Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Harwood Heights IL

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Harwood Heights 60706

Harwood Heights IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Harwood Heights IL is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important 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 the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Harwood Heights IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Harwood Heights IL private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent 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.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Harwood Heights IL health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Harwood Heights IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to become 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. Following are short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Harwood Heights IL area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Harwood Heights IL Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Harwood Heights IL home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Harwood Heights IL area and across Illinois, you’ll have to look into other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you want to make certain that you pick the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 choose an online school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’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 organizations for their reviews also. Call some Harwood Heights IL physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your program options. It might also be prudent to check with the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Harwood Heights IL area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Illinois or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have relationships with Harwood Heights IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to get practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Harwood Heights health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the typical teacher to student 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 an opportunity to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Harwood Heights IL residence. Students who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and find out what type of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist college you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Harwood Heights IL area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Harwood Heights Illinois?

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

Harwood Heights, Illinois

Harwood Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census.[3] The current mayor is Arlene Jezierny. She is the second woman to serve as mayor in Harwood Heights, the first being Margaret Fuller.[4] Harwood Heights and its neighbor Norridge form an enclave surrounded by the City of Chicago.

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 8,297 people, 3,505 households, and 2,183 families residing in the village. The population density was 10,094.4 people per square mile (3,906.7/km²). There were 3,606 housing units at an average density of 4,387.2 per square mile (1,697.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 92.13% White, 0.31% African American, 0.24% Native American, 4.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.54% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.83% of the population.

Based on United States Census data, Harwood Heights is listed as an Illinois community with a significant number of Polish Americans, at 32.5%.[9] Among communities in the United States with populations of 500 or more, Harwood Heights has the second highest percentage of residents born in Poland (18.8%).[10] It also has the seventh highest percentage of residents born in Italy among communities in the United States (4.9%).[11]

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Harwood Heights IL

Choosing the best physical therapist school is an important first decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that many variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to different schools to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Harwood Heights IL.