How Long is Physical Therapy School Elmwood Park IL 60707 Archives

How to Select a Physical Therapist College near Elmwood Park 60707

Elmwood Park IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Elmwood Park IL is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate the ones you are looking at to make certain they will deliver a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Elmwood Park IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, including Elmwood Park IL hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Elmwood Park IL medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Elmwood Park IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Elmwood Park IL area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Elmwood Park IL Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Elmwood Park IL residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning a few of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Elmwood Park IL area and across Illinois, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you need to be sure that you enroll in the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact several Elmwood Park IL physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college selections. It may also be prudent to contact the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Elmwood Park IL area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you choose furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Illinois or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are assessing have associations with Elmwood Park IL clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to receive hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Elmwood Park healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Elmwood Park IL home. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist program you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Elmwood Park IL area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Elmwood Park Illinois?

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

Elmwood Park, Illinois

Elmwood Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,883 at the 2010 census.[3] The community has long maintained a large Italian-American population, with a more recent influx of Polish-American and Hispanic residents.

Elmwood Park was incorporated as a village in early April 1914 in order to prevent annexation by the greater city of Chicago. Today one can still see evidence of a minority of landowners, or share farmers who voted for annexation to the city by the odd chunk taken out of Elmwood Park's northeast corner which kept the community from achieving a full square rectangular border.

At the turn of the Century urban dwellers would take the train westward out of the harsh concrete city for family picnics at the "Elm-Wood-Park", which was an ancient "Grove of majestic 180 year old Elms" found near 72nd Ave/Harlem and Irving Park road. Taking advantage of the park's provenance, a new cemetery was named Elmwood, while the closest train stop to both cemetery and park in unincorporated Marwood/Ellsworth became identified with the official name of "Elmwood Park". During the pressure era of incorporation a decade later, the village's founding representatives thought it most ideal to legally title the community after the stop, and after the namesake elm which is a native, locally evolved, riparian prairie "bottomland" tree species.

Select the Best Physical Therapist College near Elmwood Park IL

Selecting the right physical therapist college is an important initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different colleges to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following 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 fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Elmwood Park IL.