Physical therapist resume
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Key skills for a physical therapist resume
Terms that job ads ask for and ATS filters look for. Only include the ones you master.
- Patient evaluation
- Treatment planning
- Therapeutic exercise
- Manual therapy
- Gait training
- Orthopedic rehabilitation
- Neurological rehabilitation
- Sports rehabilitation
- Patient education
- Documentation
Tips for your physical therapist resume
- Put your DPT, your license state and number near the top.
- Name your specialty: orthopedics, sports, neuro, geriatrics, pediatrics or women's health.
- Say where you work: outpatient clinic, hospital, skilled nursing, home health or a sports team.
- Add your caseload: patients per day or per week.
- List manual therapy techniques and treatment methods you use.
- Include board specialist certifications, residencies or continuing education.
Physical therapist resume summary examples
Adapt these examples with your real details: years of experience, industry, tools and certifications.
Physical therapist with 7 years of experience in outpatient orthopedics and sports rehabilitation. I evaluate patients, design treatment plans with manual therapy and therapeutic exercise and see about 14 patients a day. Board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist.
Doctor of Physical Therapy with clinical rotations in outpatient orthopedics, acute care and inpatient neuro rehab. Skilled in evaluation, therapeutic exercise and gait training. Licensed and looking for my first physical therapist role.
Other job titles
Search for them too and use the one in the job ad on your resume.
- Physiotherapist (UK)
- Outpatient physical therapist
- Home health physical therapist
- Sports physical therapist
- Doctor of physical therapy (DPT)
- Rehabilitation therapist
How to write a physical therapist resume step by step
Write a short summary
Three or four lines with your years of experience, specialty, setting and approach.
Detail your experience
In “Experience”, add the clinic or facility, type of patients, caseload and treatments.
Add education and license
In “Education”, your DPT. In “Certificates”, your state license and specialist certifications.
Show projects and continuing education
In “Projects” or “Certificates”, include programs you designed and courses you completed.
Tailor your resume to the job ad and download it
Paste the job ad into Beatjob: the AI improves the wording with the keywords your experience backs up. Then download the PDF.
More resume examples
Frequently asked questions about a physical therapist resume
What education do physical therapists need?
A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from an accredited program. These programs typically last three years and usually require a bachelor's degree.
Do physical therapists need a license?
Yes. All states require physical therapists to be licensed, which includes passing a qualifying exam. Some states also require a law exam and a background check.
What should a new grad PT resume include?
Your DPT, clinical rotations with their settings and patient types, your license and any research, volunteering or sports experience.
Sources
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