Personal Training Certification and PT

[Bwhite1042]

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Hello, I am a junior Pre-PT and am considering applying for a job that would require me to become a cPt. My question is, how beneficial would this certification be during DPT school and after DPT school would this certification help me stand out as more of an asset to a PT company/clinic? Or would a more impressive credential be CSCS? In other words, would being a cPT and a DPT be beneficial toward my future in PT or not so much? Or should I just focus on CSCS and DPT

 

[PTMattI]

I think becoming a cPT would be beneficial in that you would spend a lot of time working with people 1 on1, prescribing exercises and teaching good form. You would be surprised how many people in PT schools have a hard time performing or teaching a proper squat or deadlift (hip hinge.)

I was a personal trainer for several years prior to starting PT school and I definitely think it gave me a slight advantage as far as exercise knowledge and being able to teach certain exercises.

Once you start practicing however the certification cPT is relatively worthless...the CSCS however stands out a bit and might make you more marketable / appealing for certain jobs.
So basically, I would recommend getting a CSCS if you already have your undergrad degree, and if not go for the cPT just so you can get experience working with people 1 on 1 and teaching people how to perform exercises properly because that is one of the skills you will need as a DPT.

 

[starrsgirl]

Agree with the above. If you can, go with the CSCS. But, it's quite a bit more studying. So if that will take away from your studies, then you could get a different certification. I am a NASM CPT, but am considering tackling the CSCS on my next school break in the summer. I'm still in school myself, so not sure about job prospects yet, but I don't see the NASM cert as having much if any impact on my applications. That said, because I've worked as a personal trainer, I think there are great pieces you could highlight in a job interview (depending on the location). We deal with generating clients, cancellations, follow ups, budget....a lot of those pieces are similar to issues a private PT clinic might deal with. So I hope it will be beneficial in interviews to explain that I have a lot of related experience in addition to my PT degree.

 

[jjjDPT]

Working as a personal trainer will help you develop one-on-one skills with clients/patients. It will give you an opportunity to confirm that working one-on-one is something that you desire. As a physical therapist, your DPT will trump your "cPT", but getting your cPT is a great step towards getting your CSCS (assuming you get the NSCA cPT), and the CSCS will give you valuable skills for working with high-functioning and sports-driven patients. You can take the CSCS exam in the last term of your exercise science-related bachelors degree.

 

[NewTestament]

Yes it will give you good experience working individually with patients, it will improve your social skills, and your ability to explain an exercise, but you need good interpersonal skills with any job. I don't recommend you do this. It's going to cost you close to $1000 and several hundred hours of your time. Finding work as a cPT is difficult and the hours are irregular. Focus on school, do well in your classes, and do well in your current job. You will get plenty of experience working with patients during your clinical rotations. If you insist on becoming a cPT, then I recommend either NSCA CSCS, ACSM's certification, or the NASM-CES (corrective exercise specialist). Only a few of my classmates and I were cPT's before entering PT school, and I don't think being a personal trainer gave me any advantage.