Pre-Physical Therapy

You can prepare for a career in physical therapy at Lewis-Clark State College. Physical therapists first earn a bachelor’s degree, usually in a science and health major, and they then complete a doctoral degree in a graduate physical therapy program.

Getting into a graduate physical therapy program is a challenging and competitive process, but like other LC State graduates who have been admitted to physical therapy programs, you can meet the challenge by working with your advisor, taking the right courses, earning good grades, and participating in certain service activities.

Pre-requisites are what you need to complete as an undergraduate to apply for admission to graduate school.

Recommended Major: BA/BS in Exercise Science. The curriculum for the exercise science major includes all of the coursework pre-requisites listed below for graduate school in physical therapy.

Coursework:
In order to be admitted to most graduate physical therapy programs, you will need to complete a bachelor’s degree that includes the following courses:

• One year of anatomy and physiology with labs
• One course in exercise physiology with lab
• Two courses in biology/zoology with lab
• One year of general chemistry with labs
• One year of general physics with labs
• One course:  Introduction to Psychology
• One course:  Developmental Psychology
• One course:  Abnormal Psychology, or Intro. to Sociology, or Sociocultural Anthropology
• One course:  Medical Terminology
• One course:  Statistics
• One writing intensive course

Other requirements for applying to graduate Physical Therapy programs:

• Specified number of hours of paid or volunteer experience working in a physical therapy setting under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist
• Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Written essay
• Minimum GPA (varies by program, but usually 3.5 gpa or higher)
• Letters of recommendation

Internships:
LCSC students have participated in internships at these sites, as well as others:

• St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Physical Therapy
• Peak Physical Therapy
• S.P.O.R.T. Physical Therapy
• Dynamic Physical Therapy

Professional Program Placements
LCSC graduates have been accepted to the following professional programs:

• A.T. Still University of Health Sciences
• Pacific University
• Idaho State University
• Lynchburg College
• George Fox University

Recommended Extra-Curricular Activities:
Join the Kinesiology Club. This club plays a campus-wide leadership role in promoting lifespan physical activity, sports, and other health-enhancing behaviors. Contact the club advisor, LeeAnn Wiggin, at 208-792-2346 or [email protected] to learn more.

To begin your path toward a career in physical therapy, contact a pre-physical therapy advisor today:

• Heather Van Mullem, Movement & Sport Sciences, 208-792-2781 or [email protected]
• Alex Bezzerides, 208-792-2134, [email protected]
• Wendy Shuttleworth, 208-792-2633, [email protected]