Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Louisville CO

How to Pick a Physical Therapy School near Louisville 80027

Louisville CO physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Louisville CO is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate those you are thinking about to ensure they will deliver a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Louisville CO physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Louisville CO hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Louisville CO medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Louisville CO physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Louisville CO area:

Associate Degrees train students to become 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 GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a practicing licensed 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of 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 Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Louisville CO While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Louisville CO residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary questions, such as the type of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Louisville CO area and across Colorado, you’ll need to look into other qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college options. Also, you want to make certain that you enroll in the school that is best for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online program, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact some Louisville CO physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your program options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Colorado Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of 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 Louisville CO area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Colorado 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 therapy college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have relationships with Louisville CO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to get practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Louisville medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Louisville CO residence. Students who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need 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 Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some form of financial support to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what kind of assistance is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist college you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Louisville CO area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Louisville Colorado?

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

Louisville, Colorado

Louisville (/ˈluːɪsvɪl/) is a home rule municipality in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 18,376 at the 2010 United States Census.[7] Louisville began as a rough mining community in 1877, suffered through a period of extraordinary labor violence early in the 20th century, and then, when the mines closed in the 1950s, made a transition to a suburban residential community. CNN/Money and Money magazine have consistently listed Louisville as one of the 100 best places to live in the United States, ranking it among the top 100 in 2007,[8] 2009[9] 2011,[10] 2013,[11] 2015,[12] and 2017.[13]

The town of Louisville dates back to the start of the Welch Mine in 1877, the first coal mine in an area of Boulder and Weld counties known as the Northern Coalfield. The town was named for Louis Nawatny, a local landowner who platted his land and named it for himself. Incorporation came several years later, in 1882.[14]

The Northern Coalfield proved to be highly productive, and eventually some 30 different mines operated within the current boundaries of Louisville, though not all at the same time. During the years of peak production (1907–09) twelve mines were in operation in Louisville, including the Acme Mine whose two million tons of coal came from directly beneath the center of town. The presence of many independent mining companies in Louisville saved the town from becoming a "company town", wholly owned and dominated by a single mining company.[14]

Pick the Right Physical Therapist School near Louisville CO

Choosing the best physical therapy college is an important first decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that many factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different colleges to view 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 have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Louisville CO.