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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy School near Shipman 62685

Shipman IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Shipman IL is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are considering to make certain they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest 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 the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Shipman IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Shipman IL private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Shipman IL health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

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

Associate Degrees educate 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 equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Shipman IL While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Shipman IL residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you probably have made a decision concerning a few of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Shipman IL area and across Illinois, you’ll need to look into other qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you enroll in the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must 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 College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’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 agencies for their reviews as well. Call several Shipman IL physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school options. It may also be prudent to check with the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Shipman IL area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select provides both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Illinois or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements fluctuate 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 supplemental tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have relationships with Shipman IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Shipman medical community and help with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Shipman IL home. Individuals who have opted 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 concern. 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 need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

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

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Shipman IL area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. 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 Shipman Illinois?

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

Shipman, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Shipman has a total area of 1.333 square miles (3.45 km2), of which 1.32 square miles (3.42 km2) (or 99.02%) is land and 0.013 square miles (0.03 km2) (or 0.98%) is water.[4]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 655 people, 249 households, and 181 families residing in the village. The population density was 495.8 people per square mile (191.6/km²). There were 273 housing units at an average density of 206.7/sq mi (79.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.86% White, 0.76% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.31% Asian, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population.

There were 249 households, of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.12.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy College near Shipman IL

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy program is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different campuses to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional 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 fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Shipman IL.