I am a LMT and I can say from experience that getting my license helped me tremendously to get into PT school. Granted, I have over five years of experience and advanced certifications which compliment my base-line knowledge as a massage therapist. I was able to work as a LMT while completing my bachelors in Kinesiology, which not only helped me support myself during undergrad but also bolstered deeper learning in A&P, Biomechanics and other science courses.
That being said, If you are only getting licensed to look better on applications I'd say it is not worth it. PT schools seemed to be most impressed with what I did with my license rather than just the fact that I had one. I feel more and more schools are looking for students who will compliment the field with complimentary knowledge and background experience. In support of this notion, I've provided what a administrator emailed me after I turned down the schools acceptance offer:
"As being one of your interviewers on 12/2/12, I can say you will be a great asset to our profession not just because of your experience (i.e. Feldenkrais, massage, etc) but because of your motivation which was apparent on the interview. Your application was one among the 963 applications that we received. We selected only those that were the most competitive for our program and field to interview. You should feel proud of that"
Every school that I interviewed with seemed very impressed with my unique professional and educational experience. I am very passionate about one day infusing everything I've learned as a bodyworker into my PT practice. I think anyone who feels the need to study complimentary modalities out of a desire for a holistic understanding of the body before going into PT school should follow their heart and go for it!
Hope this helps,
Brandon
