Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Oak Lawn IL

How to Select a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Oak Lawn 60453

Oak Lawn IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Oak Lawn IL is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the appropriate training and education. 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 research the ones you are considering to ensure they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Oak Lawn IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Oak Lawn IL private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Oak Lawn IL medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Oak Lawn IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Oak Lawn IL area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and often incorporate 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Oak Lawn IL While not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist 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 school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Oak Lawn IL home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you most likely have come to decision regarding some of your initial queries, like 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 invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Oak Lawn IL area and throughout Illinois, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to make certain that you choose the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier 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 can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call a few Oak Lawn IL physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your school 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 colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students dropped out 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 Oak Lawn IL area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies 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 therapist program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are assessing have partnerships with Oak Lawn IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Oak Lawn health care community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Oak Lawn IL home. Students who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance department and find out what type of help is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy college you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Oak Lawn IL area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out 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 because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Oak Lawn Illinois?

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

Oak Lawn, Illinois

Oak Lawn is located at the 41°42′54″N 87°45′12″W / 41.71500°N 87.75333°W / 41.71500; -87.75333 (41.715082, −87.753401).[4] According to the 2010 census, Oak Lawn has a total area of 8.59 square miles (22.25 km2), all land.[5]

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 55,245 people, 22,220 households, and 14,554 families residing in the village. The population density was 6,427.3 people per square mile (2,480.3/km²). There were 22,846 housing units at an average density of 2,657.9 per square mile (1,025.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.35% White, 1.22% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.64% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.33% of the population, including 4.3% of Mexican descent.[7]

The top five ancestries reported in Oak Lawn as of the 2000 census were Irish (30.4%), German (19.5%), Polish (19.3%), Italian (9.7%) and English (4.4%).[8] One of the town's streets pays tribute to its Polish American heritage through its name of Deblin Lane after Dęblin, Poland.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near Oak Lawn IL

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy college is an important first decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that many variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different campuses to see their facilities and talk to 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 additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Oak Lawn IL.