a physiotherapist: I would really appreciate brutally honest answers about what the actual job is like, what you do day-to-day, and whether someone who isn’t interested in rehabilitation/manual treatment could realistically be happy in this career.
I’m not looking for “follow your passion” advice because my parents have already made the decision. I want realistic advice about how to handle being committed to a degree for a profession I don’t currently want.

So i have done my bachelor's in physiotherapy in India and I'm applying for dpt in the US. I am an athlete in running and swimming and have myself gone through a shoulder rehab and I have around 3500 observational hours in total for both in and out patient. And have 3 good LOR- research, academic and clinical. The only problem is my grades I'm an average student with a 67%. And when I'm directly converting it on Google I'm getting only 2.7. when the minimum requirement is 3. The course was extremely competitive and it was difficult to score above 70%. So what are my chances of acceptance. I might not be that good in theory but I excel in practical settings

For those of you who are currently PT Aides (or have been in the past) how did you get your job? I'm looking for a part time position while I'm in school and have mostly only found full time positions. And when I do interview for a part time position, I don't get it. I know I haven't been searching for long but I don't want to waste my time in this process. Did you call clinics in your area to see who was hiring? Look at job boards? Network?

Thanks in advance.

Guys please can you help me??

I am just 19 year old , I passed the 12th exam in 2025 and take a first drop for NEET in first Attempt I got 400 but after that I literally exhausted from this stufff ...

I had a classmate in classes 11 and 12 whose father is one of the top 10 physiotherapists here in Varanasi. He suggested I pursue BPT, saying it has great scope. So, out of frustration and without much thought, I took that step and spoke to his father; he got me admitted to CIMS Dehradun using his contacts there. However, he advised me that the field of physiotherapy relies heavily on practical work. He asked, "Why go all the way to Dehradun?" He owns 5–6 hospitals here with physiotherapy chambers, so he sends me to whichever one has the highest patient flow so I can learn. So guys, tell me: should I go to the college to study, or should I stay here, learn from 10 AM to 2 PM, and study during the remaining time? But I feel like I’ll miss out on experiencing college life! Please give me some genuine advice.😭

Hello everyone! I have an issue I have been dealing with for about a month now. I have about 2 years left for school (undergrad) and I only have about 20 observation hours in an outpatient setting. I dont have a ton of time outside of school to get my observation hours in, but I think I might be able to manage depending on whay kind of job I get. I am moving from my hometown to San Jose CA as for a bit more background.

I have been trying to get a job as a PT aide for the past month and a half. Applying online with cover letters and all of that. I've gotten a few phone interviews with the I terrier being cut short when I tell them the hours I can work (I'll post my schedule at the bottom) so it is getting really frustrating knowing that even though I might be qualified, I don't get chosen because I am also a student with a shitty schedule.

So my question is, do I keep trying for PT aide jobs or try to get a job that aligns with my schedule more and just suck it up that I will have to spend more time outside of work/school observing? I reqlly wanted to try and lump the 2 together :/ you always seem to give me solid advice, so as always, any advice is greatly appreciated!

My availability to work is as follows:

Mon/Wed/Fri - Anytime after 3pm

Tues - 8 - 10 am and/or after 2pm

Thurs/Sat/Sun - Anytime

Hi guys! Currently filling out applications and was wondering if any of you have taken a CEU for medical terminology. St Augustine requires it and accepts CC credits but most of them a full. What are some accredited/valid programs that st Augustine accepts?
Edit: LOLLL god forbid I apply to a variety of places usahs isn’t the only school I’m applying to and I literally am just asking about a med term course

Hi there. I need some people to reassure me that I shouldn’t go into this career. I love everything about PT and have completed a lot of observation hours that filled me with excitement and joy. I have applied and already invited for interviews with 2 schools and have committed a lot of time and effort into being a competitive applicant who met all the requirements. I took an extra year after my bachelors (in kines) to complete extra pre reqs. I ultimately have to step away from this career due to the loans I would need to take out and my living situation. I understand this is a good choice for my future but it’s still hard to shake the feeling of letting go of the career I have been working towards for many years now. Some reassurance and extra reasons as to why I shouldn’t commit to this profession would be nice and maybe some ideas on what to do next. Currently thinking about an accelerated BSN and am not interested in anything like athletic training. Anyone else in this position?

Applying to Cal State Sac, Northridge and Long Beach and Youngstown state in Ohio.

Graduated with Bachelors in Exercise Science CSULB

cumulative GPA: 3.89

Pre Req GPA: 4.0

two pre req classes are in progress so cumulative gpa will go up

Hours: 400 hours as aide in outpatient ortho

GRE: 153 verbal, 152 quant, 3.5 writing

Only extracurricular is unrelated but just speaks to time management as I've also maintained a serving job for 3 years.

Been really anxious because of how competitive state schools are and my hours are all in one setting.

Hi everyone, I was just wondering on opinions of my GPA and if I should retake some classes. My overall GPA is a 3.93, but my prereqGPA is 3.3. Chemistry kinda messed me up freshman year lol. Overall, I was a D1 athlete, have pediatric cancer volunteering, and 400+ hours across 3 settings. I also don’t have any inpatient hours, so I’m not sure if I need those. I guess I’m just wondering if I should retake some of my science courses because of low grades and get more hours. Thanks!!!

Im trying to gain some experience in a PT Aide role before PT school. I have coursework in Kinesiology, and experience as a Combat Medic. I have two interviews coming up on Monday. Anything I should know/prepare for? Thank you.

Hey everyone,

If you are tired of staring at a $100k+ balance for your Doctor of Physical Therapy degree while interest eats you alive, it is time to actually do something about it.

There is a real bill in Congress right now called the Student Loan Interest Elimination Act (S.4169 in the Senate / H.R.8045 in the House). It was introduced by Senator Peter Welch and Representative Joe Courtney to completely eliminate interest rates on federal student loans.

What the bill actually does:

• 0% Interest Rate: Refinances all existing federal student loans down to 0% interest.
• Future Caps: Locks in a 0% interest rate for all future federal borrowers.
• Federal Loans Only: Applies strictly to federal student loans (direct subsidized/unsubsidized and Grad PLUS).
• Funding: Uses a trust fund backed by principal payments to keep the program running.

While this does not decrease the baseline tuition cost of a DPT program, it drastically cuts the total amount we actually end up paying back. Personally, I would save over $40,000 if this passes. Think about how much you would save without interest compounding daily.

The bill is currently sitting in committee. It will die there if people do not care. Stop just complaining on this sub about low reimbursement rates versus high debt-to-income ratios and take five minutes to call or message your U.S. Senators and Representatives.

Tell them you are a constituent, a healthcare professional, and that you strongly urge them to support and co-sponsor S.4169 / H.R.8045.

Hi! I’m a recent UC graduate applying with a 3.78 GPA and around 100 PT hours across outpatient and hospital/acute rehab settings. I also have significant disability-access advocacy, leadership, and supervisory experience.

I’m taking physiology and Chemistry II with labs this fall, with one final physics course (pt 3) planned for winter. I’m mainly considering public/cheaper programs in California, Washington, New York, North Carolina, and Illinois/Chicago.

Has anyone dealt with programs having strict or unclear prerequisite deadlines? Did you contact admissions or apply anyway and if so, what happened (like did you get in)?

Based on my profile, which public programs would you recommend for a balanced list and a decent chance of getting in this cycle?

(Please read last paragraph before commenting) So I (29M) started going back to school with the goal of becoming a PT a few years ago. I finished my associates in Ex. Sci, and now approximately a junior at a large 4 year school. I'm set to graduate May 2028 from the Bachelor's program.

I'm currently struggling with my path at the moment. I will be about 31 years old when I finish undergrad, which means I would be about 34 when I finish PT school, and then would have to get licensed which is another time consuming hurdle from what I've heard.

Right now I am living at home. I'm recently single after about 2.5 years of being in a relationship, so that isn't helping. I am anxious to start MY life. Living with your parents at 29 sucks as is and I would only assume that would probably still be the best option if I'm in PT school. The idea of living with my parents in my 30's is haunting me.

I'm second guessing the whole PT thing. Obviously this is a decision I have to weigh myself, but I'm making this post to see if anyone has been on this path as an older student. I am nervous about my future and have felt left behind for some years now.

Hello,

I am a 24 year old contemplating career decisions. I am an electrical engineer making six figures, but I don’t just enjoy what I do. I have been looking into Physical Therapy. The issue is I have responsibilities and bills.

One of the things I have been looking at is a hybrid PTA program. There are 2 specifically I’m looking at, and I think with one of them I could keep my engineering job all but the last 4 months (clinical rotation). I could then decide later if I wanted to do DPT and try one of the bridge programs such as University of Findlay.

The other option I have been looking at is straight to DPT. I have a bachelors degree in engineering, so I would just have to take the prerequisite courses. The concern here is the 2+ years of unemployment along with the educational cost. Has anyone went through one of the hybrid programs such as South College and been able to work through it? There is a South college with a DPT program 3 hours from me.

Tufts University School of Medicine recently announced Tufts DPT-Atlanta, the newest addition to the Tufts DPT programs!

The first class will start in Fall 2027, and we're currently sharing information with prospective students who are interested in learning more.

 If you'd like to explore the curriculum or attend an upcoming event, check out the links below:

📖 Curriculum Overview
🎓 Upcoming Events

Anyone considering PT school in the Southeast? We'd love to connect and answer your questions!