I just wanted to know if it would be a good idea to get in massage therapy school before getting into Physical therapy and what would be a better option physical therapy aide or massage therapy just wondering?
I just wanted to know if it would be a good idea to get in massage therapy school before getting into Physical therapy and what would be a better option physical therapy aide or massage therapy just wondering?
Other than the fact that you could earn money in your spare time, there is no advantage to becoming a massage therapist prior to becoming a PT. The level of anatomy offered at most MT schools is substandard to the gross human anatomy required by PT programs. PTs are hardly using massage anymore, and any techniques you really need to know as a PT take only a few hours to learn. Most employers would not consider having your MT and PT to be of any further asset.
Becoming an assistant isn’t worth the effort either. It would take you two years to get the degree and then you would find out that you have to start all over again to become a PT.
Becoming an aide is possible, as it requires no formal experience. But it is not necessary to become an aide prior to becoming a PT. It’s a good experience, but it pays very little.
If you are serious about becoming a PT, I would start completing your prerequisites first.
If you are in need of cash while you go to school, I would actually consider being a personal trainer. You’ll learn more about exercise physiology and the time required to become a personal trainer is relatively little as compared to the MT (ie, you can start earning cash sooner). The start up costs for becoming a personal trainer can be significantly less than that of an MT.
My two cents