How to Choose a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Litchfield 62056

Receiving a physical therapy degree near Litchfield IL is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are considering to make sure they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Litchfield IL private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

• Arthritis or Osteoporosis
• Car or motor cycle accidents
• Head injuries.
• Heart attacks.
• Sports injuries.
• Fire injuries.
• Hip Replacement.
• Sciatica.
• Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Litchfield IL health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are available in the Litchfield IL area:

• Associate Degrees train 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 degrees are most often made available by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the course of study.
• Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and commonly include 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

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 attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

Although not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Litchfield IL residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Litchfield IL area and across Illinois, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college options. Also, you need to make sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited?  Find out if the colleges 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 enroll in an online school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Litchfield IL physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college selections. It might also be a good idea to contact the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Litchfield IL area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

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

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have partnerships with Litchfield IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to receive hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Litchfield health care community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Litchfield IL home. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to consider 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 generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools provide some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy program you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Litchfield 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 have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Litchfield Illinois?

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

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Litchfield IL

Picking the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary initial decision you have to make to start a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Litchfield IL.

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