Useful certifications?

[jgold72288]

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Hey everyone,

I am an aspiring PT student taking a year off between undergrad and grad. I'm currently working as a health coach with an employer who will not only pay for my certifications, but give me bonuses for them. I'm currently working on my CSCS, but after that what might be useful 4 or 5 years down the road, in the scope of actual practice? ACSM CIFT maybe? I'm not quite sure which area I'd like to practice yet, but I may as well get as qualified as I can now.

 

[jesspt]

Hey everyone,

I am an aspiring PT student taking a year off between undergrad and grad. I'm currently working as a health coach with an employer who will not only pay for my certifications, but give me bonuses for them. I'm currently working on my CSCS, but after that what might be useful 4 or 5 years down the road, in the scope of actual practice? ACSM CIFT maybe? I'm not quite sure which area I'd like to practice yet, but I may as well get as qualified as I can now.

CSCS is fine, and fairly widely recognized. As for other certifications you could get now, I would bet that none of them will impact your career as a PT down the road.

 

[atstudent]

Something to keep in mind: will those certifications require continuing education? As a PT you will be required to maintain continuing education (right?) but not everything that would count for PT would count for CSCS or vice versa.

CSCS is widely recognized and if you choose to work in orthopedics (especially "sports medicine") then it would probably be a good choice. Another one to possibly consider would be the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist. I think that is one that may fall more in-line with physical therapy and it does not require continuing education to maintain.