Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Yolo CA

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Program near Yolo 95697

Yolo CA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Yolo CA is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the necessary education and training. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is select a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Yolo CA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as Yolo CA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Yolo CA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Yolo CA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Yolo CA area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order 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 3 years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Yolo CA While not as common as the more traditional options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature 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 nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Yolo CA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Yolo CA area and throughout California, you’ll have to look into other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you want to make sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional 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 program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call several Yolo CA physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your college options. It may also be prudent to contact the California Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Yolo CA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even outstanding. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for California or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have associations with Yolo CA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to obtain practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Yolo health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Yolo CA home. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to keep 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Yolo CA area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Yolo California?

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

Yolo County, California

Yolo County, officially the County of Yolo, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 200,849.[5] Its county seat is Woodland.[6]

Much of Yolo County remains a relatively rural agricultural region. This is evidenced by the multibillion-dollar California tomato industry that accounts for 90% of the canned and processed tomato production in the United States and 35% worldwide,[7] to which Yolo County is a major contributor.

In the original act of 1850 the name was spelled "Yola." Yolo is a Native American name variously believed to be a corruption of a tribal name Yo-loy meaning "a place abounding in rushes" or of the name of the chief, Yodo, or of the village of Yodoi.[8] Due to the acronym YOLO meaning "you only live once," Yolo County and the unincorporated community of Yolo have unusual place names.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Yolo CA

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to different schools to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach 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 right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Yolo CA.