As a healthcare professional, you are used to helping patients regain abilities and get their lives back on track. When it comes to meeting your own career goals, that same dedicated work ethic will serve you well. There are several ways to enhance your knowledge and skill level through physical therapy continuing education courses.
Higher Degrees
Transitional degrees for PT come in a couple of varieties. If you have earned your bachelor’s, you can use this type of program to get your master’s. Do you already have your BS/MS? Consider taking the final step by achieving a doctorate degree. Becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) puts you on equal footing with other highly educated medical professionals. It also assures your clients that they are receiving the best possible care.
Distance learning options (with most of the coursework presented online) are available for earning these degrees. Some physical therapy continuing education courses feature interactive online tools that allow you to communicate with peers and faculty. This way, you don’t miss out on an important aspect of the learning experience. Many institutions allow you to take a Physical Therapy Evaluation Test (PTET) prior to admission. Your curriculum will then be tailored to address the areas where your knowledge and experience need to be supplemented.
Specialization
If you don’t plan to spend your career as a generalist, there is no time like the present to select your specialty. There are lots of factors to take into consideration. Do you love working with kids? Pediatric therapy gives you the opportunity to help children navigate the world and overcome physical challenges as they grow.
With the baby boomer generation passing the 50 year mark, geriatric PT is the wave of the future. Over the next several decades, the patient demographic in the U.S. is going to feature a higher percentage of aging individuals than at any other time in history. This doesn’t just mean you will have a large client base. It also means advanced research will be focused on serving these patients. If keeping up to date with the latest PT techniques and treatments excites you, geriatrics is the place to be.
Physical therapy continuing education courses cover these specialties as well as orthopedic, neurological, and cardiopulmonary PT.
Additional Educational Topics
Keeping yourself in good health is an important part of being a physical therapist. Classes that cover workplace safety, ergonomics, and stress management can help you and your colleagues avoid injury and burnout on the job. Infection control, ethics, and medical error reduction are other important topics that can be addressed through CE. These physical therapy continuing education courses are required curriculum in some states because they promote best practices and better patient care.
