Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Brooksville FL

How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Brooksville 34601

Brooksville FL physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Brooksville FL is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are thinking about to make sure they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered 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 what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Brooksville FL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, such as Brooksville FL private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Brooksville FL medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Brooksville FL 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 alternatives, the only degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Brooksville FL area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer available in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Brooksville FL While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees 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 requires that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Brooksville FL home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have made a decision regarding some of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Brooksville FL area and across Florida, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you choose the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 select an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact a few Brooksville FL physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college selections. It might also be prudent to contact the Florida Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Brooksville FL area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you select provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Florida 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 therapist school. Although licensing requirements vary 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 Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have relationships with Brooksville FL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Brooksville health care community and help with obtaining employment 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 prefer a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one 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 want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Brooksville FL home. Students who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 Help Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what type of help is obtainable. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Brooksville FL area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check 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 may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Brooksville Florida?

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

Brooksville, Florida

Brooksville is a city in and the county seat of Hernando County, Florida, United States.[6] As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,719,[2] up from 7,264 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Brooksville was named in 1856 to honor Preston Brooks, a Democratic congressman from South Carolina. Brooks was an extreme advocate of chattel slavery. In 1856, Massachusetts senator and staunch abolitionist Charles Sumner gave an impassioned speech condemning slavery, in which he insulted Brooks' relative, Senator Andrew Butler. In response, Brooks attacked Sumner with a cane on the floor of Senate, severely injuring him; Brooks did not stop until physically restrained by others.[7] This incident inflamed antebellum tensions throughout the country, emboldened secessionist movements throughout the American south and, eventually, contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War.[8] Brooksville is home to historic buildings and residences including the home of former Florida Governor William Sherman Jennings and football player Jerome Brown.

Brooksville is located in east-central Hernando County, 45 miles (72 km) north of Tampa and 51 miles (82 km) southwest of Ocala. The geographic center of Florida is 12 miles (19 km) north-northwest of Brooksville.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy Training Program near Brooksville FL

Selecting the right physical therapist college is an important initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that many factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Brooksville FL.