Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Centerbrook CT

How to Select a Physical Therapist College near Centerbrook 06409

Centerbrook CT physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Centerbrook CT is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are considering to make certain they will supply a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Centerbrook CT physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Centerbrook CT hospitals, health clinics, 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 earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Centerbrook CT health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Centerbrook CT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one 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 preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Centerbrook CT area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some 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 attainable in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Centerbrook CT Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more 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 near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Centerbrook CT home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you probably have made a decision regarding some of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you would like 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 colleges within the Centerbrook CT area and across Connecticut, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you select the program that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering 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 program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Centerbrook CT physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school selections. It may also be prudent to check with the Connecticut 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 significant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Centerbrook CT area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Connecticut or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have relationships with Centerbrook CT clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Centerbrook health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear 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 one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. 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 instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Centerbrook CT residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble 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 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 typically charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office and see what type of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist school you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Centerbrook CT 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 credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Centerbrook Connecticut?

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

Centerbrook, Connecticut

Centerbrook is a hamlet located in the town of Essex, Connecticut. The village is home to numerous businesses, the Essex Steam Train, a post office, and Essex Elementary School. It has many houses but it is generally considered the more commercial part of Essex.[1]

The village consists of the area immediately west of the Route 9 expressway, extending southwest along Route 153 to Tiffany Brook, west along Main Street to Earl Street, and north along Route 154 to Route 9.

There are two churches in Centerbrook- a Lutheran church, which sits on Main Street just before the school, and a Congregational Church, which sits between the Mobil station and the former Debbie's Restaurant.

Select the Best Physical Therapist Degree Program near Centerbrook CT

Picking the ideal physical therapist program is a necessary first decision you need to make to launch a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that many variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Centerbrook CT.