Best Bachelor degree for physical therapy?

IMO I would say generally any degree geared towards health sciences or even in any science field will be more beneficial as it will prepare you for the courses you will take while in physical therapy school in term sof difficulty and study habits. It will also help you in fulfilling the pre reqs needed to apply to school. However, you should choose a major you can do well in as your GPA will reflect your performance and is one critera used for admission decisions (though not the only thing used). So if you feel like you're not too strong in the sciences, I suggest majoring in something you're really interested in learning, then fulfilling your pre req courses at your own pace during undergrad or even after you have graduated.

that's true.. just research the field, and volunteer at some clinics and see if physical therapy is something you can see yourself doing in the future. That way you can get some experience in the field. I ended up changing my major like 6 times before I finally settled with what I graduated with. Just remember that what you major in doesn't necessarily dictate what you do in the future.

jhnmclmdr said:

Thanks for the advice. Im just not sure on what to get a degree in because theres always a possibility it wont work out and i dont want to be stuck with a degree that wont be very benificial other than for physical therapy

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Yeah, this is a good point. I am graduating this year from undergrad, and I always tell my friends that if I wasnt going to PT school I would only be able to find a job at Burger King. Yeah, this is a bit of a stretch, but being a Physiology major and graduating with a Bachelors in Health Sciences my degree sets me up for med school or health-related grad school.... thats it.

Even though I know PT will work out for me, I still think it would have been smarter to do a Business major and get all the science pre-reqs done in a Health Science minor.

With that being said, I am happy with my major and loved all the classes I took.

jhnmclmdr said:

What is the best bachelor degree to get for physical therapy school and why? jw what you guys in put is. thanks!

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In my opinion the best route to go would be to:
1- Choose a major, or at least a minor, that will cover your prereqs. Or, in turn, plan out your prereqs so that they at least earn you a minor.
2- Choose a major that leaves you with career options. No matter how set you are on PT, we all change our minds from time to time. Or, you may graduate and find you need to work a few years before grad school. Leave yourself an option.

From my own experience, I was a bio major, and I could have picked my electives to cover the prereqs... if I had known then that I wanted to be a PT. In addition though, I did the necessary coursework to earn my sec ed teaching certificate in bio. Doing this shouldn't take you any extra time if you plan well, and there is very clearly another career option/backup plan down the road. And, my observation so far is that what I've picked up teaching is going to be invaluable as a PT.

Everyone gave really good advice. Like others, I majored in a science becuase it covers all the pre-reqs, but just to make sure if PT does not work out, you need a back up plan in another field.

I minored in a field that could be useful for many occupations and my emphasis in my major could also be used in other professions as well. Just have all your bases covered if worst comes to worst

pttrac said:

Everyone gave really good advice. Like others, I majored in a science becuase it covers all the pre-reqs, but just to make sure if PT does not work out, you need a back up plan in another field.

I minored in a field that could be useful for many occupations and my emphasis in my major could also be used in other professions as well. Just have all your bases covered if worst comes to worst

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What's your minor in?

I majored in Biochemistry and Environmental Biology with a minor in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). I always figured if I don't make it in PT then I can go into Environmental consulting and GIS is used in many different fields from urban planning to logistics, coding, etc...

Truly, there is no best major for PT school. If you check my alma mater's website, they break down geographical locations and majors per class. You will see that it ranges widely. Those that closely relate to PT are athletic training, kinesiology, and exercise science and will fulfill most PT school requirements just by passing their curriculum. Majoring in other degrees just means you will have to take more classes outside of your major for prereqs. My opinion is that you pursue a degree that you are interested in. PT schools like to see dedication to the PT field, but also know that just because you majored in a similar field doesn't mean you are more prepared than someone who didn't. They like diversity!

Oh, my alma mater was Columbia University and the link to what I referenced above is:

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/pt/prospective/elp/student.html

That is good information. I wished every school would do that. It's nice to see so many people from different backgrounds pursue PT.

I got my bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering. I only applied to two schools and got in at both of them. During my first interview the faculty member who was interviewing me looked at me and said, "With that degree, your ticket is punched to wherever you want to go." Of course I did work hard to maintain decent grades and a good score on the GRE.

Great advice UCLABRUIN! If I could do it over again I would use this approach for my pre-pt undergrad degree. If you are not a science wiz I would save doing the tougher ones like physics until you have a lighter course load. I took physics with a full school and work schedule, loaded with other science courses and got a C, took it over again with a much lighter schedule and got an A. However, PTCAS averages the grades so it did not help my GPA much.

Hey guys, I have a question relating to an undergrad degree as well. I realize there is no right degree to pick as long as the pre-req courses are completed, but there is always better option for each individual situation.

I am a regular biology major and I picked up a nutrition minor and a strength and conditioning concentration (exercise phys, biomechanics classes). However, I am 1 chemistry (analytical chem) course short from the biomedical degree that they offer which is much more rigorous than the normal biology degree.

Do you think a biomedical degree is worth achieving vs. a normal biology degree? Will it make me stick out a little more academically compared to all my biology friends?

i have my BS in Kinesiology from with a concentration in human movement science (lots of physics, biomechanics, A & P, Kines classes) from LSU...i know many others that have graduated with the same degree and did well in PT school

Athletic training is, in many ways similar to PT. You get anatomy (good programs have cadaver dissection), physiology, exercise physiology, medical terminology, chemistry, physics, biomechanics, childhood development, psychology, and nutrition. Plus, you get the added benefit of learning most if not all of the orthopedic tests and interventions you will learn in PT school (here comes the outrage) and get to put your hands on people and maybe get some great travel (crappy travel if you go to a small school). Its fun and if and when you get into PT school, you will function as sort of an unpaid teaching assistant in the ortho classes.

There is some conflict between the two professions but the education, at least in the orthopedic portion of PT, that is almost identical. In fact, I would say that my AT ortho classes were better than my PT ortho classes.

Good luck.