Many colleges and universities now offer programs in physical therapy at the clinical doctorate level. These degree programs include clinical internships in a variety of settings, giving students a taste of what practice will be like as well as good networking opportunities.

The settings include hospitals, outpatient clinics, transitional care centers and nursing homes, according to Kathleen Anderson, admissions chair of the University of Minnesota Program in Physical Therapy. During these internships, students learn how to carry a patient load and implement clinical information, essentially practicing to be a physical therapist under the direct instruction and supervision of a practicing therapist. They may also explore the aspects of the profession they'd like to pursue.

Keeping options open

"Try to expose yourself to as many clinical settings as possible," advises Jillene Chitulangoma, who graduated last year from the Mayo School of Health Sciences in Rochester with a clinical doctorate in physical therapy. "Physical therapy is a huge field. There are so many different specialty areas. If you don't see all of them, you really don't know what's out there."

Chitulangoma did rotations through pediatric, inpatient and outpatient orthopedic and acute-care settings. "The clinical setting that fit me best was an outpatient orthopedic setting where I'm seeing a variety of patients of all age groups, working with patients from head to toe," says Chitulangoma, who works for Physical Therapy Orthopaedic Specialists Inc. in the Twin Cities.

The University of Minnesota program is similar to Mayo's, but about twice as large, enrolling 50 students per class. The U has clinical contracts for students to work and study in settings both nationally and internationally, with a concentration in the Twin Cities and Minnesota. Because of the size of the program, students are required to choose at least one setting outside the metro area, Anderson says.

Invitations to return

Students are commonly asked to return to these sites to work after graduation and licensing, according to Anderson. "It can be a nice transition if it is a good fit on the clinical, because both the employee and student are really acquainted with what the relationship will be like," she says. "Graduates may also pursue advanced training in specialty areas while earning reduced salaries through residency programs."

Regardless of the setting, physical therapists are in demand. "The market is really quite open," Anderson says. "Healthcare needs continue to expand, the population is living longer, and all of us are expecting to be very active as we age."

Nancy Crotti is a freelance writer who lives in St. Paul.