Now, maybe I am a little biased because in our state aides can do very little…yet, they can show patients their exercise if given direct instruction from a PT and given direct supervision…I think this is something that can easily be learned with on the job training. However, if you are in a state where aides can do a little more, maybe it is worth the training. I myself, was an aide in a chiropractor's office before I ever became a PT…I was taught how to use ultrasound and electrical stimulation on the job.

I think trade schools are marketing the aide program stating that it's an easy way to transition to the PTA (assistant) or PT degree. While being an aide is an invaluable experience, it is not an "easy" way to transition…your course work will not transfer to the next degree…you will need to start over like everyone else. Furthermore, with the length of the aide training course (6-10 months) I feel it would be much more worthwhile to just stay in school the extra year and become a PTA and nearly double your opportunities and income. I think these schools are not being fully honest about the opportunities or income for aides.

However, if you really have your heart set on being an aide and you really want the certification, I think it is best to have live classroom education for the hands on portion of the education…not all classes would need to be live, but some of them definetely should be if you've never worked in the health care setting.