Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Pleasant Plains IL

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Training Program near Pleasant Plains 62677

Pleasant Plains IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Pleasant Plains IL is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire 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 school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate those you are thinking about to make certain they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Pleasant Plains IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Pleasant Plains IL hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Pleasant Plains IL health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise 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 getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Pleasant Plains IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Pleasant Plains IL area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

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 offered in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Pleasant Plains IL While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Pleasant Plains IL residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Pleasant Plains IL area and throughout 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 sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national 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 choose an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Pleasant Plains IL physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your program options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Pleasant Plains IL area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential 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 working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have partnerships with Pleasant Plains IL clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Pleasant Plains medical community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they select will need to be within commuting distance of their Pleasant Plains IL home. Those who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to keep in mind 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 frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Pleasant Plains IL area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Pleasant Plains Illinois?

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

Pleasant Plains, Illinois

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 666 people, 297 households, and 237 families residing in the village. The population density was 626.0 people per square mile (241.9/km2). There were 317 housing units at an average density of 255.4 per square mile (98.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.84% White, 0.26% African American, 0.39% Asian, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.51% of the population.

There were 297 households out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the village, the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

Choose the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Pleasant Plains IL

Deciding on the best physical therapy program is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to different colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following 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 necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Pleasant Plains IL.