Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - San Luis Obispo CA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist School near San Luis Obispo 93401

San Luis Obispo CA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near San Luis Obispo CA is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is select a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we cover 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

San Luis Obispo CA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, such as San Luis Obispo CA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other San Luis Obispo CA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

San Luis Obispo CA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the San Luis Obispo CA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must 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 total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in San Luis Obispo CA Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s San Luis Obispo CA home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the San Luis Obispo CA area and across California, you’ll have to explore other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to make sure that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into 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 agencies for their reviews also. Contact several San Luis Obispo CA physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your school options. It might also be a good idea to check with the California Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the San Luis Obispo CA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for California or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have relationships with San Luis Obispo CA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific way to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional relationships in the San Luis Obispo medical community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they choose will have to be within driving distance of their San Luis Obispo CA residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and find out what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the San Luis Obispo CA area, verify that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near San Luis Obispo California?

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

San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo (/sæn ˌluːɪs əˈbɪspoʊ/;[11]Spanish for "St. Louis, Bishop [of Toulouse]", pronounced [san ˈlwis oˈβispo]; Obispeño: tiłhini, "Place of the full moon" [12]), or SLO (/sloʊ/) for short, is a city in the U.S. state of California, located roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the Central Coast. The population was 45,119 at the 2010 census.[13] The population of San Luis Obispo County was 269,637 in 2010.

Founded in 1772 by Spanish Franciscan Junípero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California's oldest communities. Serra's original mission was named after the 13th-century saint and bishop Louis of Toulouse. The city, locally referred to as San Luis, SLO, or SLO Town (as its county is also referred to as SLO) is the county seat of San Luis Obispo County and is adjacent to California Polytechnic State University.

The earliest human inhabitants of the local area were the Chumash people. One of the earliest villages lies south of San Luis Obispo and reflects the landscape of the early Holocene when estuaries came farther inland. The Chumash people used marine resources of the inlets and bays along the Central Coast and inhabited a network of villages, including sites at Los Osos and Morro Creek.[14]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist School near San Luis Obispo CA

Deciding on the best physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that many variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the schools to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in San Luis Obispo CA.