Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Blackshear GA

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Blackshear 31516

Blackshear GA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Blackshear GA is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Blackshear GA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as Blackshear GA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Blackshear GA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Blackshear GA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Blackshear GA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually 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 developed as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding 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 Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Blackshear GA While not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of 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 an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Blackshear GA home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Blackshear GA area and across Georgia, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. 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 may also earn 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. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact a few Blackshear GA physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your school selections. It may also be prudent to check with the Georgia Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Blackshear GA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the school has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Georgia or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy 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 as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing have associations with Blackshear GA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Blackshear healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are researching what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Blackshear GA residence. 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. One thing to consider 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 normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools offer 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 College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Blackshear GA area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Blackshear Georgia?

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

Blackshear, Georgia

Blackshear was founded in 1858 to serve as the seat of the newly formed Pierce County.[7] The city was named after General David Blackshear,[8] who authorized the construction of roads, bridges and 11 forts for defense. He was a patriot in the American Revolution, fighting in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge and the Battle of Buford's Bridge. He served as a general during the War of 1812. He also served in the Georgia state legislature as Senator of Laurens County.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,283 people, 1,354 households, and 894 families residing in the city. The population density was 766.6 people per square mile (296.2/km²). There were 1,518 housing units at an average density of 354.5 per square mile (136.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.03% White, 21.35% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 1,354 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.

Select the Best Physical Therapy School near Blackshear GA

Picking the ideal physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that many variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to go to different colleges to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Blackshear GA.