Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - North Miami Beach FL

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near North Miami Beach 33160

North Miami Beach FL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near North Miami Beach FL is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care industry. 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 must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are looking at to make sure they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

North Miami Beach FL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including North Miami Beach 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 patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other North Miami Beach FL health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

North Miami Beach FL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are available in the North Miami Beach FL area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically 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 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 three years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in a number of 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 eliminated and is no longer offered 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 requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in North Miami Beach FL While not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s North Miami Beach FL home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the North Miami Beach FL area and across Florida, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you need to be sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree 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 imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. 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 may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call a few North Miami Beach FL physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Florida Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the North Miami Beach FL area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose provides both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Florida or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have partnerships with North Miami Beach FL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to receive hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional connections in the North Miami Beach healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they pick will have to be within driving distance of their North Miami Beach FL home. Those who have chosen 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. One thing to keep 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 may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and find out what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the North Miami Beach FL area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative 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 might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near North Miami Beach Florida?

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

North Miami Beach, Florida

North Miami Beach (commonly referred to as NMB) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Originally named Fulford in 1926 after Captain William H. Fulford of the United States Coast Guard, the city was renamed North Miami Beach in 1931. The population was 41,523 at the 2010 census.

The hurricane of 1926 essentially ended the South Florida real estate boom, and in an effort to alleviate their losses and the damage to the city, local residents came together as the Town of Fulford. In 1927, the city was incorporated as the City of Fulford.[6]

North Miami Beach is located at 25°55′49″N 80°10′1″W / 25.93028°N 80.16694°W / 25.93028; -80.16694.[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (14 km2). 5.0 square miles (13 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (6.43%) is water.

Choose the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near North Miami Beach FL

Deciding on the best physical therapy college is an important 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 select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that many variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with current 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 following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in North Miami Beach FL.