S/O Physical therapists-is this a bad career choice for a dc who doesn't like math?

[HappyGrace]

She loves science and has an eye toward PT as a career, but I was looking into it and it looks like there is a lot of math involved? She is very advanced in everything else but just doesn't think mathematically at ALL, and doesn't enjoy math either.

[kroe1]

I do not think of PTs using anymore math than most other careers. I would not let a math phobia keep your Dd from pursuing the career. It is hard to get in a PT school, so she is going to have to survive enough math to keep her GPA up. Afterwards, the math is simple enough usually dealing with weight loads, lung capacity, etc.

[Crimson Wife]

The allied health careers require enough math to get through the science courses but the student doesn't have to like math or be good at thinking mathematically the way an engineering student would.

[Shellydon]

The math related courses that Physical Therapy usually requires are College Algebra, Trig, Calculus, and Statistics along with Chemistry (8 hours) and Physics. PT schools are tough to get into and a GPA of 3.5 or better is often necessary.

 

Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathologist will require fewer math and math related science hours.

[m0mmaBuck]

The math related courses that Physical Therapy usually requires are College Algebra, Trig, Calculus, and Statistics along with Chemistry (8 hours) and Physics. PT schools are tough to get into and a GPA of 3.5 or better is often necessary.

 

Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathologist will require fewer math and math related science hours.

 

:iagree:

 

I had to take the above named classes as well as Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology, and a few others that slip my brain. Honestly, I think they use some of the math classes to weed out some applicants because I use Physics, Chemistry, Statistics, and Anat. and Phys. daily but I can't remember the last time I used Calculus or Algebra.

 

My PT class (graduated in '95) had a GPA cut-off of 3.75 just to apply for the program. They then took the top 75 GPA's, read over our applications, interviewed the top 50 candidates and only the top 30 interviewees got in to the program. Not every school is the same but most have a pretty high GPA cut-off. I say this not to scare you daughter, but to make sure she knows that she has to do well in ALL of her classes. Some people think that as long as they do well on the pre-reqs they will be fine, but every class counts.

[kalanamak]

The math related courses that Physical Therapy usually requires are College Algebra, Trig, Calculus,

 

REally? My jaw is hanging open! Why would one need calc for physical therapy?

 

A quick google's first hit is a doctoral program and they just require three hours of math, with algebra, trig OR calc satisfying the requirement.

 

http://shp.utmb.edu/programs/pt/Prerequisites.asp

 

Of course, to do physics, you have to know some trig, but, never having had trig, I picked up what I needed with a little extra work. In biology, you have to work a bit with exponents, and algebra makes chemistry much more do-able.

Edited March 11, 2012 by kalanamak

[Pippen]

The math related courses that Physical Therapy usually requires are College Algebra, Trig, Calculus, and Statistics along with Chemistry (8 hours) and Physics. PT schools are tough to get into and a GPA of 3.5 or better is often necessary.

 

Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathologist will require fewer math and math related science hours.

 

I just checked the university where I attended and the math requirement for PT would officially be a statistics course. Unofficially, it would be enough math to get the student through chemistry and non-calculus based physics successfully.

 

Here's the stats on the successful applicants if that's any help:

http://www.uwlax.edu/pt/Characteristics_Admitted_Students.htm

[Perry]

REally? My jaw is hanging open! Why would one need calc for physical therapy?

 

Same reason you need it for medical school. You don't. It's a weed out class.

[Crimson Wife]

Same reason you need it for medical school. You don't. It's a weed out class.

 

Pre-meds have to take calculus because it is a prerequisite for the physics sequence required by med schools. The allied health students may be able to take algebra-based physics (it depends on the school).

[Shellydon]

REally? My jaw is hanging open! Why would one need calc for physical therapy?

 

A quick google's first hit is a doctoral program and they just require three hours of math, with algebra, trig OR calc satisfying the requirement.

 

http://shp.utmb.edu/programs/pt/Prerequisites.asp

 

Of course, to do physics, you have to know some trig, but, never having had trig, I picked up what I needed with a little extra work. In biology, you have to work a bit with exponents, and algebra makes chemistry much more do-able.

 

 

Here you go:

 

http://www.saintjoe.edu/academics/biology/therapy.html

 

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/pphc/areas/PT.php

 

http://www.ahs.uic.edu/pt/programs/dpt_apply_prereqs.php

 

Prerequisite courses are expressed in terms of semesters. Three quarter courses are regarded as the equivalent of two semester courses. Ideally, required science and math courses will have been taken within five years of application. Science and math courses taken before that time will be considered as meeting requirements for prerequisites but may weaken an applicant's potential for admission.

 

Science Prerequisites

(must have lab components and qualify for majoring in the sciences)

General Biology

Human Anatomy*

Human Physiology*

Two semester courses of Chemistry

Two semester sequence of General Physics

Other Prerequisites

Applied Statistics

Calculus**

Introductory Psychology

Developmental or Abnormal Psychology

 

* Or a year of human anatomy/physiology combined.

** Pre-calculus does not satisfy this prerequisite. Calculus for mathematics, engineering, or natural science is preferred, but business calculus is accepted.

 

 

 

Introductory Psychology Requirement

PSCH 100 Survey of basic concepts of contemporary psychology. Introduction to the nervous system, perception, motivation, learning and memory, social behavior, personality, developmental and clinical psychology. Participation in research. Abnormal or Developmental Psychology Requirement

PSCH 270 Abnormal Psychology Survey course covering the assessment, description, causes, and treatments of many psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, sexual dysfunction and personality disorders.

PSCH 320 Developmental Psychology Analysis of research and theory concerning social, cognitive, and biopsychological aspects of human development

Statistics Requirement

PSCH 242 Introduction to Research in Psychology Techniques and problems associated with the study of behavior. Emphasis on measurement, descriptive statistics, and the principles of experimental design. Exercises involving data collection. Participation in research.

 

General Biology Requirement

BIOS 100 Biology of Cells and Organisms Processes of cellular and organismic function. Cell structure, respiration, photosynthesis, molecular genetics and development, structure and physiology of plants and animals. Lecture, laboratory and discussion.

 

Human Anatomy & Human Physiology Requirements

KN 251/252 Human Physiological Anatomy I and II (only available to Movement Science majors)

KN 251 The structure and function of mammalian cells and tissues and human skeletal, muscular and nervous systems are discussed. Integrating the functions of the various systems is emphasized.

KN 252 The structure and function of the human endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, sensory, and reproductive systems are discussed. Integrating the functions of the various systems is emphasized.

 

 

 

General Chemistry Requirement

CHEM 112/114 General College Chemistry I and II

CHEM 112 Stoichiometry, periodicity, reaction types, the gaseous state, solution stoichiometry, chemical equilibria, acid-base equilibria, dissolution-precipitation equilibria. Includes a weekly three-hour laboratory.

CHEM 114 Phase transitions, thermochemistry, spontaneity and equilibrium, electrochemistry, kinetics, bonding theory, order and symmetry in condensed phases, coordination compounds, descriptive chemistry.

 

Calculus Requirement

MATH 180 Calculus I Differentiation, curve sketching, maximum-minimum problems, related rates, mean-value theorem, antiderivative, Riemann integral, logarithm, and exponential functions.

 

General Physics Requirement

PHYS 105/106 and PHYS 107/108 Introductory Physics I & II

PHYS 105/106 A non-calculus course. Kinematics; Newton's laws; momentum; work and energy; torque and angular momentum; rotational dynamics; gravitation; oscilliations; waves physical; optics; relativity.

PHYS 107/108 A non-calculus course. Electrostatics; electric current; magnetism; Farady's law; Maxwell's relations; electromagnetic radiation; geometric optics: quantum mechanics; the Heisenberg uncertainty principle; Bohr model; nuclear and particle physics.

 

 

Clinical Experiences

40 hours of physical therapy experiences of observing, volunteering, or working are required to be completed at the time of application. The experiences must be documented by physical therapists licensed in the United States. It is recommended that the experiences be of different specialties. The more extensive and varied the physical therapy experiences, the better the applicant will be prepared for elements of the program and that preparation may be reflected in application review.

[kalanamak]

Same reason you need it for medical school. You don't. It's a weed out class.

 

But I didn't. I didn't have college alg, or trig, or calc. When I applied about 15 schools required calculus, and one school required only a semester of it.

 

Our weeder was orgo, which was much better as a weeder: massive amounts of facts crammed in quickly.

[Shellydon]

:iagree:

 

I had to take the above named classes as well as Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology, and a few others that slip my brain. Honestly, I think they use some of the math classes to weed out some applicants because I use Physics, Chemistry, Statistics, and Anat. and Phys. daily but I can't remember the last time I used Calculus or Algebra.

 

My PT class (graduated in '95) had a GPA cut-off of 3.75 just to apply for the program. They then took the top 75 GPA's, read over our applications, interviewed the top 50 candidates and only the top 30 interviewees got in to the program. Not every school is the same but most have a pretty high GPA cut-off. I say this not to scare you daughter, but to make sure she knows that she has to do well in ALL of her classes. Some people think that as long as they do well on the pre-reqs they will be fine, but every class counts.

 

 

Same with my SLP graduate school application. I had a 3.97 GPA and was sweating getting in.

[Perry]

Pre-meds have to take calculus because it is a prerequisite for the physics sequence required by med schools. The allied health students may be able to take algebra-based physics (it depends on the school).

Lots of schools offer a general physics course for non-majors that doesn't require calculus. Some medical schools might require a calculus based physics class but I don't think most do.

 

I just looked at my state's requirements, and they no longer require calculus. They definitely used to. I don't know if this is a trend or just something Iowa did on its own.

 

 

• Physics

  A complete introductory course (1 year), including lab and instruction

• Mathematics

  College algebra and trigonometry. Applicants who completed college algebra and trigonometry in high school must take either an advanced college mathematics course or a statistics course.

 

 

You definitely don't need calculus to be successful as a physician. :)

[MIch elle]

The math related courses that Physical Therapy usually requires are College Algebra, Trig, Calculus, and Statistics along with Chemistry (8 hours) and Physics. PT schools are tough to get into and a GPA of 3.5 or better is often necessary.

.

 

The math courses required are college dependent.

 

College 1: stats & intro. data analysis

College 2: stats & pre-cal

College 3: stats & calculus 1

 

Go to http://www.apta.org/ProspectiveStudents/?navID=10737423714 and look at the requirements at a college near you (undergrad. & grad.).

[MindyD]

Not to hijack, but what about becoming a PT assistant? That's my serious consideration for my "second life" (after the the kids are older!).

[m0mmaBuck]

Not to hijack, but what about becoming a PT assistant? That's my serious consideration for my "second life" (after the the kids are older!).

 

PTA's are also in demand. There is an accelerated 18-month program here: http://pmi.edu/careers/physical_therapist_assistant.asp

 

I don't know what the pre-req's, if any, are though.

 

Salaries are 1/2-3/5's what a PT makes. PTA's don't evaluate, re-evaluate, set programs, give prognosis, etc... But depending on the state and the setting they are allowed quite a bit of freedom when it comes to treating patients under the supervision of a PT.

[m0mmaBuck]

Same with my SLP graduate school application. I had a 3.97 GPA and was sweating getting in.

 

My college roommate was a SLP student. That program was a butt-kicker too!

[Shellydon]

My college roommate was a SLP student. That program was a butt-kicker too!

 

 

Indeed. I did love it though.

[HappyGrace]

Hoo boy-I'm getting nervous. College level math, especially as weeder criteria, sounds awful.

 

Maybe she could just choose a college that doesn't require so much math, since they seem to differ? Does it matter where you graduate from?

[Pippen]

Hoo boy-I'm getting nervous. College level math, especially as weeder criteria, sounds awful.

 

Maybe she could just choose a college that doesn't require so much math, since they seem to differ? Does it matter where you graduate from?

 

PT programs often will admit a higher percentage of students from within their own university, so I would say yes, it could matter what college she attends.

 

Even picking a university based on a lower number of math requirements could have unknown drawbacks. For instance, at my university it usually wasn't math courses that wound up being the deal breaker for the PT students--that frequently was general chemistry. It was taught by very good but extremely tough teachers. (By tough, I mean in all the years my chem prof had been there only one student had ever achieved a perfect score on one of his exams. It was a curve wrecking pre-PT student in my class).

 

Given the high number of students who don't make it into the program, it's also important to create a back-up plan, so she needs to consider that aspect when looking at universities.

[Shellydon]

Hoo boy-I'm getting nervous. College level math, especially as weeder criteria, sounds awful.

 

Maybe she could just choose a college that doesn't require so much math, since they seem to differ? Does it matter where you graduate from?

 

 

Most people applying to PT programs will apply to many different ones - I had friends applying to 15 or more. The problem with skipping the harder math classes is that it limits the programs in which you can apply. I am not a math fan myself and was fortunate that I didn't have to take Calculus. I took Algebra, Trig, Statistics and Physics of Sound and Music along with a pile of biology and A & P classes. I majored in Speech Pathology though.