MY FUTURE CAREER PATHWAY

My Future in Physical Therapy.

My goal is to attend college, earn my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, and build a career helping people recover, move better, and improve their quality of life.

Explore My Plan → Learn More
DPT Doctor of Physical Therapy
12% Projected job growth
2035 Career outlook
✚
FUTURE CAREER

Physical Therapy

Science • Movement • Recovery

01 — MY GOAL

Why I chose
physical therapy.

Choosing a career after high school is an important decision because it can affect my education, finances, and future.

I want to become a physical therapist because the career combines science, exercise, movement, and helping people.

I like the idea of having a career where I can work directly with people and help them recover from injuries or improve their physical abilities.

After researching this career, I believe becoming a physical therapist is a challenging but rewarding pathway that fits my interests and goals.

01

A career that fits my interests.

01
Fitness

I enjoy exercise and learning about movement.

02
Science

Physical therapy involves understanding how the human body works.

03
Helping Others

I want a career where I can work directly with and help other people.

02 — EDUCATION

The road to becoming
a physical therapist.

Becoming a physical therapist takes several years of education, preparation, and professional training.

01
RIGHT NOW

Finish High School

My first step is to finish high school strong and prepare myself for college and my future career.

02
COLLEGE

Earn a Bachelor's Degree

I plan to attend college and complete a bachelor's degree while taking the prerequisite courses needed for physical therapy school.

Biology Chemistry Physics Psychology Statistics Anatomy Physiology
03
GRADUATE SCHOOL

Doctor of Physical Therapy

After completing my undergraduate education, I plan to apply to a Doctor of Physical Therapy program. DPT programs typically take about three years.

04
CAREER

Become a Licensed Physical Therapist

After completing my DPT program, I will need to meet my state's licensing requirements before beginning my career as a physical therapist.

A COLLEGE I COULD CONSIDER

University of
South Florida.

One college I could consider is the University of South Florida because it has a Doctor of Physical Therapy program in Tampa.

USF requires applicants to have a bachelor's degree and prerequisite courses. The program also has GPA and application requirements that I would need to work toward.

Explore USF's DPT Program →
USF

Doctor of Physical Therapy

01
Bachelor's Degree

Required before entering the professional program.

02
Prerequisite Courses

Science and other required coursework.

03
Application

Meet the program's admissions requirements.

03 — UNIT 1 CONNECTIONS

What I learned
from Unit 1.

The Unit 1 readings helped me think about identity, expectations, personal choices, and how those ideas can affect my future.

TEXT 01 📖

The Rocking-Horse Winner

D. H. Lawrence
Main Idea

The story shows how pressure, expectations, and the desire for success can influence a person's choices.

This connects to my future because I need to make career decisions based on what I actually want for myself. I want to become a physical therapist because it matches my interests in fitness, science, movement, and helping people.

The story also reminds me that I should not let pressure from other people decide my entire future. I need to choose a career that I actually care about and am willing to work toward.

TEXT 02 💡

Theme for English B

Langston Hughes
Main Idea

The poem explores identity, individuality, experiences, and how a person's background can shape who they are.

I connect this poem to my future because my interests and experiences help shape the career I want. My interest in fitness, sports, and helping people makes physical therapy feel like a career that fits who I am.

The poem shows that understanding yourself can help you make choices about your future. I want my career choice to reflect who I am and what I enjoy doing.

MY TAKEAWAY

Both readings made me think about how important it is to understand what I want for my own future. I want my career choice to come from my interests and goals rather than simply trying to meet someone else's expectations. Physical therapy is a long-term goal, so I will need to stay committed and make decisions that help me reach it.

04 — THE CAREER

Why this career
interests me.

PROJECTED JOB GROWTH 12%

Physical therapist employment is projected to grow from 2025 to 2035.

MEDIAN ANNUAL WAGE $102,760

Median annual wage reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2025.

PROFESSIONAL DEGREE DPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy is the professional degree needed to become a physical therapist.

05 — BENEFITS

What makes physical therapy
worth pursuing?

♥

Help People

Physical therapists help people recover from injuries, improve movement, and manage physical limitations.

↗

Career Growth

Physical therapy has a strong employment outlook and opportunities in different healthcare settings.

⚕

Healthcare Career

Physical therapy would allow me to work directly with patients in a healthcare environment.

◆

My Interests

The career connects my interests in fitness, strength training, sports, science, and movement.

◎

Meaningful Work

I would have the opportunity to see patients make progress and reach their own physical goals.

+

Different Settings

Physical therapists can work in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, schools, and other settings.

06 — FINANCIAL PLANNING

Planning for the
cost of college.

The cost of becoming a physical therapist is one of the biggest challenges I will have to consider.

Because of these costs, I will need to plan ahead by looking for scholarships, financial aid, and ways to reduce my college expenses.

USF DPT 2026–2027
$21,752

Estimated annual tuition and fees for an in-state student in the DPT program.

My financial strategy

  • ✓ Research scholarships
  • ✓ Apply for financial aid
  • ✓ Compare affordable colleges
  • ✓ Plan my education expenses
07 — CHALLENGES

It won't be easy.
That's okay.

I understand that reaching my career goal will require preparation, patience, and commitment.

01

Education

I will need to complete a bachelor's degree, science prerequisites, and a DPT program.

02

Academics

The science courses and professional program will require serious studying and good time management.

03

Financial Cost

College and graduate school can be expensive, so I need to plan ahead for tuition and other expenses.

04

Licensing

After completing the required education, I will need to meet my state's requirements to become licensed.

"
MY PERSONAL CONNECTION

Turning my interests
into a career.

I am interested in fitness, strength training, and sports, which gives me a personal connection to movement and physical performance.

Physical therapy would allow me to use those interests in a healthcare career while helping other people. I also like working with people, so I think the patient-focused side of physical therapy would be a good fit for me.

I understand that being interested in fitness alone is not enough to become a physical therapist, which is why I plan to focus on academics and gain a better understanding of healthcare.

08 — MY PLAN

My next
steps.

A long-term goal becomes easier to reach when I break it into smaller steps.

01
HIGH SCHOOL

Finish Strong

Complete high school and continue preparing for college.

02
COLLEGE

Earn My Bachelor's Degree

Complete my undergraduate education and required prerequisite courses.

03
EXPERIENCE

Gain Healthcare Experience

Gain experience related to physical therapy and learn more about working with patients.

04
GRADUATE SCHOOL

Apply to DPT Programs

Apply to Doctor of Physical Therapy programs and complete the professional education required.

05
CAREER

Become a Physical Therapist

Complete my education, meet licensing requirements, and begin my career helping patients.

MY FUTURE

I'm building the future
I want to live.

Physical therapy is the pathway I currently believe is best for me because it combines my interests in fitness, science, movement, and helping people.

The Unit 1 readings also helped me think about my future in a more personal way. The Rocking-Horse Winner showed me the negative effects that pressure and expectations can have on a person's choices, while Theme for English B made me think about identity and understanding who I am.

I want my career choice to reflect my own interests and goals. Although becoming a physical therapist will require several years of education, hard work, and financial planning, I believe the opportunity to help people makes the journey worthwhile.

My goal is to turn my interests into a career and become a physical therapist.

09 — RESEARCH

Sources &
Research.

01
American Physical Therapy Association

Becoming a Physical Therapist

↗ 02
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Physical Therapists — Occupational Outlook

↗ 03
University of South Florida

DPT Academic & Admission Requirements

↗ 04
University of South Florida

DPT Tuition & Fees

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