Physical Therapy

Mission Statement

The mission of the program is to recruit and prepare promising African Americans and underserved minority populations with leadership potential to become compassionate, and competent physical therapists, with expertise in clinical decision making, problem solving and research. The program is committed to attracting and sustaining a cadre of faculty who promote critical thinking, self-inquiry, active learning, community service, cultural sensitivity, ethical behavior and contribute to research, practice, and enhancement of the profession nationally and internationally.

Program Outcomes

• Licensure:  The two-year overall board passage rate for 2015-2016 is 99.4%.
• Graduation: The graduation rate for 2015-2016 is 50%.
• Employment: 100% of graduates seeking employment as physical therapists from 2015-2016 have been successful.

Career Paths

Physical therapy can be said to be one of the younger brood in the health care profession. It is an allied health profession. It has proven a worthy place in the health care industry. Physical therapists were able to identify themselves with a special role that only they can do. And that is particularly in reviving weakened muscles and spirits. They are are able to give hope to a patient who has lost his ability to walk or do some physical exercises. They help a patient rehabilitate from a debilitating disease or trauma like accident or stroke. The treatment varies from short-term to long-term. And treatment is given either in a physical therapist’s clinic, at the hospital, or at the home of the patient.

To become a physical therapist...

To become a physical therapist, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has enlisted minimum requirements of skills a physical therapist should possess. These are assessing and reviewing of all body systems, being able to know the need for physical therapy and the scope for each patient as well as the patient’s limitation, ability to perform tests to quantify range of motion, senses, neuromotor skills, and reflexes, sharp skills in diagnosing and prognosing a patient’s condition, manual therapy, massage, manipulation, management and administrative skills, and values such as integrity, compassion, responsibility and accountability. The job entails lots of physical work as you have to move, lift, walk around, massage, and perform procedures to patients. It is a hot job, though, very in demand worldwide and is continuously rising in the most in-demand jobs scale yearly.
Physical therapy course

In enrolling for a physical therapy course, a bachelor’s degree is available as well as a masteral and doctoral degree. A masteral or doctoral degree is required before you can practice as a physical therapist in the U.S. You can also be a physical therapy assistant, which requires that you study an associate degree in physical therapy and a physical therapist aide that requires a high school diploma and training as a physical therapist aide. As with many other health care courses, there are tons of science subjects like chemistry, physics, biology, physiology and anatomy among others. After graduation you also need to pass a licensing exam. Your school should be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Better keep this is mind when you look for a school in which to enroll.

Some of the most common special areas in the field of physical therapy are orthopedic physical therapy, geriatric physical therapy, cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy, neurological physical therapy, and pediatric physical therapy. Each has different functions and scopes of work. If you decide to be a physical therapist, ready yourself to a routine of physically demanding tasks and long hours of work. Financial rewards are abundant, though. And of course, the fulfillment of being able to rehabilitate a patient who has lost his normal abilities whether physically or in any other system of his body is one huge achievement.

Physical therapists (PTs) are health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles. State licensure is required in each state in which a physical therapist practices.

The Howard University Physical Therapy program offers an accredited program leading to a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. Each applicant must earn a bachelor's degree prior to admission into the professional DPT program. Students in this program are exposed to cutting edge research and practice in the field of physical therapy. The Physical Therapy program at Howard attracts national and international students with high academic achievement. Learning experiences are provided under the guidance and supervision of competent faculty, in both the classroom and the clinic. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the state licensure examination, and are entitled to full membership in the professional organization, the American Physical Therapy Association. Information regarding state licensure can be obtained from the individual licensing boards. 

Accreditation

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Howard University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), as well as by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

CAPTE
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
telephone: 703-706-3245
email: accreditation@apta.org
website: http://www.capteonline.org.

If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 202 806-7614 at Howard University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703- 706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org