There are 1,419 licensed physical therapists in Iowa. Most are employed in hospitals, but they also work in schools (K-12), rehabilitation centers, extended care facilities, home health agencies, academic institutions, business and industry, and a small number are employed in private offices. They often work in concert with occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists (speech therapists) and specialists in orthotics and prosthetics. Iowa law provides direct access to physical therapy, and patients may be treated by physical therapists without physician referral.

There are four postgraduate physical therapy education programs in Iowa offering physical therapist professional education (entry-level doctorate). Using the program in the College of Medicine at the University of Iowa as an example, 36 students are accepted each summer out of a pool of 200-400 applicants. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and must have completed prerequisite courses in biological sciences, chemistry, physics, physiology, psychology, mathematics and statistics. Applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 (the average GPA for those admitted is 3.8) and have a minimum score of 1,000 on the Graduate Record Examination. The 2 ½-year program is an intense, year-round curriculum that includes a 37-week clinical internship. Following successful completion of the program, the graduates are awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (DPT) and may sit for the national board exams.

Physical therapists who have met practice prerequisites may seek certification as a clinical specialist by successfully completing national certification examinations in cardiovascular and pulmonary, clinical electrophysiology, geriatric, neurology, orthopedic, pediatric or sports. Click here for a list of Iowa PTs who are clinical specialists.

There are four Iowa community colleges offering a two-year AA program for physical therapist assistants and there is a fifth program planned for the Des Moines area. Graduates become licensed PTAs, and they may treat patients when under the supervision of a physical therapist.

Click here for more information about physical therapy as a career.