The demand for physical therapists increased during the 1940's and 1950's, throughout World War II and the Korean War.  In the 1960's, physical therapy education was increased to a 2-year graduate program and physical therapists received Bachelor's degrees.  In 1967, the physical therapy assistant (PTA) Associates degree program started.  In the 1970's, physical therapy could be found in the school systems after the passing of the Education of all Handicapped Children Act.  The 70's also saw the rise of amateur and professional sports, and health promotion and wellness became important areas for physical therapy involvement.  The first Master's degree program for physical therapy education started at Duke University in 1971, and all other programs followed by 1980.  By 1990, there were 162 PT and 201 PTA programs in the United States and over 73,000 members in the APTA.  In 1993, Creighton University was the first school to initiate the clinical Doctoral degree (DPT).  Currently, 92% of all PT schools are either transitioning, or are already at the DPT level.  Physical therapy is still a growing profession and it is amazing how many different practice settings there are, including but not limited to:  out-patient, in-patient, pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, women's health, orthopedics and sports, cardiopulmonary and neurology.  Please appreciate the competency and skill set that a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant contains and feel assured the next time you visit a physical therapist you are in the hands of a knowledgeable, caring professional!

Yours in health,

Kelsey Eitel, SPT