To get accepted by many PT programs, you have to log observation hours. According to ACAPT, almost two thirds of PT schools require observation hours, with 38% requiring 26-50 hours. You can find a list of observation hour requirements by program here. Some schools will list a minimum amount of yours you must complete, while others will give a recommendation. Most pre-PTs complete more than the minimum to boost their application, but also get a good idea of the field they hope to enter.
One thing that confuses a lot of applicants is what actually counts towards observation hours. The short answer is that it can typically be any paid or nonpaid time spent with a licensed physical therapist while they’re working. Theses hours can include shadowing, volunteering, or working:
- Shadowing involves standing around and watching a PT work with patients. You need to check with the PT to determine exactly what your role is and how much interaction you’ll have with patients.
- Volunteering usually means taking on a more active role such as by cleaning or fetching equipment and potentially helping with other non-skilled tasks such as bringing patients to rooms.
- Working likely means having a formal role as a PT aide or tech. A few schools don’t allow paid hours, so make sure to double check this.
Many physical therapy programs state, “a licensed Physical Therapist (PT) must verify hours w/signed form uploaded or online via PTCAS.” There are a few options for documenting these hours:
- As you log your hours directly into PTCAS, you can choose to send your hours to the PT who supervised you for verification through PTCAS
- You can upload a signed document (Word, PDF, etc) of your own verifying the hours
- I’ve created a PTCAS-compliant document you can use to track your hours that you can purchase for only $5 via email
- You can also select, “I will not have my PT observation hours verified” (but I don’t recommend this)
For each place you have gained hours, you will log onto PTCAS and click “Supporting Information,” before selecting “Observation Hours.” Here you will add information about the facility, including:
- The facility’s name and address
- The start and end date of your time there
- Whether it was paid, volunteer, or both
- Hours completed and hours planned for each setting
- Settings include: acute care, skilled nursing, sub-acute rehab, outpatient, home health, and school. (Check out what each setting means here)
- Patient diagnoses/Patients observed
- These include: orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, geriatrics, pediatrics, sports, aquatics, and women’s health
- It’s also a good idea to include the physical therapist’s full name and license number
If you’re not sure which setting or diagnoses you observed, check with the PT you were with. Many programs want your hours to be in more than one setting, and it’s always a good idea to get experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. (Inpatient involves any setting where a patient sleeps over – hospital, nursing home, etc. Outpatient can include an orthopedic clinic, home health setup, or school). But don’t stress out trying to get to as many settings as possible as you’ll get a chance to explore niche settings in school. I think it’s better to be in 2-3 settings for a longer period of time to really get a feel for them, rather than doing a handful of hours in a dozen different settings. Think quality over quantity.
Also remember, if you have more hours planned, “you can list planned/in progress hours in the same entry with your completed hours. Alternatively, after you submit your application, you can add new observation hour entries once your planned/in progress hours are completed.”
It’s a good idea to keep track of all your hours and other information you’ll need to verify the hours as you get them so you’re not scrambling to tally them up once starting PTCAS. If you’re interested in purchasing my PTCAS-compliant observation hour log, click here!
I believe the best way to gain hours is by working as a PT aide or tech because then you can gain a lot of hours while also getting paid. I worked as an aide for 1-2 days a week while applying to PT school and ended up with over 1,000 hours. I also gained a ton of insight into the profession and running a physical therapy clinic, and found a mentor who wrote me a great letter of recommendation for PT school.
It’s worth noting that hours spent shadowing, working, or volunteering with doctors, nurses, physician assistants, chiropractors, occupational therapists, or athletic trainers will not count toward the observation hour requirement, although they can be listed elsewhere on the application, such as under “Experiences.” The same is true, in most cases, for time spent with physical therapy assistants (PTAs), so make sure you spend your time with the actual PT.
Interested in purchasing my PTCAS-compliant observation hour log for just $5? Click here!
Good luck gaining hours!