Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Mount Pulaski IL

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist College near Mount Pulaski 62548

Mount Pulaski IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Mount Pulaski IL is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are considering to ensure they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover 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?

Mount Pulaski IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Mount Pulaski IL private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Mount Pulaski IL health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Mount Pulaski IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Mount Pulaski IL area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by community or junior colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential component in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Mount Pulaski IL Although not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more 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 requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Mount Pulaski IL residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you most likely have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Mount Pulaski IL area and throughout Illinois, you’ll need to look into other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you pick the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier mentioned, 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 receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 aid.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting 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. Contact a few Mount Pulaski IL physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program options. It may also be prudent to contact 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 two useful statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Mount Pulaski IL area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select provides both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Illinois or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have associations with Mount Pulaski IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Mount Pulaski health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller 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 prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Mount Pulaski IL residence. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble 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 decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Mount Pulaski IL area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Mount Pulaski Illinois?

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

Mount Pulaski, Illinois

Mount Pulaski is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,701 at the 2000 census, and 1,577 at a 2009 estimate. It is the home of the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site. The city is named in honor of Polish Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,701 people, 696 households, and 471 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,494.1 people per square mile (576.1/km²). There were 741 housing units at an average density of 650.9 per square mile (251.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.47% White, 0.06% Native American, 0.06% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.

There were 696 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.86.

Choose the Best Physical Therapy Training Program near Mount Pulaski IL

Picking the best physical therapy school is an important initial decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that many factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to visit different colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me realize 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 appropriate selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Mount Pulaski IL.