Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Key Largo FL

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Program near Key Largo 33037

Key Largo FL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Key Largo FL is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make certain they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we talk about 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?

Key Largo FL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Key Largo FL hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Key Largo FL health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Key Largo FL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Key Largo FL area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often made available by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to complete and commonly include 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 must also 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 overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely 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. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Key Largo FL Although not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Key Largo FL home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Key Largo FL area and across Florida, you’ll need to research other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you want to make certain that you pick the college that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have received 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 enroll in an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Contact some Key Largo FL physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school selections. It may 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 relevant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Key Largo FL area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Florida or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are interested in have associations with Key Largo FL clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Key Largo healthcare community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the average 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 talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they select will need to be within commuting distance of their Key Largo FL home. Those who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally 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 Aid Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some type of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what type of aid is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify 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, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist school you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Key Largo FL area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Key Largo Florida?

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

Key Largo

Key Largo (Spanish: Cayo Largo) is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the Keys, at 33 miles (53 km) long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the Keys connected by U.S. Highway 1 (the Overseas Highway). Its earlier Spanish name was Cayo Largo,[1] meaning long islet.

Key Largo is connected to the mainland in Miami-Dade County by two routes. The first route is The Overseas Highway, which is U.S. Highway 1 that enters Key Largo at Jewfish Creek near the middle of the island and turns southwest. The second route is Card Sound Road, which connects to the northern part of Key Largo at Card Sound Bridge and runs southeastward to connect with County Road 905, which runs southwest and joins U.S. 1 at about mile marker 106. These routes originate at Florida City on the mainland.

Key Largo is a popular tourist destination and calls itself the "Diving Capital of the World" because the living coral reef a few miles offshore attracts thousands of scuba divers and sport-fishing enthusiasts.[2]

Choose the Best Physical Therapist Degree Program near Key Largo FL

Picking the best physical therapist school is an important initial decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to visit different colleges to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Key Largo FL.