How to Become a Physiotherapist After 12th

How to become a physiotherapist after 12th?

As health care science is growing, it is evolving toward a less painful way of treating a disease. Physiotherapy is still in its tender phase and has huge potential in the near future. If you are planning to make a career in physiotherapy after the 12th then read this article till the end because we will discuss everything you need to know.

With an increasing quest to treat diseases and disorders in a minimally painful way, physiotherapy is paving its way as an important part of today’s medical system. Arthroscopy and laparoscopy surgery which enables surgeons to perform surgery inside joints and our body in a minimally invasive way is the best example to describe them. If you are one who is thinking to make a career in Physiotherapy, read this article till the end. By the end, you get an overview of what it is, its challenges and job opportunity.

How to become a physiotherapist after 12th?

Students who are preparing to pursue medical education after 12th class often land up in confusion as to whether they should go for a BPT course, what are their eligibility for physiotherapy courses, different BPT colleges and their admission procedure. We will cover all these topics and if you have shortlisted BPT as your career, we will also discuss further studies in the field of physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy is a field that deals with orthopaedic pain, disability and rehabilitation. Though we often associate physiotherapy with back pain, knee osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal pain, they have a very vast role beyond this. We will come to this point, but what is the course you need to get admitted into to become a physiotherapist?

To become a qualified physiotherapist you need to enrol on the BPT course. BPT stands for Bachelors in Physiotherapy, and its bachelor’s degree course duration is 4 ½ years. So, let’s dive deep into the eligibility for BPT and how to choose a good institution.

Eligibility for physiotherapy course, BPT colleges in India

To become eligible for the BPT course the student must have biology as a compulsory subject with physics and chemistry. There are many good private universities offering BPT courses, many of them conduct their own entrance exam to enrol students but many also take students on the basis of NEET scores. However, these institutions are costly and many can not afford them. Meritorious students should try central Government institutions.

There are many Government and private run colleges. I will mention only Central Government-run colleges here. If you are left with no option other than joining a private college, then do ensure that it is an IAP (Indian Association of Physiotherapist) approved college. Check the IAP approval by visiting the IAP site. Click the link provided to know more about the particular college.

1. SVNIRTAR (Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research) AT: Olatpur, Cuttack, Odisha. 
2. NILD (National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities) Kolkata.
3. Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Person with Disabilities. Delhi.
4. NIEPMD (National Institute for Empowerment of Person with Multiple Disabilities), Chennai

A separate entrance exam is conducted by Central government institutions and private institutions. The three Government colleges (mentioned above) under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DIVYANGJAN), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India conduct the Combined Entrance Examination (CET). The application for CET is usually announced during the month of May and the final result is declared by the month of August. Candidates interested can check this link for more detail.

Further studies in physiotherapy

You can opt for POST-GRADUATION after BPT. It is known as Masters of Physiotherapy or MPT. It’s an 2 years duration course which requires an entrance exam to get into the reputed institute. These are the list of specialisations you can opt for according to your taste. After Post-Graduation if you are interested in research and academics you can even pursue go PhD.

1. Master of Physiotherapy in Rehabilitation
2. Master of Physiotherapy in Musculoskeletal Conditions
3. Master of Physiotherapy in Paediatrics
4. Master of Physiotherapy in Neurology
5. Master of Physiotherapy in Sports physiotherapy.

Job and opportunity for Physiotherapist

Gone are the days when for a serious pack pain condition such as sciatica, surgery was the only option. In the contemporary health scene, a condition like sciatica is first treated by the conventional method like physiotherapy and in a very severe case, surgery is opted for. So, taking Physiotherapy as the choice of career is not a bad idea. But, this also comes with its own challenges, drawbacks and rewards. If you visit any multi-speciality hospital you are sure to spot a Physiotherapy department.

A physiotherapist is now an important and integral part of medical science and its treatment process is known as physical medicine. They not only cure conditions such as back pain, spondylitis, and arthritis they also play a very crucial role in the rehabilitation of paralysis, cerebral palsy, stroke, Parkinson’s cases.

Physiotherapy is the term coined by the combination of two terms Physical and Therapy. This is why physiotherapy is sometimes called physical therapy. As the term suggests, physiotherapy is the process of treatment of body illness through physical means. Listed below are the physical means to define physiotherapy. If you are already a physiotherapy student reading this article then you may interested in how to become a good physiotherapist. These physical means are Heat, Cold, Rays, Electric current, Movement (exercises) Weight.

Physiotherapy provides job offers in various areas. You can get jobs as a clinician or other than a clinician. Here I’m mentioning about four job roles of a physiotherapist, for more detailed information please go through 8 Alternative career options for physiotherapists. So, let us start with a clinical job opportunity.

1) Hospital

Physiotherapy is a buzzing term nowadays. Move around any big hospital and you are sure to spot a physiotherapy department. They have a major role in orthopaedic and neurological departments. In addition to this, they have also a role in paediatric, burn rehabilitation, plastic surgery departments.

Modern physiotherapy is now developing for the areas such as gynaecology, ICU.If you are interested in Government jobs both central and state Government vacancies are advertised.  

2) Special schools

Special schools are schools for children with disabilities ( like Cerebral Palsy, Autistic..etc). They are provided education in the school and also their physical treatment by a physiotherapist is taken care of.

3) Academics

If one is interested in the academic field they can join a physiotherapy institution as a lecturer or professor. Sometimes they are also been absorbed in nursing school.

3) Entrepreneurship

After gaining some experience many go for opening their own physiotherapy setup. With little investment and good service one and easily earn a handsome amount.

4) Sports Physiotherapy

Have you ever observed while watching cricket or any other sports what happens when a sports person gets injured? When any player gets injured a physiotherapist runs to the ground to help with the injury. Nowadays almost all types of sports hire physiotherapists for their teams and if you have done MPT in sports physiotherapy you will be in demand.

Which type of patients does a physiotherapist handle?

Physiotherapists have a role in almost all medical departments. From the outpatient department to the intensive care unit they are an important part of the medical team. But the role of physiotherapists can be broadly categorized into four special fields. 1)  Orthopaedics. 2)  Neurology. 3)   Paediatrics. 4) Sports physiotherapy.   Let us discuss each one briefly.

Orthopaedics cases like Neck pain, Back pain, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Tennis elbow Plantar fascitis And many more. Neurological conditions such as Hemiplegia, Quadriplegia, and Prolapse intervertebral disc Sciatica. Parkinsonism. And many more. Paediatric cases like Cerebral palsy, Muscular dystrophy, and Floppy child Autistic. 

Final word

Physiotherapy can give a bright career option if have the skill and dedication to serve your patient. Dedication coupled with knowledge and degree from good institutions is the key to success.

Sunit. S. Ekka

Dr Sunit Sanjay Ekka is a physiotherapist in practice for the last 15 years. He has done his BPT from one of the premium Central Government physiotherapy colleges, ie, SVNIRTAR. The patient is his best teacher and whatever he gets to learn he loves to share it on his Youtube channel and blog.