PT career questions

Our user asked: "I recently graduated and I'm attending broward college in august for physical therapy assistant. I am undecided about whether to become a pt or pta so I have a few quick questions for you and I would be so glad if you could get back to me. 1. Which one would you suggest? I understand that pt's make a lot more money, but they also have to go to school for 4 additional years, so I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. 2. I get nauseous often with things regarding to needles, veins, and really bad open wounds. I was wondering if pt's or pta's deal with that kind of stuff and if they have to do injections or not. 3. What are pt's and pta's schedules like? For instance, is it like monday through friday? And what are the average times? And do they get vacation days? 4. I heard that florida pays pt's and pta's well compared to other states. What's the average base pay for both pt's and pta's in florida? 5. Can I complete my 2 years for pta, and if I decide to further my education, take an additional 4 years to become a pt? Like, does it work like that, or would I have to decide which one I want to do before starting? 6. And lastly, I would like to shadow a pt or pta, how would I go about setting that up? Thank you so much for your time, I hope to hear back from you soon."

Ask a PT Response: "1) It depends on your own personal goals as far as what you would like to achieve. Both PT and PTA careers are rewarding. As you mentioned, PT's are paid more but that is because of the amount of education required to earn this degree.
2) Depending on the setting you decide to choose, you may not have to deal with wound care at all. Injections are not in the scope of practice for a PT so you would not have to worry about that.
3) Schedules will depend on where you are employed. Your place of employment will determine this as well as vacation, benefits, etc..
4) Check out salary.com to get a general idea as far as what therapists make in Florida.
5) Yes, most PTA programs will allow you to earn this degree in 4 years. As far as a PT degree most programs require you to possess a bachelors degree (4 years) in order to apply for the doctorate physical therapy program (3 years) - (Total = 7 years). Therefore, would probably recommend you decide which degree you would like to pursue as it could cost you additional time and monies if you were to decide to pursue a PT degree in the future.
6) To shadow a PTA, I would contact a clinic and introduce yourself and let them know you have an interest in this profession. Most facilities are receptive to letting interested individuals shadow.
I hope this helps."