Colleges for Physical Therapy Near Me Schiller Park IL 60176 Archives

How to Select a Physical Therapist College near Schiller Park 60176

Schiller Park IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Schiller Park IL is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will deliver a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Schiller Park IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Schiller Park IL private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Schiller Park IL medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Schiller Park IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Schiller Park IL area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important component along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Schiller Park IL While not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Schiller Park IL home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Schiller Park IL area and across Illinois, you’ll have to look into other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Schiller Park IL physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college options. It may also be prudent to check with the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Schiller Park IL area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Illinois or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have partnerships with Schiller Park IL clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Schiller Park health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Schiller Park IL home. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial aid department and find out what kind of assistance is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Schiller Park IL area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Schiller Park Illinois?

If you are planning on attending a Physical Therapy School in the Schiller Park IL area, the following information may prove to be both interesting and educational regarding the location of your future Alma Mater.

Schiller Park, Illinois

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 11,850 people, 4,244 households, and 3,045 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,283.5 people per square mile (1,451.7/km²). There were 4,335 housing units at an average density of 1,567.0 per square mile (604.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 80.98% White, 1.98% African American, 0.28% Native American, 5.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 8.11% from other races, and 3.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.92% of the population.

There were 4,244 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 4.61.

In the village, the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males.

Select the Best Physical Therapist School near Schiller Park IL

Deciding on the best physical therapist school is an important first decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that many factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different schools to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Schiller Park IL.