Physiotherapy After 12th: BPT Course Details & Scope

Last Updated on July 28, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

BPT stands for Bachelor of Physiotherapy. It is a 4½ years long undergraduate Degree course. The field of physiotherapy is also known by the name of physical therapy. In this article, you will be reading about BPT course details, eligibility criteria, admission process, syllabus, career prospects and job profiles available after graduation.

Bachelor of Physiotherapy: Introduction

Physiotherapy is a part of rehabilitative medicine. It focuses on the use of physical therapy, massages, physical movements and exercise to improve and cure injuries, deformities and diseases. Along with rehabilitation, some other important sections of physiotherapy are- diagnosis, examination and assessment of the condition.

Unlike the traditional branches of medicine, physiotherapy doesn’t rely extensively on the use of drugs and medicine. Instead, it relies on the use of physical treatment to improve the situation.

BPT Course details

BPT, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, is an undergraduate course. On completing the course, graduates will get the DPT (Doctor of Physiotherapy) Degree.

Duration: This professional course is 4½ years long, when it comes to duration. Regular classroom sessions and clinical sessions constitute 4 years of the academic program. 6 months are dedicated towards internship. So, in total, the course duration is of 4½ years!

BPT course trains students and helps them acquire skills and techniques that are necessary for the practice of physiotherapy treatment. Some important skills and technique taught in BPT program are- exercise therapy, physical therapy, electro therapy and handling of surgical (for rehabilitation) and physical conditions.

Eligibility criteria

Students who have passed 12th Science stream Biology group (Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects) from a recognized board are eligible to pursue this course.

Admission process

In case of reputed institutes, the admission process follows the rule of ‘merit based admission’. Seats are allotted to eligible candidates on the basis of marks scored by students in the 12th Science board examination as well as entrance test (State/National/held by Institute).

Some institutes also have a minimum marks criteria, which students have to satisfy, to be considered eligible to take part in the admission process. Minim marks criteria is usually around 50% marks aggregate in PCB (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) subjects in 12th board examination.

To get better idea about the course structure of BPT, let us take a look at the syllabus and general course content.

Syllabus

1st year subjects-

• Introduction to Physiotherapy
• Physiology
• Anatomy
• First aid and nursing
• Biochemistry
• Food Science and nutrition
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Communication skills

2nd year subjects-

• Pharmacology
• Biomechanics
• Electrotherapy
• Microbiology
• Pathology
• Clinical observation
• Exercise therapy

3rd year subjects-

• Sports science and medicine
• General medicine and surgery
• Physiotherapy in general medicine and surgery
• Bioengineering
• Rehabilitation science
• Orthopaedics

4th year subjects-

• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Medical ethics
• Physiotherapy in Cardio disorders
• Physiotherapy in respiratory disorders

Note: Only important subjects have been mentioned in the lists above. Along with theoretical classroom sessions, practical clinical training sessions are also present in case of each academic year.

After completion of the final year examination, successful students have to go through 6 months of internship. Internship period is equally divided across departments such as Orthopaedics, Neurology, General Surgery, General Medicine and Physiotherapy.

The final Degree would be awarded to those students who manage to complete the internship with satisfactory performance.

BPT Colleges in India

Here’s a list of popular BPT colleges in India –

• Kerala University of Health Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala
• Institute of Paramedical Sciences, Kannur, Kerala
• Medical Trust Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala
• Co-Operative Institute of Health Sciences, Kannur, Kerala
• School of Medical Education, MGU, Kottayam, Kerala
• EMS College of Paramedical Sciences, Malappuram, Kerala
• Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Government College of Physiotherapy, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
• Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka
• Government Physiotherapy College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra
• Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, Maharashtra
• Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra
• DY Patil University, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, Maharashtra
• Seth GS Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra
• West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal
• Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal
• University of Burdwan, Bardhaman, West Bengal
• Haldia Institute of Health Sciences, Haldia, West Bengal
• Burdwan Institute of Medical and Life Sciences, Burdwan, West Bengal
• Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab
• Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab
• Khalsa College, Amritsar, Punjab
• Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan
• Mewar University, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan
• Jodhpur National University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
• Jaipur Physiotherapy College, Jaipur, Rajasthan
• Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan
• NIMS, Hyderabad, Telangana

Career prospects and job opportunities

Job scope and opportunities are immense, when it comes to the field of physiotherapy. With age, people tend to develop bone as well as muscle problems. Physiotherapy, to an extent, can help cure such disorders and conditions. Thus, it is safe to say that physiotherapists may work closely with such patients.

In case of India, the life expectancy is increasing. This means people will live on to age more and more. With old age comes problem related to muscles and bones. In short, what I’m trying to say is that physiotherapists won’t find difficulty in finding patients.

Treatment of patients suffering from physical deformities is also a task that physiotherapists have to deal with. Deformities may be caused due to accidents or might have been present from birth.

Patients, who’ve had surgeries (such as neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, broken bone surgeries and fractures) are subjected to rehabilitation after the surgery. Physiotherapists also play an active role during such rehabilitation phase of a patient. In fact there are clinics meant solely for the purpose of rehabilitation and physiotherapists may easily find a job in one such clinic. One may also start up one’s own physiotherapy/rehabilitation clinic too, if one has access to decent financial resources.

You may also check –

Physiotherapy courses in India

Medical entrance exams in India

Sports courses in India

Paramedical courses in India

Sports is another segment where physiotherapists may build a career in. Sport is one such field where physical activity (of moderate to high intensity) is involved. We all know that sportsmen tend to get injured. This is a common event in case of games that require high intensity physical activities (Football, Rugby, Cricket, Tennis etc). Sports teams usually have a physiotherapist in their staff to deal with such injuries and help players recover and rehabilitate. One may specialize in this field of sports science and take on such a role! One could also serve as an independent physiotherapist who caters to sportsmen (like a consultant). With such a qualification, one will also be able to find a job in high profile gyms and fitness centres!

Physiotherapists are also recruited by Private clinics, Government hospitals, Private and Government Nursing homes, Community Health Centres, NGOs, Sports Teams and Franchises, Gyms, Fitness clinics etc.

Here are some common job profiles available in front of BPT graduates-

• Physiotherapist
• Rehabilitation specialist
• Consultant
• Sports physiotherapist

After pursuing PG courses like Master of Physiotherapy and PhD, one may take on the following job posts too-

• Lecturer
• Research professional

Here are some of the well known places where Bachelor of Physiotherapy graduates may find a job after completing the course-

• Government hospitals
• Private Hospitals/Clinics
• NGOs
• Sports teams/Frachises
• Gyms/Fitness Centres
• Rehabilitation clinics

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.