How To Become a Staff Physical Therapy Assistant
Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become a staff physical therapy assistant. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in a staff physical therapy assistant.
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Most companies require a staff physical therapy assistant to have a associate degree degree in a related field, such as physical therapy or medical assisting services.
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The Physical Therapist Assistant license requirements vary by state. 40 states require barbers to have licensure for their work.
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Common job titles before becoming a staff physical therapy assistant include physical therapist assistant, physical therapist, and internship.
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Hiring managers expect a staff physical therapy assistant to have soft skills such as dexterity, physical stamina, and compassion.
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Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of less than 1 month of job training to become a staff physical therapy assistant.
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Getting a certification as a Medical Assistant will help you to earn more as a staff physical therapy assistant.
We found that 36.8% of staff physical therapy assistants have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 4.0% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some staff physical therapy assistants have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every four staff physical therapy assistants were not college graduates.
Those staff physical therapy assistants who do attend college, typically earn either a physical therapy degree or a medical assisting services degree. Less commonly earned degrees for staff physical therapy assistants include a kinesiology degree or a biology degree.
How to become a Staff Physical Therapy Assistant in 6 steps:
- Step 1: Explore staff physical therapy assistant education
- Step 2: Develop staff physical therapy assistant skills
- Step 3: Complete relevent training/internship
- Step 4: Obtain the necessary licensing
- Step 5: Research staff physical therapy assistant duties
- Step 6: Prepare your resume
Key Steps To Become a Staff Physical Therapy Assistant
Explore Staff Physical Therapy Assistant Education
If you're interested in becoming a staff physical therapy assistant, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 36.8% of staff physical therapy assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 4.0% of staff physical therapy assistants have master's degrees. Even though some staff physical therapy assistants have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a staff physical therapy assistant. When we researched the most common majors for a staff physical therapy assistant, we found that they most commonly have physical therapy, medical assisting services and kinesiology.
Staff Physical Therapy Assistant Major Percentages Physical Therapy 34.00% Medical Assisting Services 23.80% Kinesiology 10.20% Biology 3.80% Other Degrees 28.20% Develop Staff Physical Therapy Assistant Skills
It'll be a good idea to develop staff physical therapy assistant skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in staff physical therapy assistant job descriptions:
Skills Percentages Patients 26.70% Rehabilitation 14.14% CPR 12.11% Home Health 10.39% Customer Service 4.43% Complete Relevent Training/Internship
Staff physical therapy assistants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new staff physical therapy assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as a staff physical therapy assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff physical therapy assistant resumes.
Average Amount Of Time At Training
Obtain The Necessary Licensing
Becoming a licensed staff physical therapy assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed staff physical therapy assistant in most of states. 40 states require staff physical therapy assistants to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
State Education Exam License Url Alabama - - Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant Arkansas Specific course required State exam required Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) California Degree required Third-party exam required Physical Therapist Assistant Connecticut Specific course required Third-party exam required Physical Therapist Assistant Delaware Degree required State exam required Physical Therapist Assistant Research Staff Physical Therapy Assistant Duties
When you decide to become a staff physical therapy assistant, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most staff physical therapy assistant jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:
- Perform ultrasound massage on patients and effectively manage pain level of patient using heat therapy.
- Train patients on the use of braces, canes, crutches, walkers and prosthetic/orthotic devices.
- Provide outpatient physical therapy rehabilitation services to patients with orthopedic, post-surgical problems, chronic pain issues.
- Teach patients how to use and care for wheelchairs, walkers, braces and artificial limbs.
- Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches or wheelchairs.
- Provide treatments such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and hot/cold packs, infrare, UVR, tens and traction.
Prepare Your Resume
Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Staff Physical Therapy Assistant Resume templates
Build a professional Staff Physical Therapy Assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Staff Physical Therapy Assistant resume.Apply For a Staff Physical Therapy Assistant Job
Staff Physical Therapy Assistant Jobs
