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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Program near Englewood 34223

Englewood FL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Englewood FL is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, 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 looking at to make sure they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Englewood FL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Englewood FL private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes 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 mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Englewood FL health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Englewood FL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are available in the Englewood FL area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may 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 degrees are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just 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 available in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Englewood FL Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Englewood FL residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning some of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Englewood FL area and across Florida, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school options. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national 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 college, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Englewood FL physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your college options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Florida Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Englewood FL area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Florida or the state where you will be practicing. In every 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 fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have associations with Englewood FL clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Englewood medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Englewood FL home. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern 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 decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT schools provide some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid office and find out what type of help is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist college you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Englewood FL area, make sure that they are available. 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 need to carry. Also, find out 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 Englewood Florida?

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

Englewood, Florida

The Sarasota County portion of Englewood is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Charlotte County portion is part of the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 13.1 square miles (33.8 km2), of which 9.8 square miles (25.4 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2), or 24.99%, is water.[4]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 16,196 people, 8,291 households, and 5,206 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,647.6 people per square mile (636.1/km²). There were 10,495 housing units at an average density of 1,067.6/sq mi (412.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.25% White, 0.19% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Englewood FL

Choosing the right physical therapy college is an important first decision you have to make to begin a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your final decision. You might want to go to different campuses to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Englewood FL.