IS PT SCHOOL WORTH IT? 3 THINGS TO CONSIDER

By Rhyan Caruso

1.) Cost

Physical therapy school is expensive, from tuition costs, fees, equipment, clinical training, and living expenses. The average total of physical therapy programs for in-state students is $108,212 and the average total for out of state students is $126,034. The national average student debts for these PT students are $142,489. On top of this, the median annual wage for physical therapists is $99,710, which is not a great income to debt ratio. However, I believe it is on the PT student themselves to make smart decisions when choosing a PT school, and I would recommend choosing an in-state public physical therapy program to help reduce the cost of PT school, as well as looking at other factors like the price of living, or even choosing a 3+3 physical therapy program that can significantly reduce your debt from PT school.

2) Schooling Commitment

The path to PT does not involve many shortcuts, as the traditional path to become a physical therapist involves receiving your bachelor’s degree, which takes about 4 years, then completing about 3 years at a physical therapy program, for a total of around 7 years. PT school is usually year-round, through fall, summer, and spring, with a few breaks in between, and the coursework is very rigorous as it is a Doctoral degree. The schooling includes about 30 or more weeks of clinical rotations to gain hands on experience in the physical therapy world, which can add more to the cost of PT school as you will most likely have to pay for your living expenses if you participate in a clinical away from home. Once you complete the physical therapy program, you will then have to take the NPTE, the National Physical Therapy Exam to become a licensed physical therapist.

3.) Burnout

Burnout has been significant topic of discussion in the physical therapy world, with more than 50% of physical therapists experiencing burnout. This can be due to many physical therapists having an extremely high workload, running through 20-40 patients a day, which leads to stress and can be overwhelming, trouble dealing with insurance which can impact their plan of care for a patient, and even the work-life balance in certain PT settings can contribute to burnout.

When choosing if PT is right for you, the most important thing I would say is to always have a WHY in the back of your head as to why you want to be a PT and continue to have a passion for this profession as you work to becoming a physical therapist. There are so many different settings to work in as a PT, and if you get burnt out or bored of one setting, move on to the next. On top of this, when choosing PT schools, make sure you are being financially smart about the schools you are choosing, as there are many options out there that are financially better than others. If you truly know this is the career you want to pursue, then follow it, and if you have any second thoughts about PT, especially prior to going to PT school, I would highly recommend against it.