A History of Physical Therapist Education Around the World

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INTRODUCTION The roots of the physical therapist education reach back through the ages. The development of physical therapy as an autonomous profession based on current scientific knowledge was in large part due to Per Henrik Ling of Sweden. In 1813, he founded the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics (RCIG) in Stockholm for the training of gymnastic instructors. With the founding of RCIG, Ling provided a professional identity for the physical therapist. Thereafter, physical therapist education evolved in different ways around the world. In the United Kingdom, it was through the Society of Trained Masseuses. In Norway and Finland, it was influenced by the work of Ling, with an emphasis on massage training. In the United States, it was as a result of the polio epidemics and the need to treat those wounded during World War I. The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) has established standards and guidelines for physical therapist entrylevel education that are globally relevant

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