Resume template · Updated October 2026
Physical therapist resume template
Short answer
Leslie suits a physical therapist: it prints experience before skills, so your settings, caseload and patient population come first, and its single blue accent keeps a clinical page calm. The fictional sample treats post-surgical and sports patients in an outpatient orthopedic clinic after two years in acute care, teaches DPT students and states the license in the summary because certifications print near the end.
Download the physical therapist sample
Megan is a fictional physical therapist. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Leslie suits a physical therapist resume
Leslie prints work experience ahead of skills, which suits a clinician judged on setting and caseload: outpatient, acute, inpatient rehab, home health or schools, and the patients treated in each. The centred blue header and short underlines keep the page polished, and the labelled skill rows separate interventions from documentation systems.
Second choice: Henrietta. Henrietta prints education right after experience, a good choice for a new DPT graduate whose degree and clinical rotations are the strongest evidence.
What goes in each section, in Leslie's order
Leslie prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Professional Summary. License state, setting, years and the patients you treat most. Rehab directors look for setting fit first, so "outpatient orthopedics" or "acute care" belongs in the opening line.
- Work Experience. Caseload per day, patient population, the outcome measures you use and programs you built. Teaching students, supervising assistants and aides, and keeping documentation on time each earn a bullet.
- Skills. Evaluation and interventions on the Technical row (manual therapy, post-operative protocols, vestibular, neurological or pediatric work as relevant) and systems on the Tools row: EMR and measurement tools. Leslie lists these after the jobs.
- Education. DPT with school and year, plus any residency or fellowship. New graduates can add clinical rotations as an extra list.
- Certifications. State license, BLS, and any specialist certification or residency credential with the year. They print near the end in Leslie, which is why the sample names the license in its summary.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Megan Callahan
Physical Therapist, DPT, Outpatient Orthopedics
Boise, ID | megan.callahan@example.com | (208) 555-0139 | linkedin.com/in/sample-megan-callahan
Physical therapist licensed in Idaho with six years in outpatient orthopedics and acute care. Treats about 13 patients a day, mostly after knee and shoulder surgery, with spine pain and sports injuries, and writes home programs patients actually follow. Clinical instructor for DPT students.
Experience
Physical Therapist, Treasure Valley Orthopedic Rehab, Boise, ID (08/2022 to Present)
- Evaluate and treat about 13 patients a day, mostly after ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair and joint replacement.
- Score standardized outcome measures at intake and discharge and review the results with the clinic director each quarter.
- Built a return-to-sport testing protocol for ACL patients with two surgeons' offices.
- Supervise one physical therapist assistant and two aides, and have taught four DPT students as clinical instructor.
- Complete notes the same day in WebPT and meet every plan-of-care and progress-note deadline.
Physical Therapist, Acute Care, Snake River Regional Hospital, Nampa, ID (07/2020 to 07/2022)
- Evaluated about 10 patients a day after surgery, stroke and medical admissions on medical-surgical and intensive care units.
- Recommended discharge settings and equipment with case managers.
- Mobilized intensive care patients with nursing under the hospital's early mobility protocol.
Education
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Intermountain State University (05/2020)
BS, Exercise Science, Boise Foothills College (05/2017)
Certifications
- Physical Therapist License, Idaho, State licensing board (2020)
- BLS Provider, American Heart Association (2025)
Skills
Orthopedic evaluation, Manual therapy, Therapeutic exercise, Post-operative protocols, Return-to-sport testing, Home exercise programs, WebPT, Epic, Handheld dynamometer, Motivating patients, Clinical teaching
How to make the sample yours
Name your setting first
Outpatient, acute care, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, home health, schools or sports: rehab managers hire for setting fit.
Use outcome language you can support
Name the standardized measures you use at intake and discharge, and programs that changed results. Leave out averages your clinic has not measured.
Show teaching and supervision
Clinical instructor work, supervising assistants and in-services show leadership before you hold a management title.
New graduate version
Replace jobs with clinical rotations (setting, weeks, caseload), and choose Henrietta so the DPT prints right after experience.
Board certification
If you are a board-certified specialist, in orthopaedics, sports, geriatrics or another area, put it in the headline as well as under certifications.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- physical therapist
- DPT
- licensed physical therapist
- outpatient orthopedics
- post-operative rehabilitation
- manual therapy
- therapeutic exercise
- evaluation and plan of care
- outcome measures
- home exercise program
- return to sport
- acute care
- clinical instructor
- documentation compliance
- BLS
Mistakes to avoid
- A summary with no setting or patient population.
- Listing every continuing education course instead of the ones that match the job.
- Patient names, stories or photos.
- Outcome percentages your clinic's data cannot back up.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
Frequently asked questions
What license does a physical therapist need?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says all states require physical therapists to be licensed, which includes passing a qualifying exam, and new therapists need a DPT from an accredited program. FSBPT reports National Physical Therapy Examination scores, and every jurisdiction uses the same passing standard.
Should a physical therapist list clinical rotations?
In the first year or two, yes: setting, weeks and patient population. After that, let your jobs take their place.
How do I show board certification or a residency?
In the headline and under certifications, with the year. The BLS notes that residencies typically last about a year and that some therapists become board-certified specialists in areas such as orthopedics, sports and geriatrics.
How do I switch from acute care to outpatient?
Lead with what transfers (evaluation, post-surgical care, discharge planning) and add orthopedic continuing education or a mentorship.
How long should a physical therapist resume be?
One page for most clinicians, two with research, teaching or a long career. Keep license and setting in the top half of page one.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Leslie PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 5 section headings and all 8 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
Guides and templates for this resume
Sources, checked 29 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapists, How to Become One (DPT from an accredited program; all states require licensure, including a qualifying exam; residencies typically last about 1 year; board-certified specialists in areas such as orthopedics, sports and geriatrics)
- FSBPT: Understanding the NPTE (NPTE assesses minimum competence for entry-level PTs and PTAs; FSBPT reports scaled scores 200 to 800; all jurisdiction licensing authorities use the same passing standard of 600)
- APTA Specialization: Become a Specialist (specialist areas include orthopaedics, sports, geriatrics, neurology, pediatrics and others)
More in resume templates by job title.