Physical Therapist Resume Example

Also called PT, DPT, Physiotherapist.

Clinics and hospitals hire physical therapists for outcomes and for a caseload that runs on time. Show your license, the patient groups you treat, and what happened to the people you treated.

Use this exampleBrowse all templates

Opens in the builder with this text in place, ready for you to replace with your own.

What this example does well

  • Outcome scores are compared with a benchmark, which turns "good results" into something a director can weigh.
  • Caseload per day is stated plainly, the first practical question for an outpatient clinic.
  • The knee pathway bullet shows he improves how the clinic works, not only his own patients.

Updated

Andre Beaumont

Physical Therapist, DPT, OCS

Summary

Physical therapist with six years in outpatient orthopedics. Treats 11 to 13 patients a day, most after joint replacement, rotator cuff repair or with low back pain. Board-certified orthopedic specialist whose patients report functional gains above the national benchmark.

Experience

Physical Therapist, Oakwood Orthopedic Rehabilitation

Jan 2022 – Present · Raleigh, North Carolina

  • Evaluate and treat 11 to 13 outpatients a day with orthopedic and sports injuries.
  • Patients improved by an average of 19 points on functional outcome scores, against a national benchmark of 14.
  • Built the clinic's total knee replacement pathway, which shortened the average course of care from 14 to 11 visits.
  • Supervise two physical therapist assistants and mentor a clinical student each semester.

Physical Therapist, Wake Regional Hospital

Jul 2020 – Dec 2021 · Cary, North Carolina

  • Treated patients on orthopedic and neurological units after surgery, stroke and falls.
  • Got joint replacement patients walking on the day of surgery, supporting an average stay of 1.6 days.
  • Recommended discharge destinations and equipment at daily team rounds.

Education

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2017 – 2020 · Chapel Hill, North Carolina

BS Exercise Science, Appalachian State University

2013 – 2017 · Boone, North Carolina

Skills

Orthopedic evaluation, Manual therapy, Therapeutic exercise, Post-surgical rehabilitation, Gait and balance training, Outcome measures, Documentation in WebPT, Student supervision

Certifications

  • Physical Therapist license — North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
  • Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) — American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, 2024
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) — American Heart Association, 2025
An example: Andre Beaumont is not a real person, and the details show the kind of thing to write rather than a real career. Shown in the Dispatch template. Words that postings for this job often use are marked in yellow.

How do you write a summary for a physical therapist resume?

Two to four lines at the top that say what you do, for how long, and what you are best at. Here is one for each stage of a career.

  • Entry level

    Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate, licensed in 2026. Completed four clinical rotations over 36 weeks in outpatient orthopedics, acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and pediatrics, carrying a near-full caseload by the end of each. Strong in patient education and clear documentation.

  • Experienced

    Physical therapist with five years in outpatient orthopedics and acute care. Treats 12 patients a day, works closely with surgeons on post-operative protocols and supervises assistants and students.

  • Senior

    Clinic director and physical therapist with thirteen years of practice. Leads a team of nine clinicians across two sites, keeps cancellation rates under 8% and has grown referrals from local surgeons by a third in three years.

How to write a resume summary, with more examples

What are good bullet points for a physical therapist resume?

Each starts with a verb and says what was done. Change the details and numbers to your own; a number you cannot explain in an interview is worse than none.

  1. Evaluated and treated 12 patients a day with orthopedic, sports and post-surgical conditions.

  2. Wrote plans of care with measurable goals and reviewed progress with each patient every ten visits.

  3. Used manual therapy and progressive exercise to restore movement after joint replacement and ligament repair.

  4. Tracked outcomes with standard measures and beat the national benchmark for functional improvement.

  5. Got hospital patients up and walking within hours of surgery, following surgeons' protocols.

  6. Taught home exercise programs and checked technique at each visit.

  7. Recommended discharge plans and equipment at multidisciplinary rounds.

  8. Supervised physical therapist assistants and co-signed their notes on time.

  9. Completed documentation the same day, meeting payer requirements without denied claims.

  10. Served as clinical instructor for three DPT students.

Which skills should a physical therapist put on a resume?

Pick the ones the job posting asks for and that you can back up with an example from your work.

Hard skills

  • Musculoskeletal and neurological evaluation
  • Manual therapy
  • Therapeutic exercise prescription
  • Post-operative rehabilitation protocols
  • Gait, balance and fall-risk assessment
  • Standardized outcome measures
  • Modalities such as electrical stimulation and taping
  • Documentation systems (WebPT, Epic)

Soft skills

  • Motivating patients
  • Clear explanation
  • Empathy
  • Time management
  • Teamwork with surgeons and nurses

Licenses and certifications

  • State physical therapist license
  • Board-certified clinical specialist (OCS, NCS, SCS and others)
  • Basic Life Support (BLS)
  • APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor

Which keywords belong on a physical therapist resume?

The words recruiters and applicant tracking systems search for.

  • patients a day
  • outpatient
  • orthopedic
  • joint replacement
  • functional outcome
  • plan of care
  • physical therapist assistants
  • neurological
  • discharge

Use the ones that are true for you, written the way the posting writes them, and put each where it shows something you did. A list of keywords with nothing behind it helps nobody. To keep them readable by software, choose an ATS-friendly template, and read how applicant tracking systems read a resume.

How do you show patient outcomes on a physical therapy resume?

Use the measures your clinic already collects. Many outpatient clinics report functional improvement per episode against a national benchmark; hospitals track length of stay and discharge home. One line with your figure and the benchmark is enough.

If you have no system numbers, describe the change in plain terms: visits per episode, how soon patients walked, how many returned to sport or work.

Should a physical therapist list every continuing education course?

No. Keep board specialties, residencies and certifications that change what you are able to do, such as vestibular or pelvic health training. A long list of weekend courses pushes the important things down the page.

If a posting asks for a specific skill, for example dry needling where your state permits it, name the course that qualified you.

What do healthcare employers look for in a resume?

  • Put your license or registration where it cannot be missed: next to your name or at the top of a certifications section, with the state or country that issued it.
  • Name the setting and its size. A 28-bed surgical unit, a four-dentist practice and a home-care round of nine clients tell a recruiter far more than the job title does.
  • Show safety and accuracy with numbers you can stand behind: patients per shift, audit results, falls, waiting times. Leave out anything that could identify a patient.

All healthcare resume examples

Questions about a physical therapist resume

What does a new graduate physical therapist put under experience?

Clinical rotations. For each, give the setting, the weeks, the caseload you carried by the end and one thing you did there that you are proud of.

Do I need to list my license number?

No. Name the state board; the employer verifies the rest during hiring.

How long should a physical therapist resume be?

One page for most clinicians. Two pages are fine once you have a specialty, leadership experience or teaching to show.

Is a travel therapist resume different?

List each contract with the setting, location and weeks, and every state license you hold. Agencies and facilities look for how fast you adapt to new systems.

Make this physical therapist resume yours.

Start from the example, swap in your own jobs and numbers, and switch to any template without retyping a word.

Use this example