Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Clarksville IA

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Training Program near Clarksville 50619

Clarksville IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Clarksville IA is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will deliver a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered besides 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?

Clarksville IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, such as Clarksville IA hospitals, health clinics, 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 earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Clarksville IA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Clarksville IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Clarksville IA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 offered in the United States. Some licensed 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 Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Clarksville IA While not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Clarksville IA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you most likely have come to decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Clarksville IA area and across Iowa, you’ll have to research other qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college choices. Also, you need to be sure that you choose the program that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are considering. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have received 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 can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Clarksville IA physical therapist clinics or other health 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 contact the Iowa Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Clarksville IA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Iowa 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 school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are evaluating have associations with Clarksville IA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to get practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Clarksville health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges 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 ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they select will need to be within commuting distance of their Clarksville IA home. Students who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance office and see what kind of aid is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Clarksville IA area, make certain 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 carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Clarksville Iowa?

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

Clarksville, Iowa

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,439 people, 573 households, and 401 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,082.0 inhabitants per square mile (417.8/km2). There were 619 housing units at an average density of 465.4 per square mile (179.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.0% White, 0.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 573 households of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the city was 40.2 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 20% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Clarksville IA

Selecting the ideal physical therapist program is an important initial decision you have to make to launch a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different colleges to view their facilities and talk with active 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 field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Clarksville IA.