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

How to Select a Physical Therapist College near Irvington 62848

Irvington IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Irvington IL is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the necessary education and training. A PT must also become 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 research the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Irvington IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Irvington IL private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier mentioned, 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 develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor 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
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Irvington IL health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Irvington IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Irvington 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 obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 total commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of practicing 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 Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Irvington IL While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Irvington IL home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than comparable on campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have come to decision regarding a few of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Irvington IL area and across Illinois, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you want to make certain that you choose the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional 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 choose an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call some Irvington IL physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school options. It might also be prudent to contact the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, 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 Irvington IL area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose 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 required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have associations with Irvington IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to get hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Irvington healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person 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 enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Irvington IL residence. Those who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department and see what type of help is obtainable. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Irvington IL area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Irvington Illinois?

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

Irvington, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Irvington has a total area of 1.036 square miles (2.68 km2), of which 1.03 square miles (2.67 km2) (or 99.42%) is land and 0.006 square miles (0.02 km2) (or 0.58%) is water.[6]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 736 people, 282 households, and 208 families residing in the village. The population density was 878.6 people per square mile (338.3/km²). There were 310 housing units at an average density of 370.1 per square mile (142.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.42% White, 0.41% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.54% Asian, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.

There were 282 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.03.

Choose the Right Physical Therapist School near Irvington IL

Selecting the best physical therapy college is an important initial decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your final decision. You might want to go to each of the schools to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Irvington IL.