If you’ve ever broken your wrist, put your back out or sprained your ankle, you know the importance of a good physiotherapist. As long as there are street curbs and pedestrians on cellphones, there will be a need for therapists to ease our bodies back into proper working order. Older people are especially vulnerable to accidents, which means there will be lots of work for physical therapists in the coming years.
Physiotherapists are trained in biology, anatomy and the basics of a variety of medical fields, including pharmacology and kinesiology. They also work in the psychology of injury and recovery and keep abreast of current trends and practices. Because injury and trauma can affect anyone, therapists must be flexible and able to work with patients young and old. Gerontology offers the opportunity to specialize in the treatment of aging Canadians.
WHERE TO STUDY
Centennial College (Toronto) Physiotherapist assistant: $3,810/year. centennialcollege.ca
Durham College (Oshawa) Occupational therapist assistant/physiotherapist assistant: $2,533/year. durhamcollege.ca
George Brown College (Toronto) Activation co-ordinator – gerontology: $3,482/year. georgebrown.ca
Humber College (Toronto) Occupational therapist assistant and physiotherapist assistant: $3,435/year. humber.ca
Lakehead University (Thunder Bay) Gerontology: $5,569/year. lakeheadu.ca
McMaster University (Hamilton) Physiotherapy graduate studies: $6,489/year. mcmaster.ca
Queen’s University (Kingston) Physical therapy and occupational therapy graduate studies: $10,860/year. queensu.ca
Seneca College (Toronto) Therapeutic recreation: $3,300/year. senecac.on.ca
University of Toronto (Toronto) Rehabilitation science – physical therapy graduate programs: $7,160/year. utoronto.ca
University of Western Ontario (London) Physical therapy graduate studies: $3,587/year. uwo.ca
