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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Program near Wheeling 60090

Wheeling IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Wheeling IL is a critical first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated 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 need to obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is select a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Wheeling IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Wheeling IL hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Wheeling IL health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise 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 entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Wheeling IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Wheeling IL area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify 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 typically a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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 three years to complete, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in several 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 attainable in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Wheeling IL While not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college 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 Wheeling IL home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision regarding several of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Wheeling IL area and across Illinois, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you want to make sure that you select the program that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in 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 just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Wheeling IL physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your program options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Wheeling IL area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in provides both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Illinois or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are reviewing have associations with Wheeling IL clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates form professional connections in the Wheeling healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student 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 talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Wheeling IL residence. Students who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps 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 generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid department and see what type of assistance is obtainable. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist program you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Wheeling IL area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Wheeling Illinois?

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

Wheeling, Illinois

Wheeling is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it is primarily in Cook County, approximately 23 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The population was 37,648 at the 2010 census.[3] Wheeling is named for Wheeling, WV.[4]

According to the 2010 census, the village has a total area of 8.74 square miles (22.6 km2), of which 8.74 square miles (22.6 km2) (or 97.26%) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km2) (or 2.74%) is water.[6]

As of the census[8] of 2010, there were 34,496 people, 13,280 households, and 8,459 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,106.5 people per square mile (1,585.6/km²). There were 13,697 housing units at an average density of 1,630.5 per square mile (629.6/km²). The racial make-up of the village was 76.68% White, 2.44% African American, 0.23% Native American, 9.26% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 9.18% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.68% of the population.

Select the Best Physical Therapist School near Wheeling IL

Selecting the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the campuses to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish 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 options so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Wheeling IL.