If you are aspiring to enter the medical field but would like to study something other than MBBS or BDS, Physiotherapy can be your choice!
If you are more interested in treating patients with physical disabilities or physical malfunctions in the body or help them feel mobile again in the parts of the body where they might have suffered an injury, you may choose Physiotherapy as your career.
In India, there are different courses offered in Physiotherapy from the Certificate based Physiotherapy programs to Doctoral programs.
One who has completed 10+2 with science subjects, will be eligible to apply for a physiotherapy course in India. There are Certificate programs, Diploma programs, Graduation courses, Post Graduation courses and also Phd programs available in Physiotherapy in India.
Who is a Physiotherapist?
A Physiotherapist is a healthcare professional who helps his patients suffering from any injuries, immobility, disorders or certain kinds of discomforts in the joints, muscles etc by treating them with massages, physical exercises etc.
Most of the physiotherapists use heat packs, cold packs, acupuncture needles, electric massagers, infra-red rays etc in different ways for different patients to treat them according to their discomfort levels.
Physiotherapy is a combination of different science subjects such as anatomy, physiology, diseases and dysfunctions in the body and it is not just limited to physical disabilities, pain, physical movement dysfunctions etc.
What are the responsibilities of a Physiotherapist?
Physiotherapy is one of the leading health care professions in India, though it is not common as the first-point of contact profession. Physiotherapists are dependent on physicians working in different specializations in order to get patient referrals for the treatments.
Physiotherapists have many roles to play in the industry for helping their patients have an improved mobility, a better healing in the parts of the body which are dysfunctional or injured etc.
- A Physiotherapist must ensure he has the best available evidence for the effectiveness of the treatment.
- The treatment designed by the physiotherapist should be based around the evidence provided by the patient.
- He/she will also need to educate the patient and/or his family members about the full schedule of the treatment and its importance.
- He/she will sometimes need to re-train the patient in walking, help few patients get used to their walking sticks, crutches, wheelchairs etc
How to Become a Physiotherapist After 12th?
Once you complete your secondary school education(10+2) with 50% marks in all the science subjects, you will be eligible to apply for various physiotherapy courses in certificate programs, diploma programs and undergraduate programs.
However, you will need a score from any of the entrance tests such as CET, IPU CET, JIPMER, BCECE, VEE, DSAT etc to apply for an undergraduate course in physiotherapy.
Note : There are some institutes that don’t need an entrance exam score to provide admissions for undergraduate physiotherapy courses as well.
Also Read: How to Become a Veterinary Doctor After 12th?
Qualification to become a Physiotherapist
There are different qualifications available under Physiotherapy in India starting from Certificate programs to Doctoral programs.
We have enlisted the eligibility criterias for few of the qualifications offered in physiotherapy below:
Certificate programs in Physiotherapy : Must have completed Secondary School education (10+2) with a minimum of 50% marks in the science subjects.
Diploma programs in Physiotherapy : Must have completed 10+2 with a minimum of 50% marks in the science subjects.
Graduation courses in Physiotherapy(B.Sc/BPT) : There are 2 types of undergrad courses in physiotherapy: B.Sc in Physiotherapy and Bachelor of Physiotherapy(BPT)
Eligibility criteria for BPT courses in Physiotherapy :
- Must have completed 10+2 with a minimum of 50% marks in Science subjects.
- Must have a valid score from any of the entrance exams for physiotherapy such as CET, GGSIPU CET etc.
Eligibility criteria for B.Sc courses in Physiotherapy :
- Must have completed 10+2 with a minimum of 50% marks in Science subjects.
In order to apply for B.Sc courses in physiotherapy, a student doesn’t need to have an entrance exam score.
Post-Graduation Courses in Physiotherapy(M.Sc/MPT) :
Eligibility criteria for Master of Physiotherapy(MPT) courses :
- Must have completed Bachelor of Physiotherapy(BPT) or equivalent with a minimum of 55% marks.
- Must have a valid score from any of the entrance exams such as NEET PG, All India Postgraduate Physiotherapy Entrance Test, IPU CET, MET, DSAT, LPUNEST, JIPMER All India Entrance Exam etc.
- You will also need to have completed an internship of 6 months in the field of physiotherapy.
Eligibility Criteria for Master of Science in Physiotherapy courses(M.Sc) :
- Must have completed B.Sc in Physiotherapy or equivalent with a minimum of 55% marks.
- An entrance exam score may or may not be required depending upon the institution or university you are applying for.
Postgraduate Diploma Courses in Physiotherapy :
- For postgraduate courses in physiotherapy you will need to complete graduation (B.Sc or BPT)
- You will need to have completed the graduation courses with minimum marks as required by the institute or university you are applying for.
Doctoral Courses in Physiotherapy(Phd) :
- You must have completed the Masters course in Physiotherapy from a reputed and a recognized institution/university.
- You should have obtained the minimum marks as required by the educational institution you are applying for.
- You should have applied for a national level entrance exam such as AILET, NET etc and should have a valid entrance exam score.
Also Read: How to Become a Pharmacist After 12th?
Course Details(Duration, subjects)
Certificate Courses :
- Duration : 2 years.
- Specializations offered : Certificate Course in Physiotherapy
- Subjects :
- Basics of Physiotherapy
- Physiology
- Anatomy
- Orthopedics
- Sports Science and Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
- Clinical Observation
- Exercise Therapy etc.
Diploma Courses :
- Duration : 1 – 2 years.
- Specializations offered :
- Human Anatomy
- Pathology
- Human Physiology etc.
- Subjects :
- Basics of Physiotherapy
- First Aid and Nursing
- Biomechanics
- Electrotherapy
- Exercise therapy
- Pathology
- Clinical Observation
- Sports Science and Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science etc
Graduation Programs(B.Sc/BPT) :
- Duration : 4 and ½ years.
- Specializations offered :
- Physiology
- Anatomy
- Geriatrics
- Orthopedics & Neurology
- Cardiorespiratory
- Biomechanics etc.
- Subjects :
Sem I
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Basic Nursing
- Biochemistry
Sem II
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Orientation to Physiotherapy
- Biomechanics
- Sociology
Sem III
- Biotechnology
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Constitution of India
- First Aid & CPR
- Microbiology
Sem IV
- Exercise Therapy
- Electrotherapy
- Research Methodology & Biostatistics
- Introduction to treatment
- Clinical Observation Posting.
Sem V
- General Medicine
- General Surgery
- Orthopedics and Traumatology.
Sem VI
- Sports Physiotherapy and Orthopedics
- Allied Therapies
- Supervised Rotatory Clinical Training
Sem VII
- Neuro – Physiology
- Community based Rehabilitation
- Community Medicine
- Neurology and Neurosurgery.
Sem VIII
- Supervised Rotatory Clinical Training
- Evidence based Physiotherapy and practice
- Ethics, Administration and Supervision.
- Project
Postgraduate Programs(MPT/M.SC) :
- Duration : 2 years
- Specializations offered :
- Orthopedics Rehabilitation
- Sports Rehabilitation
- Neurosciences
- Pediatrics Rehabilitation.
- Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
- Women’s Health and Community Rehabilitation etc.
- Subjects :
- Muscular Disorder and Sports
- Anatomy of the nervous system.
- Motor Development
- Physiotherapy Practice and its Principles.
- Pediatrics.
- Community Rehabilitation etc.
Doctoral Programs(Phd) :
- Duration : 3-5 years
- Specializations offered :
- Doctorate of Philosophy in Physiotherapy(Phd)
Also Read: How to Become an Orthopedic Surgeon?
List of Colleges for Physiotherapy
- M S Ramaiah College, Bangalore
- St John’s Medical College, Bangalore
- Christian Medical College, Vellore
- Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai
- Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi
- Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University.
- Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore.
- Sri Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University, Gurgaon
- Christian Medical College, Ludhiana.
- Annamalai University, Chidambaram.
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
- Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata.
- Seth GS Medical College, Mumbai.
Career Scope as a Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy is one of the oldest healthcare professions which has been in practice since 460 BC.
Physiotherapy is known to have been practiced by few of our greatest physicians such as Hippocrates and Galen.
Increasing disabilities during the First World War, Polio outbreak etc, there has been a significant scope for the practice and modernization of physiotherapy all over the world.
Since the profession has a number of roles to play in the different sectors of an economy such as sports, orthopedics, geriatrics, rehabilitation, fitness centers, mental health centers, hospitals, teaching departments etc, the need for physiotherapists is on the rise.
Salary of Physiotherapist in India
The payscale of a physiotherapist in India may range from 15,000/- a month to 60,000/- a month depending upon one’s educational qualification and skilled expertise in the field of physiotherapy.
Frequently Asked Questions(Related to Physiotherapy)
Is NEET required for Physiotherapy?
There is no need for the students aspiring to study Bachelor of Physiotherapy to qualify the NEET Entrance exam. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is conducted only for students who are aspiring to study either MBBS or BDS.
Bachelor of Physiotherapy courses have various other entrance exams conducted by different universities across the country such as JIPMER, IPU CET, DSAT etc.
What is the entrance exam required for Physiotherapy?
There are several entrance exams conducted for Bachelor of Physiotherapy courses in India. However, Common Entrance Test(CET) and All India Medical Entrance Examination are the two major exams that are conducted to give the student a qualification to pursue Bachelor of Physiotherapy(BPT).
Is Physiotherapy a good career?
The need for physiotherapists is increasing with the increasing number of patients suffering from back pain, knee pain, joint pain, muscle and nerve related issues etc.
There has been a shortage of human resources in helping people relieve their pain and lead better lives hereafter with better mobility in the affected body parts.
Physiotherapists have greater opportunities available in helping people live better lives in different sectors such as hospitals, sports centers, fitness centers, cardiovascular patients, orthopedics etc.
Physiotherapists are finding opportunities both in government and private sectors.
Is Physiotherapy equal to MBBS?
Bachelor of Physiotherapy is an undergraduate course where students learn to treat patients with physical exercises, yoga etc.
Whereas, MBBS is an undergraduate course where students learn about medicine and surgery.
Can a Physiotherapist be called a Doctor in India?
A Physiotherapist will be called a Doctor in India only after he completes Doctoral of Philosophy in Physiotherapy course(Phd).
Well, a Physiotherapist is not legally permitted in India to prefix ‘Dr’ before his name.
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