Does having an certification on physical therapy aid increase your salary?

Will my credentials aid me in getting a Doctorate in Physical Therapy?

• I graduated from a four year college 30 years ago with a C average and a BA in English. In the Spring of 2011, I returned to college to get my AAS as a Physical Therapist Assistant. I have a 3.8 gpa, I'm a member of the honor society, and I am on the Dean's List. (A big change from the first time around.) I've been told that if you work in the field as least two years you have a better chance of getting accepted into a DPT program--I'd prefer a Master's degree, but they're being phased out. Does anyone know if my education and future work experience will be enough to get me into a DPT program or will I have to repeat a lot of the older courses? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

• Answer:

  I am in the same boat as you! I am also a PTA looking to go back for DPT. These are usually the pre-reqs required for most programs: Chem 1 Chem 2 Physics 1 Physics 2 Anatomy and physiology 1 Anatomy and physiology 2 General Psychology General Biology (Some require Statistics) (Some require Pre-Calc) And yes, being a PTA and having experience in the field will definitely help getting in! 2 recommendations from PTs that we have worked with are also required so this should be a great asset when applying. Good luck!