universities offer Diploma, Bachelor's, Masters and also PhD in Physiotherapy. Diploma course is usually 3 years and the enrollment has reduced since the introduction of Bachelors in Physiotherapy (BPT) in the early 1990s in India. Most students with Diploma has opted for lateral entry to Bachelor programme.
Bachelor in Physiotherapy (BPT) is a 4-year undergraduate program in physiotherapy with 6 months of mandatory clinical internship; that is typically rotatory. They have almost similar subjects like graduation course in developed countries and can practice either with Physician or independently. However, due to lack of National Council the syllabus of BPT varies from state to state in the country.
After the graduation Physiotherapist (PTs') could go for further specialization in Cardiovascular & pulmonary physiotherapy , Neurology, Musculoskeletal, Hands, Sports, Obs-Gynaecology, or undertake Research.
PTs in India use the title 'Doctor' and prefix it before their name with a suffix P.T. (Physiotherapist) so as to make their stand clear they are not medical doctors. However, the use of the title 'Dr' according to the IAP (Indian Association of Physiotherapist) is by tradition and convention and is used in the same manner as it is used by the MBBS/MS/BDS/MDS/BHMS/BAMS/BNYS/BUMS degree holders. PTs argue that they are not breaching any law prevailing in India as legally only one who has earned a degree in MD/DM or Phd is justified to use and prefix the 'Doctor' title.
There are well over 250 colleges offering undergraduate program in physiotherapy (BPT) and more than 50 colleges offering masters in Physiotherapy (MPT) with two years' duration. MUHS (Maharashtra) and some other universities in India run a 3-year MPT postgraduate degree. PhD in Physiotherapy is also offered in some selected universities of the states Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
A.M.U. Aligarh started Diploma in Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation very early but they did not upgrade it yet.
Jamia Hamdard took the lead in starting Post-Graduate course in Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy in North India in 1998. The courses were very well received and are in great demand. The Faculty receives help and active support from the renowned hospitals in Delhi for training the students, besides utilizing Majeedia Hospital. The Jamia is in the process of constructing a separate building for the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences with the help of generous grant from the UGC. The Faculty offers Masters and Bachelors programmes of study in Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.
Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped is an autonomous organization under the administrative and financial control of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. The Institute for the Physically Handicapped came into being when the erstwhile Jawahar Lal Nehru Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and other allied institution run by the council for the Aid of crippled and handicapped were taken over by the Government of India on 22 May 1975 and converted into an autonomous body in the year 1976. It was renamed after Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya in the year 2002. The institute provides Bachelor of Physical Therapy, Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and Bachelor of Prosthetics & Orthotics, 4 ½ years duration course in affiliation with University of Delhi.
The Amar Jyoti Institute of Physiotherapy (affiliated to University of Delhi) opened its doors to the first batch of students in the year 1999, with an aim to serve health-care needs of the community through education and training of Physiotherapy practitioners. The mission of the Institute is to: "Provide leadership, management and resources for the advancement of education, scholarship, public service, and the practice of physiotherapy" The B.Sc. (H) Physiotherapy degree course at Amar Jyoti is especially designed to produce graduates who will be competent and confident physiotherapy practitioners who will be able to provide evidence-based physiotherapy to their patients and community at large.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences,Singhania University, Jamia Millia Islamia and many other universities are offering PhD in Physiotherapy.
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