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Follow Your Passion. Power Your Practice.
Board-certified specialists are making a difference in the lives of patients, living out their dedication to better care, and helping advance the physical therapy profession.
Join a prestigious group of over 30,000 of your physical therapist peers who demonstrate competency in specialized knowledge and advanced clinical proficiency.
Why Specialist Certification?
Join a prestigious group of over 30,000 of your physical therapist peers who demonstrate competency in specialized knowledge and advanced clinical proficiency.
The 10 specialty areas offered by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties are a recognition of the increasingly vital role physical therapy plays in optimizing movement to improve the human experience:
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
- Clinical Electrophysiology
- Geriatrics
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics
- Sports
- Women's Health
- Wound Management
Why Specialist Certification?
As a board-certified specialist, you'll be among more than 30,000 PTs who have achieved certification since the first credentials were awarded in 1985 — and you'll empower your professional growth.
- Dive deep into what moves you. Earning specialist certification is all about pursuing the facets of physical therapy that you love most.
- Elevate your practice. Specialist certification helps patients and referral sources know that you offer a deep understanding of specific areas of care, and that you're committed to professional growth.
- Get recognized for your commitment. Specialist certification is the profession's acknowledgment that you've achieved knowledge and skills that set you apart.
- Help lead the profession. Engagement is the heart of leadership: ABPTS specialists are often at the forefront of developments in research and practice, and part of a community that believes in continuous improvement of patient care.
- Not convinced yet? Hear from your peers how specialization has changed their practice and made a difference in the professional and personal lives.
Find Out if Certification Is Right for You
What it takes, how much it costs, and what happens after you're certified. Explore requirements and considerations here.