Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Greenview IL

How to Select a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Greenview 62642

Greenview IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Greenview IL is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we discuss 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Greenview IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Greenview IL hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers 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 touched on, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Greenview IL health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is rather 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

Greenview IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single 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 preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Greenview IL 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 earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and take about two 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 created as pre-physical therapy education to prepare students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Greenview IL While not as common as the more traditional options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Greenview IL residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Greenview IL area and throughout Illinois, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school options. Also, you want to make sure that you enroll in the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier 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 select an online program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for 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 also. Get in touch with a few Greenview IL physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your school options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Greenview IL area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Illinois or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are reviewing have relationships with Greenview IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Greenview health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing 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 determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Greenview IL home. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what type of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy school you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Greenview IL area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Greenview Illinois?

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

Greenview, Illinois

Greenview was laid out in October 1857, by Menard County pioneer Willian Engle, on land originally owned by Charles Montgomery in section 23 of township 19 north, range 6 west of the Third Principal Meridian.[3] It was named after William G. Greene of nearby Tallula Precinct, because he convinced the railroad to come through the town:[4] located on the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad, Greenview was incorporated by a special act of the Illinois General Assembly on May 6, 1869, then re-incorporated under the new general municipal laws of the state in March 7, 1877.[3]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 862 people, 366 households, and 252 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,014.2 people per square mile (391.6/km²). There were 397 housing units at an average density of 467.1 per square mile (180.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.65% White, 0.12% African American, 0.12% Native American and 0.12% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.12% of the population.

There were 366 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.89.

Select the Right Physical Therapist College near Greenview IL

Choosing the ideal physical therapy college is an important first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to different colleges to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed 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 right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Greenview IL.